Daily Archives: August 20, 2013

South Vietnam jails thousands of Buddhist monks, nuns 50 years ago this hour (1963)


Video: 'Vietnam a Television History Episode 2' (Aug. 21, 1963, at 39:23)

(Wednesday, August 21, 1963, shortly after midnight local time; during the Vietnam War, part of the Indochina Wars and the Cold War) — The Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces, on orders of President Ngo Dinh Diem and his brother, Ngo Dinh Nhu, arrested thousands of monks and nuns today and vandalized Buddhist pagodas across South Vietnam in what became known as the Xa Loi Pagoda raids.