The
Xa Loi Pagoda raids were a series of synchronized attacks on various
Buddhist pagodas in the major cities of
South Vietnam shortly after midnight on August 21, 1963. The raids were executed by the
Army of the Republic of Vietnam Special Forces under Colonel
Le Quang Tung, and combat police, who took their orders directly from
Ngo Dinh Nhu, the younger brother of the
Roman Catholic President
Ngo Dinh Diem. The most prominent of the pagodas raided was the
Xa Loi Pagoda, the largest in the capital
Saigon. Over 1,400 Buddhists were arrested, and estimates of the death toll and
missing ranged up to the hundreds. In response to the
Hue Vesak shootings and the banning of the
Buddhist flag in early May, South Vietnam's Buddhist majority arose in widespread civil unrest and protests against religious bias and discrimination by the Catholic-dominated government of Diem. The Buddhists demanded religious equality and a lifting of restrictions against Buddhist activity. Buddhist temples in major cities became the focal point for organizing protests, the most prominent of these being Xa Loi Pagoda, with
Buddhist monks converging from rural areas. In August, several
Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) generals proposed the imposition of martial law, ostensibly for the purpose of breaking up the demonstrations, but in reality to prepare for a military coup. However, Nhu—who was already looking to arrest Buddhist leaders and crush the protest movement—used the opportunity to pre-empt the generals and embarrass them. He disguised Tung's Special Forces in army uniforms and used them to attack the Buddhists, thereby causing the general public and South Vietnam's American allies to blame the army, diminishing their reputations and ability to act as future national leaders. Soon after midnight on August 21, Nhu's men attacked the pagodas using automatic firearms, grenades, battering rams and explosives, causing widespread damage. Some religious objects were destroyed, including a statue of
Gautama Buddha in
Tu Dam Pagoda in
Hue, which was partially levelled by explosives. The temples were looted and vandalized, with the remains of
self-immolated Buddhist monks confiscated, and in Hue, violent street battles erupted between government forces and rioting pro-Buddhist civilians.
