SAIGON; MONKS AT CEREMONY; MONKS SPEAKING; MONKS LISTENING.




Initials MA/N-TELE/AS/PF



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: ONE OF THE POWERFUL BUDDHIST SECTS IN SOUTH VIETNAM HAS BACKED THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS CONDEMNATION OF THE VIET CONG BOMBARDMENT OF SAIGON.

THE BACKING CAME AT A PRESS CONFERENCE OF LEADERS OF THE PRO-GOVERNMENT VIETNAM UNIFIED BUDDHIST CHURCH, WHICH CLAIMS TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS THROUGHOUT SOUTH VIETNAM. THE MONKS ALSO CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE SCALING DOWN OF THE WAR BY BOTH SIDES.

A SPOKESMAN SAID THAT CABLES HAD BEEN SENT TO UNITED NATIONS AND THE BRITISH AND SOVIET GOVERNMENTS, AS CO-CHAIRMEN OF THE 1954 GENEVA CONFERENCE ON INDO-CHINA, ASKING THEM TO APPEAL TO THE VIET CONG TO STOP SHELLING SAIGON.

A SIMILAR CABLE HAD ALSO BEEN SENT TO THE UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE AT THE PARIS PEACE TALKS.

THE ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE BUDDHISTS WAS THE FIRST STAND THIEVE TAKEN ON THE WAR. ALTHOUGH CONDEMNING THE ESCALATION, WHEN ASKED WHICH SIDE WAS GUILTY OF ESCALATION SAID ONLY THAT THEY "DIDN'T KNOW".