POLICE DUTIES BY STUDENTS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30534, 1 September 1964, Page 17

POLICE DUTIES BY STUDENTS

(N.Z Press Assn. —Copyright) SAIGON, August 31.

An anti-government student group in the coastal city of Danang, 370 miles north-east of Saigon has taken over police duties and made several arrests. On Sunday, students arrested a former government district chief in the area, searched his home, and interrogated him before turning him over to regular authorities. he man was Lieutenant Tham Kim An, former chief of Duy Xuyen District Quang Nam Province. He was dismissed by Premier Khanh last month for ordering the burning of houses belonging to Buddhists. The Danang students today

said they were not satisfied with the substitution of a civilian, Nguyen Xuan Oanh, for Premier Khanh. They described the move as “a bluff aimed at restoring dictatorship.” They said they planned to continue “peaceful demonstrations.” The same group was among the rioting elements in Danang that swept through the city last week, burning buildings, hurling rocks at a U.S. enlisted men’s barracks and attacking a Roman Catholic village. In Washington the Secretary of State, Mr Rusk, said yesterday that civilians would have more authority under the revised government of South Vietnam but the former leaders, including General Khanh, would continue in charge.

Oanh was only temporarily in charge, he said, adding:— “We do expect Khanh back. He remains the Prime Minister.”