Sünnerberg Maxim

The 1963 Buddhist Crisis in South Vietnam: course of events and its nature. Part 3. From the ban on religious flags to the fall of the regime

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2022, №2(55), 268-281

 
Annotation: In the final part of the article, the author restores the eventual outline of the Buddhist crisis of 1963 and how its course influenced the public attitude towards the authorities of the Republic within the country and abroad. Particular attention is paid to the confrontation between two figures - the Archbishop Ngo Dinh Thuc, the elder brother of the country's president, and the Buddhist monk Thich Tri Quang. The role played by the Nhu spouses (Ngo Dinh Nhu and Tran Le Xuan) in the escalation of the conflict is also significant. The author comes to the conclusion that initially Hanoi adhered to the “zero tolerance” strategy against the virus, however, when faced with a more virulent strain of COVID-19, it was forced to coexist with it.

Keywords: Buddhist crisis, religious flags, Ngo Dinh Thuc, Thich Tri Quang, Tran Le Xuan