Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Following a letter to American President George Bush on October 1, Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, has sent another letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, calling for support for Vietnamese Agent Orange/dioxin victims.

The letter was also sent to the Vietnam News Agency bureau in London. He wrote:

"As UN Secretary General, one of your many responsibilities is to see that the UN Charter is upheld against all that would seek to demean it. You will agree that despite its many faults, the United Nations, remains the hope of many nations, and their peoples. Today I write to you seeking justice for the many millions suffering from the effects of chemical warfare. The use of chemicals in wartime is against the Geneva Convention.

"In the American War on Vietnam, chemical weapons were used over a period of eleven years, from 1961 to 1972. In those eleven years, 82 million litres of chemicals were sprayed over areas of southern Vietnam. Today, I wish to refer in particular to the one commonly known as Agent Orange, which was mixed with Dioxin, the world's most dangerous chemical.

"Research carried out by scientists of international standing, show that the chemical destroyed many acres of forests of southern Vietnam, contaminated the land, as it did to lakes, streams and rivers. I cannot exclude the terrible effect that the chemical had on the people of Vietnam.

"The Vietnamese people have suffered greatly from the ongoing effects of the American War that ended in 1975. Next year - 2005 - will see the 30th anniversary of the ending of that war and the withdrawal of American forces. But when the American forces left Vietnam, they also left a terrible legacy that can be seen today. As a result of the use of Agent Orange, there are an estimated three million Vietnamese suffering from various illnesses and disabilities. The parents and families of these tragic victims of a war that ended 30 years ago are faced with the task of caring for their young children, grown sons and daughters. One of their many concerns, which has been said to me on my visits to the families, is "what will happen to my son, my daughter when I die?" That is the question I pose to you and through you to the member nations of the United Nations.

"In 1984, American veterans of the Vietnam War took the chemical companies who manufactured Agent Orange to court. The companies settled by paying a sum of US $180 million. Today, in a court in New York, the city that is also home to the building of the United Nations, a lawsuit has begun, brought by three Vietnamese seriously affected by Agent Orange. This lawsuit also speaks for the three million victims in Vietnam. The lawsuit may take a number of years before a judgement is reached.

"Thousands of Vietnamese victims have already died from Agent Orange, and I fear that many more thousands will die before justice for the victims is served. Meanwhile, the suffering will continue for the victims in Vietnam and for others including those who served with the invading forces as some of these were also affected.

"A petition in support of the victims of Agent Orange was placed on the Internet. At the date of this letter to you, 610,000 people around the world had signed, seeking justice for the victims of Agent Orange. Their signatures can be seen at: http://www.petitiononline.com/AOVN

As Secretary General of the United Nations, we make this appeal to you, and through you, to all nations of the General Assembly. We are calling on the General Assembly to see that those responsible for manufacturing the chemicals, those who ordered their use on the people and land of southern Vietnam, accept their responsibilities and pay compensation for the damage they caused." (VNA)