RESHUFFLING OF SAIGON JUNTA

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 11

RESHUFFLING OF SAIGON JUNTA

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright! SAIGON, June 9. The United States Ambassador, Mr Henry Cabot Lodge, met the head of Saigon’s Buddhist Institute today in what appears to be an effort by the Buddhists to seek America’s help for their cause. No statement has yet been made.

South Vietnam’s generals today reshuffled the ruling junta by appointing a new commander of the strategic military zone surrounding Saigon. The new commander, MajorGeneral Le Nguyen Khang, is also head of the tough South Vietnamese Marine Corps which has been' used by the Government to quell armed dissidents and street demonstrators during the country’s

recent political turmoil. General Khang, who has been a member of the ruling junta since it was constituted in June last year, replaces Major-General Nguyen Bao Tri as commander of the country’s third corps—a 100mile square with Saigon as its centre. OFFICIAL DECREE General Tri. under the official decree issued today, will become director of the Political Warfare Department—a post which has been vacant since the middle of last month when its previous occupant, Major-General Huynh Van Cao, was appointed to command the stormy northern military region. General Cao, the fourth northern zone commander in 10 weeks, was relieved of his command at the start of this

month and now holds no official position. The reshuffle was approved by the 45 members of the armed forces congress of leading generals earlier this week and today made official with the signature of head of state, Lieutenant-General Nguyen Van Thieu.

General Khang, a Buddhist who will be 35 in two days’ time, emerges from the reshuffle as one of the country’s most powerful generals. SAIGON COMMAND

In addition to taking over the third corps and retaining command of South Vietnam’s Marines, he also remains commander of the capital’s military region—the area immediately surrounding Saigon —a post he has held for about one year.

With this concentration of power round Saigon, General Khang would hold a decisive position if any military move was made by dissident generals against the present Government.

During the last month, his crack Marines hav? been used by the junta to suppress armed opposition in the northern garrison town of Da Nang and to block off demonstrators trying to march through Saigon.