- Title: SOUTH VIETNAM: THE COCONUT MONK PETITIONS FOR PEACE.
- Date: 6th November 1969
- Summary: VIETNAMESE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY BUILDING: NEWSMEN AND COCONUT MONK: MONK ENTERING BUILDING, TALKING TO CHAIRMAN OF HOUSE. Initials RJ/VS/JF/PS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 21st November 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAIGON, SOUTH VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Reuters ID: LVA9KNNREOGP1QSDD8P3T74YJHCP
- Story Text: THE COCONUT MONK, OR PEACE MONK, OF SOUTH VIETNAM CALLED ON THE COUNTRY'S NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ON WEDNESDAY WITH AN IDEA WHICH HE THINKS WILL HELP BRING PEACE TO HIS WAR TORN COUNTRY. NGUYEN THANH NAM (PRO. VOO-WIN TUN NUM) IS BECOMING WELL KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR HIS PEACE PROPOSALS.
THE COCONUT MONK WANTS THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO HAND OVER TO HIM AND HIS FOLLOWERS THE CON SON ISLAND, SITE OF THE LARGE NATIONAL PRISON. HE TOLD THE ASSEMBLY HE WOULD CARE FOR THE PRISONERS AND REHABILITATE THEM THUS BRINGING ABOUT BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE VIET CONG AND THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE. THE MONK TIMED HIS PROPOSAL TO COINCIDE WITH THE LATEST SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MERCI ON THE WAR. HE SAID THAT IF THE PROPOSAL WAS NOT ACCEPTED BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY HE WOULD LEAD HIS FOLLOWERS IN A MARCH ON SAIGON. THE COCONUT MONK ALSO TOLD PARLIAMENT HE HAD BEEN PRAYING FOR PEACE IN SOUTH VIETNAM FOR THE LAST TWENTY FOUR YEARS.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None