Agent Orange second pre-trial hearing delayed again
The second pre-trial hearing of the Agent Orange case, which was set to take place yesterday Oct. 12, was once again postponed until Nov. 3, a source told Thanh Nien on Oct. 13.
The main reason this time was that the defendants – 37 U.S. manufacturers of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange – were “very concerned and confused” about the new evidence raised by the plaintiffs in their second additional appeal in September, said the source.
On January 31, 2004, three Vietnamese Agent Orange victims and the Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims Association filed a lawsuit at the U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn, New York against 37 U.S. chemical firms that produced Agent Orange.
The first pre-trial hearing was held on March 18, but the second hearing has been delayed twice already. It was first scheduled for Sept. 10, but later postponed to October due to the defendants’ lack of evidence and strong arguments, said an unidentified source.
Earlier, the U.S. chemical companies had reportedly asked the court to reject the additional appeal from the Agent Orange victims, but its request was turned down by Judge Jack B. Weinstein.
The 82-year-old judge, however, allowed the defendants three more weeks for preparation. The lawyers representing the U.S. chemical producers were, therefore, required to submit their motions to the court by the deadline of Nov. 3, said the source.
In related news, a 32-minute documentary entitled “Agent Orange and the Human Right to Life” will also be shown at the U.S. Federal Court in Brooklyn during the Nov. 3 pre-trial hearing as proof of the U.S. chemical war in Vietnam.
Shot by a group of Vietnamese scientists, lawyers and filmmakers, the documentary shows the latest evidence of the effects of Agent Orange. Footage includes an ex-officer of the former U.S.-backed puppet regime, who was involved in the spraying of Agent Orange, recalling what he had witnessed.
Subtitled in English and French, the documentary will also be published widely in Vietnam and abroad, said the film’s producers.
Reported by Xuan Danh – Translated by The Vinh.
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 13 October, 2004, 23:35:26 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News
