deaths unarmed buddhist civilians city south vietnam hands army security forces roman catholic government army police fired guns launched grenades crowd protesting government ban flying buddhist flag day commemorates birth denial governmental responsibility incident instead blamed added discontent buddhist majority incident spurred protest movement religious discrimination roman catholic dominated regime known buddhist crisis widespread large scale civil south vietnamese november months tension growing opposition regime generals conducted coup saw removal assassination november prelude country surveys religious composition estimated buddhist majority percent policies catholic president generated claims religious bias member catholic vietnamese minority widely regarded historians having pursued pro catholic policies specifically government regarded biased catholics public service military promotions allocation land business favors tax concessions told high ranking officer man buddhist descent catholic officers sensitive places trusted officers army republic vietnam converted catholicism belief military prospects depended additionally distribution firearms village self defense militias intended repel saw weapons given catholics army denied promotion refused convert catholicism catholic priests ran private armies areas forced conversions looting demolition occurred buddhist villages converted order receive aid avoid regime catholic_church largest landowner country private status imposed buddhism french required official permission conduct public buddhist activities repealed land owned catholic_church exempt land reform measures catholics facto exempt labor government obliged citizens perform aid distributed catholic majority villages catholic_church enjoyed special property acquisition dedicated country virgin mary white gold vatican flag regularly flown major public events rarely enforced law known decree number invoked prohibit display religious flags flying buddhist flags birthday official deputy province chief charge security major catholic charged maintaining public security commander garrison application law caused eve important religious festival year week earlier catholics allowed display vatican flags celebrate 25th anniversary appointment brother archbishop celebrations regime national committee asked population donate money jubilee complained forced month wages pay celebration enforcing law authorities tore thousands buddhist flags homes preparation origin order enforce law attributed despite representative central provinces order enacted consultation villages central region converted catholicism priests allowed special access government facilities funds designation buddhism association prevented acquiring land construction protest thousands defied ban flag flying people marched carrying signs strong demonstration calling religious equality took place city centre government security officials surrounded area armoured personnel carriers civil signs vietnamese english convey message western observers despite ban religious flags vatican flags hoisted bridge catholic celebration taken leading buddhist activist monk addressed crowd rise catholic discrimination buddhism called outside government radio station evening rally tension increased day chanting displaying anti government crowd grew expected hear speech speech withdrawn broadcast government censor called disperse crowd explosions shook ground crowd thought troops resorted bombs major reportedly fired air men responded launching grenades crowd fire troops fired directly crowd end killed severely injured dead children crushed underneath armored personnel carriers people mutilated government reaction government alleged guerrilla caused incident setting initial explosion sparking initially refused disciplinary action local authorities claiming acted properly government claimed percussion grenades lethal grenades force explosion cast doubt access sufficiently powerful explosives theory time cia agent caused aim tension regime eyewitness testimony disputed official version events citing amateur footage showed government troops firing crowd local doctor concluded evidence fatal injuries inflicted plastic explosives subsequently jailed refused account incident ordered bodies victims buried autopsy spent night riding streets accusing government firing ambassador known policy attempted spread responsibility claimed parties responsible alleged trying radio station government deploying army later opened fire throwing explosives government later ignored version refused assign responsibility called actions objective accurate fair buddhist reaction protests major announced nearly youthful pro buddhist forced troops severe measures maintain order face protesters showed anger explanation marching old citadel quarter chanting anti catholic government organised counter demonstration condemn terrorist act leadership brother attracted traveled country protesting religious inequality flag ban began rallying central vietnam called attend public mass funeral victims scheduled emotion charged spectacle attracted thousands spectators placed pressure regime grant reforms government announced armed personnel duty clock prevent confrontation persuaded protesters lay flags observe following day tensions increased crowd attended series meetings major present troops armed police speeches calling religious equality anti government sentiment prevalent called use unarmed struggle follow principles saying carry weapons prepared die follow policies echoed buddhist calls compensation expressed sorrow victims meeting dissolved violence buddhist demands equality proclaimed point manifesto monks demanded freedom fly buddhist flag religious equality catholics compensation victims families end arbitrary arrests punishment officials responsible committee buddhist monks request demands signatories declaration requests expectations met delegation monks met present document meeting monks held press conference attempted cause foreign press corps agreed meet buddhist delegation increased tension initially refused pay compensation believing sign weakness claimed discrimination religions treated equally respect flag issue regard classification buddhism association decree claimed administrative oversight fixed action taken matter final months office labeled damn demanding according enjoyed government press release detailing meeting expression damn demonstrations continued ambassador managed extract theoretical concessions agreed modest compensation package usd families victims gesture agreed dismiss responsible publicly stated reason action officials failed maintain order responsible deaths protesters despite concessions maintained government responsible deaths continuing blame satisfy immediately departed vacation absence allowed remaining american diplomatic staff led deputy end policy trial fall regime coup november faced trial held government led accusations men fired crowd crushed victims armoured cars grenades launched orders caused deaths later reportedly revealed personally given order shoot refused testify time living exile rome sentenced life imprisonment ordered compensate victims families lawyer contended court unable establish nature source lethal explosions defense minister general catholic helped january coup later claimed rigged trial gain support released prison later emigrated united_states based catholic newspaper ran story claiming cia agents secret new explosive trouble regime relations united_states deteriorating
Huế Phật Đản shootings