Thich Tri Quang

Thích Trí Quang (born 1924) is a Vietnamese Mahayana Buddhist Buddhist monk best known for his role in leading South Vietnam’s Buddhist majority during the Buddhist crisis in 1963.

His campaign, in which he exhorted followers to emulate the example of Mahatma Gandhi, saw widespread demonstrations against the Catholic government of President Ngo Dinh Diem, and its pro-Catholic and Anti-Buddhist policies, attributed to the influence of Diem’s elder brother Archibishop Ngo Dinh Thuc of Hue. Diem’s often violent suppression of the demonstrations lead to widespread dismay among the populace, and resulted in a military coup in November 1963 that removed Diem and his family from power.

In his early days, Thich Tri Quang went to Ceylon to further his Buddhist studies. When he returned, he participated in anti-French activities, calling for the independence of Vietnam.

In 1963, Vesak, the birthday of Gautama Buddha fell on May 8. The Buddhists of Hue had prepared celebrations for the occasion including the display of the Buddhist flag. The government cited a rarely enforced regulation prohibiting the display of religious flags, banning it. This occurred despite the non-enforcement of the regulation on a Catholic event celebrating the fifth anniversary of Ngo Dinh Thuc as Archbishop of Hue less than a month earlier. The Buddhists defied the ban and held a demonstration, and congregated at the radio station expecting to hear an address by Thich Tri Quang, as was routine for such a day. The authorities cancelled the speech and opened fire on the crowd, killing nine.

On May 10, Buddhist campaigns for religious equality, compensation for the victims, punishment for those responsible, and the right to fly the Buddhist flag. Thich Tri Quang urged the demonstrators to not allow Vietcong to exploit the unrest, and exhorted a strategy of passive resistance. As the crisis deepened, he travelled to the capital Saigon for negotiations and further protests after the self immolation of Thich Quang Duc on June 11. Prior to the August 21 raids on the Xa Loi Pagoda by Ngo Dinh Nhu’s secret police and special forces, he sought refuge at the US embassy. He was accepted by the US ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, who refused to hand him to Nhu’s forces after they had ransacked the pagodas, fired on and beat monks. In Hue, thirty people died as they attempted to blockade the pagodas from Nhu's men.

Following the coup on November 1 1963 which removed Diem and Nhu from power, it was reported that the military junta wanted Thich Tri Quang to be a part of the new cabinet, but the US State Department recommended against this.

After the 1964 coup by General Nguyen Khanh which deposed the Duong Van Minh junta, Khanh had Captain Nguyen Van Nhung, the bodyguard of Minh and executioner of Diem and Nhu executed. This generated rumours that pro-Diem politicians would be restored to power and prompted Thich Tri Quang to cancel a planned pilgrimage to India in order to organise further demonstrations. In late 1964, Khanh revoked his decision to put the General lead by Tran Van Don from detention in Da Lat.

In 1965, demonstrations occurred again when anti-Diem General Nguyen Chanh Thi, the commander of central Vietnam, was stripped onf his position by Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky. This time Ky had Thich Tri Quang arrested and put him under house arrest in Saigon. When the communists overran South Vietnam in the Fall of Saigon, Thich Tri Quang was again put under house arrest.

References

*cite book| title=Our Vietnam| first=A. J. |last=Langguth |year=2000 |publisher=Simon and Schuster | isbn=0-684-81202-9