MORE SACKING IN SAIGON
(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) SAIGON, August 24. Saigon students sacked part of the Information Ministry headquarters this morning while reports reaching Saigon indicated violence was breaking out in other main cities.
In Hue, 400 miles north of Saigon, about one thousand students roamed the streets ensuring that all schools were closed in support of their political demands.
A small group entered one Catholic high school and did some damage on the ground floor, possibly believing that the school had not been closed. Student leaders with loud-speakers called on them not to resort to extremism and violence. In Da Nang, 370 miles north of Saigon, students stoned an American military enlisted men’s mess. This morning’s Saigon demonstration broke into a French high school on its way to the Information Ministry and asked tne pupils to join in. There was no response.
On reaching the Information Ministry the students found a very small contingent of unarmed police; Without stopping for discussions with high information officials who were ready to talk to them, they broke into the ground floor of the ministry and sacked it. MINISTER STAYED They did not go upstairs, where the Minister’s office was located. The Deputy Minister for Information, Colonel Tran Ngoc Huyen, had orders direct from President Khanh to remain in the Ministry in uniform no matter what happened. After the sacking of the downstairs rooms the Information Minister, Pham Phai, met with students informally in the street and promised them he would seek an end to press censorship—one of the principal student demands. President Khanh is believed to have prepared a speech to deliver to the nation by radio but no time has been set. The Government has given orders that security forces must not obstruct the students unless the students use weapons. IN PROTEST This is to avoid charges of police cruelty and repression reminiscent of the former Diem regime. Today’s demonstrations followed yesterday’s sacking of the national radio headquarters inside Saigon in protest against alleged distortion by Radio Vietnam of the results of talks between
student leaders and President Khanh.
Today's demonstrations at at the Information Ministry appeared to be led by extremist elements and there was no sign of the General Student Union official leadership present.
MORE SACKING IN SAIGON
Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30528, 25 August 1964, Page 15
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