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176-10036-10098

2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY : NARA

RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10098

RECORD SERIES : National Security Files

AGENCY FILE NUMBER :

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM :

TO :

TITLE : Central Intelligence Agency Information Report

DATE: 5/18/1963

PAGES :53

SUBJECTS :

DOCUMENT TYPE :

CLASSIFICATION :

RESTRICTIONS :

CURRENT STATUS :

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000

OPENING CRITERIA

COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam, 4/63-5/63. Box 2

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sanita pled + 1240 1405

NUK SI 32?

TELEGRAM INFURMATION REPORT TELEGRAM

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

Vietnami

nais

11 and

and tortel

contains Information

affecting

troosmission or ravalation

othe

hich in an

oh in any manner to tha

United States withir

tho

an unauthorized person is prohibitoc

hibitide so law.

of the Espiorago Lame, Pille 18, U.S.C. sees.

CONFIDENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

(when Filled In,

COUNTRY

SOUTH: VIETNAM

SUBJECT

PLANS FOR A COUP. D'ETAT. IN CENTRAL

VIETNAM BY THE REFORMED UNGDO

REPORT NO.

TDCS-3/547,672

DATE DISTR.

16 44r 1963

PRECEDENCE ROUTINE

DATE OF

INFO.

PLACE &

DATE ACO.

REFEKE:YCE5

EARLY MAY: 1963

VIETNAM, SAIGON (13 MAY 1963)

IN 41751

FIELD REPORT NO. EVS 8959

THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.

SOURCE A VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPERMAN (C) WITH. EXTENSIVE CONTACTS IN PRESS.

AND POLITICAL CIRCLES.

APPRAISAL: IT: 1S. PROBABLY TRUE THAT THE. UNODD IS BEING REFORMED; ITS CAPABILITIES

IN.CENTRAL.VIETNAM CANNOT BE.JUDGED.

SHORTLY AFTER. THE 8 MAY 1963 INCIDENT IM HUE, NOLVEN VAN

LUC RECEIVED Ä PLAN FOR A COUP DIETAT IN CENTRAL: VIETNAM:: FROM THE

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL VIETNAM. THOAT MAC PHONG TRAO

(TXPT.). (SOURCE COMMENT.. TXPT DOES NOT. TRANSLATE MEANINGFULLY

INTO ENQLISH. THOAT HAS THE CONNOTATION OF GOiNG OUT. IN MIND AND

SPIRITE XAC MEANS BODY, I.E,, PHYSICALLY; PHONG TRAO MEANS MOVEMENT

THUS, THE MOVEMENT OF MIND, SPIRIT, AND BODY MIGHT BE ONE TRANSLATION;

A BETTER ONE WOULD BE VNQDD.) THE TXPT HAS BEEN DEVELORING SINGE

1958 FRỘM THE

PARTICULARLY

THOSE ELEMENTS

VIETNAM,

11!

CONFIDENTIAL

E/ IMR

DIA ARMY/ACSO NAVY

AIR

CLASSIFIÇATION - PISSEMINATION CONTROLS

O FOREION DISSEM

NIC

AID USIA OCI

ONE

OCA

GROUP 1

Rastudad tram sulamane

daunpruding and

001

EXO

'E/DIR

TELEGRAM

INFORMATION REPORT

TELEGRAM

(18-20)

SANITIZED MK: 01:197.6-10-8

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## Page 3

5

GONFIDENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION- DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FONDON CISSEM

TDCS-3/547,672

IN

PAGE

41761

2

THE UNQDD STRONGHOLD. THE TYPT: ALTHOUGH COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF FORMER

VNQDD MEMBERS, WAS ESTABLISHED ESSENTIALLY AS A BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION.

AND HAS BEEN LEGALLY ENGAGED IN CIVIC AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES SINCE

ITS FORMATION. CLANDESTINE POLITICAL ORGMIZATION HAS PROCLEDED

FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING NEW, YOUNGER LEADERS, ANU OF DENTING

THE OLDER PASSIVE TENETS OF BUDDHISM AS WELL AS THE OLDER LEADERS

OF THE UNQDD, THE ULTIMATE INTENT BEING A REVITALIZED REVOLUTIONARY

SPIRIT. (FIELD COMMENT. LUE IS THE FATHER SUD ACCOMPLICE OF NEUYEN

VAN CU, ONE OF THE TWO PILOTS WHO DONBED TEN PRISOOOIEGGLACE

ON 27 FEBRUARY 1962.)

2. THE TXPT CENTRAL COMMITTEE REMINDED LUG THAT THE ORGANI-

ZATION WAS IN A POSITION TO HANDLE A COUP ACTION IN CENTRAL VIETNAM

EFFECTIVELY, POINTING OUT THAT THOSE MILITARY UNITS NOT CONTROLLED

COULD BE NEUTRALIZED AND THAT THE AIR BASE AT DA MANG COULD BE

•CONTROLLED THROUGH THE AIR FORCE. THE COMMITTEE STATED THAT, AFTER

I THE ANTI-BUDDHIST ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE PEOPLE WERE READY

FOR AN UPRISING. BY TAKING NGO DINH CAN AND ARCHBISHOR: NGO DINH

THUC INTO CUSTODY AND BY GAINING MILITARY CONTROL OVER THUA THIEN

AND QUẠNG NAM PROVINCES, SUCCESS COULD BE ASSURED IN CENTRAL VIETNAM.

THIS WOULD PLACE THE TXPT IN A POSITION OF USING PRESIDENT DIEM'S

TACTICS OF NEGOTIATIONS AGAINST HIM, 1.E., HAVING GAINED CONTROL

OVER CENTRAL VIETNAM, THEY WOULD OFFER TO NEGOTIATE WITH DIEM

CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENTIAL

NO FORESH DISSE

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## Page 4

5

CLASSIFICATION- DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

CONFIDENTIAL

FOREIGN DISSEM

TDCS-3/547,672

IN

PAGE

41761:

AND , AT. THE SAME TIME, THEY WOULD BE MOUNTING A COUP AGAINST THE

REGIME IN SAIGON, WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE NO LATER THAN THREE DAYS

AFTER THE ONE IN CENTRAL VIETNAM.

3. LUC SENT A TRUSTED FOLLOWER, ONE VIET, TO SAIGON TO DISCUSS

THE PLẠN WITH AN OPPOSITIONIST SYMPATHIZER AND GET HIS VIEWPOINT.

VIET WAS ADVISED TO TELL LUC THAT ANY SUCH ACTION WAS PRECIPITATE

AND DANGEROUS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY TRUE THAT THE FORMER VNQDD

MEMBERS IN CENTRAL VIETNAM HAD THE POWER CLAIMED, A COUP THERE,

WITHOUT SIMULTANEOUS ACTION IN SAIGON, WOULD LEAVE A VAÇUUM WHICH

THE VIET CONG (VE) COULD IMMEDIATELY USE TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE.

VC REACTION PROBABLY WOULD TAKE THE FORM OF GAINING CONTROL OF ALL

AREAS NOT EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLED BY THE COUP GROUP, WITH THE •

ULTIMATE POSSIBILITY OF PARTITIONING CENTRAL VIETNAM, OF BEING IN A

POSITION TO FORM A REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT, AND FINALLY, OF BEING

ABLE TO CALL FOR NEGOTIATIONS: THEMSELVES. ACCORDING TO VIET, THIS

FOLLOWED LUC'S THINKING, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HIS FOLLOWERS WERE NOT

IN A POSITION TO ACT IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. VIET

THOUGHT THAT LUC WOULD INSTRUCT THE TXPT CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN.

CENTRAL VIETNAM TO TAKE NO ACTION AT THIS TIME, AND THAT LUC'S

ADVICE WOULD BE ACCEPTED.

FIELD DISSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACY USOM MAAG USIS

CINGPAC PACFLT PACAF ARPAC 9TH FIELD ENATJONMESBAGER DIVISION:

CONFIDENTIAL

CLASSIFICATION- DISSEMINATION CONTROLS

NO FOREIGN DISSEN

10061

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