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There were many conflicting allegations
against Major Dang which made the case difficult [Prados, 2004]. No one at the trial could
prove the accusations and Major Dang made no confessions which warranted his
subsequent condemnation[Gheddo, 1970]. Nonetheless, General Khanh, influenced by Thich
Tri Quang, imposed a hard labor life sentence on Major Dang[Moyar, 2006].
Accusations
Major
Dang was accused of using deadly forces, without superior orders, against
unarmed civilians such as: ordering his soldiers to fire directly at people,
deployment of live munition such as grenades and guns, and used armored vehicles
to crush opposition. Witnesses recounted that Major Dang threw two grenades
while his troops threw one into the crowd [Associated Press, 1964]. The Provincial head, Nguyễn Văn
Đẵng, testified that he did not order Major Dang to use force, and his Buddhist
belief would never allow him to inflict violence against peaceful Buddhist
demonstrators [Higgins, 1965]. The government prosecutors presented records of munition
issued, including rubber bullets, live ammunition, blast grenades ...etc... [Truong, 2010],
as Major Dang testified he was given only a bullet proof vest, required for
commanding officer on the field, and concussion grenades and blanks for his
troops [Higgins, 1965]. Government prosecutors drove to the conclusion that Major Dang acted
without authorization [Higgins, 1965] [Hammer, 1987].
Media Coverage
Even though the Military Tribunal only sought to indict Major Dang on the
charges of premeditation based on his alleged acts without superior
authorization, the media was riddened with accusations that government forces
opened fire or used deadly forces on civilians. As media coverage grew, the
casualties increased along with number of the wounded. While the original number
of casualties was eight, the number had climbed to nine with more than twenty
wounded. Local Saigon newspapers printed coverages that assailed
the deposed First
Republic government, such as Major Dang was ordered by Ngô Đình Nhu to kill
demonstrators, Major Dang panic and ordered his troops to massacre, Major Dang's
troop were trigger happy...etc... [Prados, 2004]
After the execution of Ngo Dinh Can and other Ngo family members scattered
abroad, the only remaining authorative Ngô figure was Bishop Ngô Đình Thuc.
While in prison, Major Đặng told Marguerite Higgins, that he was placed in dark cell, 24/7 for two weeks.
And he was pressured into pinning the responsibility for the raising death toll on the Bishop, who insisted that there
were at least one or two Catholics among the eight deads [Higgins, 1965], [Hammer, 1987]. Major Dang
refused to do so, either in prison or at the trial [Higgins, 1965] [Gheddo, 1970]. Had this ploy worked,
the South Vietnamese Catholics and the Catholic Church itself would have gone
through an extremely difficult time [Gheddo, 1970]. Other newspapers also printed accusation
that Major Dang consulted with Police Chief Dang Phong and Bishop Ngô Đình Thuc
who ordered live munitions and MK3 grenades to use on the retreating crowds
[MacDonald, 1973].
The media gave different accounts of the medical examination by Dr. Wulff, such
as the victims were killed by gun fires or cannon blasts from Major Dang's
tanks, while government medical office determined the victims died from larger
explosions. Saigon newspapers also reported that Dr. Wulff overheard Major Dang
warned an American, Tom Miller, of evacuating possible bloodbaths before giving
the order to fire. Neither Dr. Wulff, Dr. Le Khac Quyen, nor Major Dang agreed
to sign any government document supporting their claims; they only warranted
their testimonies in court, at the presence of United Nations and international
press corp. The other German professors handed their recording of the chaos at
the radio station to government prosecutors and left South Vietnam before the
trial had started [Higgins, 1965], [Hammer, 1987].
U.S. Involvement
U.S. officials in CIA office and U.S. Embassy at Saigon reported that
eyewitnesses saw Major Dang took direct actions that caused these deaths. Other
people, including Reverend Cao Van Luan and Venerable Thich Tam Chau, stated
that while the deaths were caused by explosion, it was not from Major Dang or
his troop due to their vicinity to the explosion [U.S. Department of State, 1964], [U.S. Department of State, 1964]. Mr. Dang Phong's
testimony was most colorful, he demanded the court to test the effectiveness of
the concussion grenades by having one detonate right in front of him. The court,
obviously, declined the test [Dommen, 2001].
There were other accounts, which suggested Major
Dang was at the right time and
place for a set up by third party with interests in seeing the Diem Regime fell.
Some sources indicated Captain James Scott, an American advisor to First
Division, had knowledge of a timed plastic explosive. He disclosed to one of the
officers, Captain Buu, that he received the order to plant the device [Dommen, 2001]. Others
speculated that a handful CIA operatives orchestrated the whole incident to
bring it to international attention [Hammer, 1987].
References:
2. Death Sentence Asked for Vietnamese Major. Associated Press, 1964.
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