Word: hinh
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Plot & Counterplot. General Hinh and his eager young army officers thought the times called for more vigorous measures in southern Viet Nam, on the model of Colonel Nasser's in Egypt, to save the country from Communists. Last week, suspecting a "latent plot" to overthrow his government. Premier Diem abruptly relieved Hinh as chief of staff and ordered him to leave Saigon on the Air France plane next day for Paris on "six months' leave." Enclosed was a ticket. Defiantly, Hinh called the airline, told the clerk to cancel the reservation. To Diem he explained : "There...
...officers whom Premier Diem approached refused; they were loyal to Hinh. Next day Diem sent over two tickets for the Tuesday plane. Hinh barricaded his headquarters, posted tanks to protect its approaches. Diem hastily sent to his home town. Hue in central Annam, for 300 Roman Catholic partisans, had them airlifted to Saigon and had them mount guard on his palace...
Then Diem ordered Defense Secretary Le Ngoc Chan himself to relieve Hinh. General Hinh received the Defense Secretary politely, but pointed out that the Secretary was not an officer but a law clerk with no military knowledge. When Chan tried to give orders, staff officers blandly pretended not to hear him. A chastened Premier Diem summoned Hinh to plead with him. For answe, Hinh pulled a batch of telegrams from his pocket from more than 2,000 officers, declaring: "We protest against the unfair measures taken against you. We recognize you as our only leader." Said Hinh: "Now, Mr. President...
...Scramble. Mutiny, once started, is infectious. Like survivors in a leaky lifeboat, everyone suddenly wanted to share in the scramble for control. The Cao Dai, Hoa Hao and Binh Xuyen sects, who together control 40,000 soldiers, withdrew their support from Premier Diem, rallied to Hinh's side and demanded representation in Diem's government. At week's end Diem was still in the palace guarded by his partisans; Hinh was at his headquarters, guarded by his tanks. Diem denounced Hinh as a rebel. Hinh answered: "All we have left is a choice between two solutions...
...independent, and handed over their last control of the Vietnamese police and courts. The Communists were more industrious. In the neighboring kingdom of Laos, they assassinated Defense Minister Kou Voravong with a shot in the back, hurled hand grenades into the house of the Foreign Minister. Unless the Diem-Hinh fight was quickly settled, the Viet Minh would not have to bother with hand grenades in Viet...