For Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin
Effects of Agent Orange
In Vietnam, during the period of 1961-1971, American army sprayed more than 80 million liters of toxic chemical substances, most of which were Agent Orange which contained about 400 kilograms of dioxin. This weapon of mass destruction has caused great suffering to countless families and left serious consequences on the natural environment and generations of Vietnamese.
For the time being, it is estimated that there have been 4.8 million Vietnamese people victimized by Agent Orange/dioxin. They reside mainly along the Trail of Truong Son and in areas bordering Cambodia. Tens of thousands of them have died. Millions of others and their offspring suffer from diseases and live in poverty due to Agent Orange’s effect.
Not until now has the public known about the destructive effect on human health of Agent Orange used during wartime. In 2000, the National Academy of Sciences of America (NAS) issued a list of Diseases caused by Agent Orange. Many of these have been found in Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange:
1. Diseases caused by exposure to Agent Orange
- Soft-tissue sarcoma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Hodgkin
- Cloracne
2. Diseases caused partly by contacts with Agent Orange
- Cancers of the respiratory system including lung, brochial tube, trachea and larynx
- Prostate cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Acute and Semi-acute Peripheral nervous disease
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Diabetes
- Two kinds of congenital malformations found in newborns of war veterans: Spina Bifida and Acute myelogenous leukemia
However, for over the past 30 years, Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange have not received any assistance or compensation from the American side, particularly from 37 manufacturers of the toxic products sold to and used by the Defence Department as weapons of mass destruction during the Vietnam war.
A lawsuit by Vietnamese AO victims against 37 American toxic chemical producers
The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin was established in January 2004 to protect the rights of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange and function as their legal representative.
On 30th January 2004, the Association and some of the victims filed a lawsuit at the Brooklyn District Court of the State of New York, USA against the 37 manufacturers of toxic chemicals provided to the American army during the Vietnam war. They demanded these companies to respond to their request and offer satisfactory compensation for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
Since then, the Court has convened a pre-trial conference attended by all sides to discuss the trial procedure. The Association of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin has worked with a delegation of American lawyers and helped arrange meetings with agent orange victims in Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thua Thien Hue, Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh city...to collect proof and complement the documents for the lawsuit launched by the Association and the AO victims. On 2nd November, representatives of 37 American manufacturers of toxic chemicals testified to the allegations of the Vietnamese AO victims at the Court. Early December, the lawyers of Vietnamese AO victims will testify at the trial.
Though American concerned agencies have many times denied the effect of Agent Orange on Vietnamese AO victims’ health, with numerous proof presented at the court, hopefully the case will be tried in the fairest manner. The Association has worked with social organisations, state agencies to launch various movements to rally support from all Vietnamese people and international individuals and organisations, especially the American people for the lawsuit in the US filed by Vietnamese AO victims as it is a just struggle in commensurate with morality and international law. As a message conveyed to the world people, the Open letter to American issued by the Association on 6th August 2004 reads: “…we would like to affirm that Vietnamese people have never harboured any sense of hatred against the American people who have written their own history of the struggle for independence and liberty. We earnestly hope that you will share the untold suffering of the Vietnamese victims. We should be fully aware that the use of toxic chemicals is a serious violation of international law, a war crime and a betrayal of the spirit of the 1776 Independence declaration of the United States…”
Agent Orange victim assistance
Dealing with the effects of Agent Orange /dioxin is a complex, pressing and pertaining issue that requires great endeavours of State agencies and assistance from the community and other countries in the world.
Over the last three decades, Vietnamese government has tried its best to assist chemical war victims. In 1998, the AO victims Protection fund under the Red Cross of Vietnam was established. Also in this year, the State started providing allowances to AO victims and their offspring. About 300,000 victims have been entitled to aid, medical examination and treatment, orthopedic operation surgery, rehabilitation, education, vocational training and facilities to earn a living and improve their living conditions. Moreover, over the past five years, officers of the Red Cross of Vietnam have organised numerous activities to mobilise supports for the war victims. With the total amount of 55 billion-dong from fund raising activities, the Red Cross of Vietnam has helped improve living conditions of 220,429 victims physically and mentally. 91,726 of these beneficiaries have been entitled to medical examination and treatment, 1,350 have undergone orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation, about 2,500 given wheeling-chairs, 5,000 granted scholarships and provided with regular subsidies and 1,375 houses of gratitude have been built for the victims.
In early 2004, the Association of Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (under the Father Land Front of Vietnam) was established to assist and protect the rights of AO victims and to represent them in the ties with national and foreign organisations and entities. The Association’s Central Committee has instructed 64 cities and provinces to set up local associations of AO/Dioxin victims. The Association has hosted many conferences to draw attention of the press as well as organised meetings with the victims and parades in favour of AO victims…Many individuals and organisations in the world have voiced their support and provided assistance to Vietnamese AO victims, which include the creation of an Internet site to collect 7 million signatures in favour of the lawsuit pursued by the Vietnamese AO victims and organise film shows to raise fund for the victims…
The Association of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/dioxin
No 11/41-Linh Lang street-Cong Vi ward-Ba Dinh-Hanoi
Tel: (84-4) 7628577, 7629452, 7629787, ( 84-69) 823096. Fax: (84-4) 7629452
Bank account in the North of Vietnam:
- 001.1000.863681 at Vietcombank Operations Center
- 24596.630.0 at Hanoi Military Joint Stock Company
Representative office in the South:
Hoa Binh Village-Tu Du Hospital, No 284 Cong Quynh-Pham Ngu Lao ward-District 1-Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: ( 84-8) 9256373
Email: hnncddcvn@fpt.vn
Bank account: 007.1001.691244 at Vietcombank Ho Chi Minh
