21. The Assassination of Our Man in Saigon
The Republic of South Vietnam’s President Ngo Dinh Diem (1901 – 1963) came to power in 1955. He did so with a heavily rigged referendum that deposed Vietnam’s Emperor Bao Dai, and established the Republic of Vietnam with himself as to its president. A staunch Catholic, he pursued discriminatory policies that favored Catholics for public service and military positions, land distribution, tax concessions, and business arrangements.
Some Catholic priests even ran private armed militias, which they put to use demolishing Buddhist pagodas and forcing people to convert – activities to which the government turned a blind eye. Since Catholics were a distinct minority in the country, and about 90% of South Vietnamese were Buddhists, Diem’s pro-Catholic tilt did not sit well. Things would get worse, and end up with his assassination.