SOUTH VIET NAM 2-12 THE RELIGIOUS CRISIS A DUSK-TO-DAWN CURFEW EMPTIED THE 
STREETS OF THE ANCIENT VIETNAMESE CAPITAL OF HUE, 400 MILES NORTH 
OF SAIGON . RIOT POLICE AND ARMORED PERSONNEL CARRIERS PATROLLED THE 
DARK AND DESERTED CITY . ROADBLOCKS WERE SET UP ON THE 
OUTSKIRTS, AND BARBED-WIRE BARRICADES ENCIRCLED THE SACRED TUDAM PAGODA . THESE 
GOVERNMENT SECURITY MEASURES WERE NOT A PRECAUTION AGAINST AN ATTACK BY 
COMMUNIST GUERRILLAS ; THEY WERE TAKEN TO QUELL DEMONSTRATIONS BY HUE'S 
BUDDHIST POPULATION AGAINST THE REGIME OF ROMAN CATHOLIC PRESIDENT NGO DINH 
DIEM . WHILE ALL THE WORLD'S ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON SOUTH 
VIET NAM'S BITTER STRUGGLE AGAINST THE REDS, THE COUNTRY WAS DIVIDED 
BY A RELIGIOUS CONFLICT THAT MIGHT IMPERIL THE ENTIRE COURSE OF 
THE WAR AGAINST THE VIET CONG . MORALITY CRUSADE . SOUTH 
VIET NAM'S BUDDHISTS, WHO COMPRISE 80 PER CENT OF THE COUNTRY'S 
15 MILLION PEOPLE, ARE BITTER OVER ALLEGED FAVORITISM BY DIEM AND 
HIS CATHOLIC RULING FAMILY TOWARD THE NATION'S 1,500,000 CATHOLICS . THE 
BUDDHISTS HAVE LONG COMPLAINED THAT THE GOVERNMENT GIVES CATHOLICS THE BEST 
CIVIL SERVICE JOBS AND THAT DIEM, BECAUSE HE FEELS THAT CATHOLICS 
ARE MORE SOLIDLY ANTICOMMUNIST, PROMOTES THEM TO HIGHER POSITIONS IN THE 
ARMY . MANY YOUNG VIETNAMESE ARMY OFFICERS, CLAIM BUDDHIST LEADERS, HAVE 
BECOME CONVERTS TO CATHOLICISM TO WIN OFFICIAL FAVOR . " BUT 
IF THE VIET CONG EVER COME THROUGH THE BARBED WIRE, " 
SAID ONE U.S . OFFICER OF HIS RECENTLY CONVERTED VIETNAMESE COUNTERPART, 
" I HAVE A FEELING HE'LL DO HIS PRAYING TO BUDDHA 
. " BUDDHISTS FEEL THAT DIEM'S GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO MAKE 
CATHOLICISM THE OFFICIAL STATE RELIGION, POINT TO THE MORALITY CRUSADE OF 
DIEM'S MILITANTLY CATHOLIC SISTER-IN-LAW, MME . NGO DINH NHU . IN 
SHARP VARIANCE WITH THE EASY SOCIAL MORES OF MOST SOUTH VIETNAMESE, 
MME . NHU HAS BANNED ABORTION, ADULTERY, POLYGAMY, CONCUBINAGE, DIVORCE (EXCEPT 
BY PRESIDENTIAL DISPENSATION), AND THE SALE OF CONTRACEPTIVES . DIEM INDIGANNTLY 
REPLIED THAT BUDDHIST LEADERS ARE " DAMNED FOOLS " TO THINK 
THAT HE IS TRYING TO SUPPRESS THEIR RELIGION . " I 
DON'T FORGET, " HE SAYS, " THAT 80 PER CENT OF 
THE VOTES THAT ELECTED ME PRESIDENT WERE BUDDHIST VOTES . " 
CATHOLICS MAINTAIN THAT THEY OCCUPY SO MANY INFLUENTIAL POSTS ONLY BECAUSE 
THEIR CHURCH SCHOOLS TURN OUT FAR BETTER EDUCATED GRADUATES THAN BUDDHIST 
SCHOOLS . IN A SHARPLY WORDED STATEMENT, MME . NHU CHALLENGED 
THE GOOD FAITH OF STRIKING BONZES (MONKS) . " THE ROBE 
DOES NOT MAKE THE BONZE, " SAID MME . NHU . 
" IT IS NECESSARY TO EXAMINE VERY CLOSELY THE COMPORTMENT OF 
CERTAIN SO-CALLED BUDDHIST MONKS WHO CONTINUE TO MAKE NOT ONLY INCONSIDERATE 
BUT FALSE REMARKS AND OVERTLY ASSUME AN ATTITUDE INCOMPATIBLE WITH THEIR 
PRESUMED STATE OF HOLY MEN . / PROTEST STRIKE . THE 
SITUATION CAME TO A HEAD LAST MONTH IN HUE (POP . 
106,000), WHICH HAPPENS TO BE THE SEE OF DIEM'S BROTHER, ARCHBISHOP 
NGO DINH THUC . THOUGH CATHOLICS WERE ALLOWED TO FLY VATICAN 
FLAGS AT A CHURCH CELEBRATION HONORING ARCHBISHOP THUC, THREE DAYS LATER 
THE GOVERNMENT FORBADE THE BUDDHISTS TO UNFURL THEIR RELIGIOUS FLAGS FOR 
THE 2,507TH BIRTHDAY OF GAUTAMA BUDDHA . WHEN THE BUDDHISTS STAGED 
A PROTEST MARCH AGAINST THE EDICT, GOVERNMENT ARMORED CARS FIRED OVER 
THE HEADS OF THE RIOTERS . IN THE MELEE, NINE PEOPLE 
WERE KILLED . THE BUDDHISTS BLAMED THE SLAUGHTER ON DIEM'S TROOPS 
; THE GOVERNMENT BLAMED THE KILLINGS ON COMMUNIST AGITATORS . THE 
HUE DISASTER CAUSED BUDDHIST DEMONSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY . BUDDHIST DELEGATIONS 
IN SAIGON DEMANDED THE REMOVAL OF RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR FAITH, EQUAL 
JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INDEMNITY FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE DEAD AND 
WOUNDED IN HUE . INSTEAD, THE GOVERNMENT ARRESTED DEMONSTRATORS, BLAMED THE 
UNREST ON " LIARS, FOREIGNERS AND THE VIET CONG . " 
WHEN ANOTHER BUDDHIST CROWD GATHERED IN HUE LAST WEEK, TROOPS DISPERSED 
IT WITH CRUDE TEAR-GAS BOMBS THAT SENT 67 PEOPLE TO THE 
HOSPITAL WITH CHEMICAL BURNS . U.S . OFFICIALS IN SAIGON FEAR 
THAT THE MOUNTING RELIGIOUS STRIFE CAN ONLY BENEFIT THE VIET CONG 
BY DIVIDING THE PEOPLE AND THE PREDOMINANTLY BUDDHIST ARMY JUST AS 
THE GOVERNMENT FORCES ARE BEGINNING TO GAIN A MILITARY ADVANTAGE OVER 
THE REDS . DIEM MADE SOME CONCILIATORY GESTURES ; BUT WITH 
THE SITUATION FAST DETERIORATING, THEY MIGHT PROVE NOT TO BE ENOUGH 
HE ORDERED THE REMOVAL OF THE BARRICADES IN HUE AND IN 
A NATIONWIDE RADIO BROADCAST ADMITTED THAT SOME OF HIS AIDES HAD 
NOT SHOWN " SUFFICIENT UNDERSTANDING AND SENSITIVITY " IN DEALING WITH 
THE CRISIS . 