Roman Catholic March

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31084, 13 June 1966, Page 13

Roman Catholic March

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) SAIGON, June 12. More than 50,000 Roman Catholics marched in closed ranks through the heart of Saigon today in a major demonstration of strength in the face of Buddhist-pro-voked unrest.

They were led by 15,000 black-uniformed “commando groups” as they stepped in military formation under rigid discipline. It was one of the biggest demonstrations in the capital’s recent history, and it underlined the strength of Vietnam’s 1.5 m Roman Catholics.

Slogans rythmically chanted by the marchers demanded to fight communism until victory, hailed Americans and other allies of South Vietnam, and banned any compromise with the Communist Viet Cong. Compared with rag - tag Buddhist crowds which re-

cently milled through the streets in anti-Government rioting, today’s Roman Catholic demonstration showed a high degree of discipline, organisation and strength. A police official estimated the demonstrators at 50,000. The marchers carried banners which read: “If communism lives, the nation dies,” "Union with Communists is suicide,” and “The people of Vietnam thank the Allied forces.”

■ The organisers of the march, the “bloc of Catholic citizens” claiming to represent two million Roman Catholics, issued a declaration re-affirm-ing their determination to defeat the Communists in the Vietnam conflict. The declaration also said: “The people of Vietnam have need of and are possessed of a right to call for the aid of all nations in the free world, primarily the United States of America. “Consequently we are grateful to the Allied nations, especially the United States, for having sacrified their human lives and financial resources to help our people during this war.” The declaration also called on Vietnam’s military rulers to “quickly carry out democracy” and establish for the country “democratic statutes based on a democratic and advanced constitution. It said that the construction of democracy must be carried out “without discrimination either against or in favour of any religion, party, or ancient or new regime.” Police lined the route of the march in Saigon. American military and civilian personnel were cautioned to stay away from the demonstrations.