1.
LV SAIGON STREET SCENE PAN TO ARMED SOLDIER
0.05

2.
CU PAN. ARMED SOLDIER
0.11

3.
LV PEOPLE IN FRONT OF STATUE OF BUDDHIST GIRL
0.16

4.
CU HEAD OF STATUE
0.19

5.
LV SOLDIERS IN STREET (2 SHOTS)
0.28

6.
LV PAN INT..NEWSMEN AT KHANH PRESS CONFERENCE
0.38

7.
CU NEWS MEN
0.40

8.
CU PAN..SHOWS DOCUMENT TO NEWSMEN
0.45

9.
LV PAN..NEWSPAPER DELIVERY VAN ON FIRE PAN TO YOUTHS RUSHING TOWARDS CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER OFFICES
0.50

10.
LV DEMONSTRATORS OUTSIDE OFFICES
0.54

11.
LCV CROWDS OF DEMONSTRATORS OUTSIDE (2 SHOTS)
1.02

12.
LV YOUTHS SMASH EXTERIOR OF OFFICE (4 SHOTS)
1.15

13.
LV MORE YOUTHS ARRIVE IN BUS
1.21

14.
LV BURNING VEHICLE
1.24

15.
LV PAN..FROM BURNING VEHICLE TO BURNING NEWSPAPER OFFICE
1.28

16.
LV PAN..FROM DEMONSTRATORS PAN TO UNARMED TROOPS MARCHING TOWARDS
1.36

17.
SV DEMONSTRATORS THROW STONES AT TROOPS
1.39

18.
LV TROOPS WALK FORWARD
1.42

19.
LV MOB DISPERSING
1.44

20.
LV YOUTHS RUNNING
1.47

21.
LV DEMONSTRATORS DISPERSE
1.49



Initials DS/S/MR/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AN ESTIMATED 30,000 ROMAN CATHOLICS TODAY (SUNDAY) MARCHED THROUGH SAIGON, THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE CAPITAL, TO MOURN THE SIX KILLED WHEN TROOPS OPENED FIRE ON ROMAN CATHOLIC DEMONSTRATORS STORMING MILITARY HEADQUARTERS LAST THURSDAY (AUGUST 27).

MANY OF THE ROMAN CATHOLICS, IN WHITE FOR MOURNING, HAD COME FROM OUTLYING DISTRICTS IN GOVERNMENT TRANSPORT TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL. ANOTHER 20,000 PEOPLE LINED THE STREETS AS THE CORTEGE, NEARLY TWO MILES (3 KMS) LONG, MOVED THROUGH THE CITY.

A VICE-PREMIER OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, TWO TOP GENERALS AND A SENIOR BUDDHIST MONK WERE AMONG THE MOURNERS WHO ATTENDED A SOLEMN REQUIEM MASS FOR THE DEAD.

TODAY'S MOVING CEREMONY UNDERSCORED A WEEK OF BLOODY ??? POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS STRIFE IN SOUTH VIETNAM. IT CULMINATED YESTERDAY WITH PREMIER NGUYEN KHANH'S WITHDRAWAL TO A MOUNTAIN RESORT AND THE APPOINTMENT OF DR NGUYEN XUAN OANH, A FORMER HARVARD LECTURER, AS ACTING PREMIER.

EARLIER, GENERAL KHANH RESIGNED AS PRESIDENT AND PREMIER, BUT RETURNED TO POWER ON THURSDAY (AUGUST 27) AS ONE OF A TRIUMVIRATE OF GENERALS INTENDING TO RULE UNTIL A NEW NATIONAL CONGRESS IS APPOINTED AND A NEW NATIONAL LEADER NAMED IN TWO MONTHS.

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON FRIDAY ( AUGUST 28) GENERAL KHANH SAID HE HAD RESIGNED FOR THE SAKE OF NATIONAL UNITY, BUT CLAIMED "HE HAD BEEN STABBED IN THE BACK BY A FEW AMBITIOUS POLITICIANS". HOWEVER, HE SHOWED DOCUMENTS OFFERING HIM SUPPORT FROM INFLUENTIAL BUDDHIST AND CATHOLIC LEADERS AND FROM TRIUMVIRATE MEMBER, GENERAL DOUNG VAN MINH, WHOM GENERAL KHANH OUSTED FROM POWER LAST JANUARY.

WHILE GENERAL KHANH WAS ENGAGED AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, BUDDHIST YOUTHS SACKED A LEADING ROMAN CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER OFFICE IN SAIGON. THEY SET FIRE TO A DELIVERY VAN AND THEN THE BUILDING ITSELF.

UNARMED TROOPS WHO WERE RUSHED TO THE SCENE WERE STONED BY THE YOUTHS. AFTER MUCH PERSUASION, THE MOB AGREED TO DISPERSE AND THIS THEY DID ON FOOT, ON BICYCLE AND BY BUS.

IN THE MEANTIME, MARTIAL LAW HAS BEGUN TO TAKE EFFECT IN SAIGON AND SINCE FRIDAY'S BURNING OF THE NEWSPAPER OFFICE NO INTER-RELIGIOUS CONFLICT HAS BEEN REPORTED IN THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE CAPITAL.