The Buddhist Revolt in Vietnam

Something important is happening in South Vietnam, even if its exact nature is not yet clear. The demonstrations in Saigon and Hue, the consolidation of the Buddhist factions into an apparently united force, the visible weakness of Ky’s military government (which, by the time you read these lines, may well have collapsed)—such developments suggest that new political energies are making themselves felt within South Vietnam. At least some sections of the people, acting through or near the Buddhists, are trying to assert control over their destiny, apart from the decisions of one or another big power.

Who are the Buddhists and what do they represent? Clearly they are indigenous to Vietnamese social-political life, and just as...