Vietnamese lawyers, diplomats and social activists agreed that further support should be given to AO/dioxin victims, particularly in the progress to seek justice for them, state media reported Aug 10. The statement was made at a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday to celebrate the Agent Orange Day [Aug 10].
Truong Trong Nghia, vice head of the Vietnam Bar Federation, emphasized the necessity to provide healthcare to prevent the transmission among generations as well to the victims to live and integrate the community. Around 4.8 million Vietnamese people are exposed to the deadly toxic chemical, estimated at 80 million liters, sprayed by U.S. troops during the Vietnam War and more than three million of them are facing health problems resulted from the exposure. A statistics by the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) showed that 70% of households having AO/dioxin victims is needy while 90% of total victims is jobless. Addressing the seminar, M.D. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong who attended the third hearing on Vietnam AO/dioxin issue at the U.S. House of Representatives mid-July said the U.S. government had not yet admitted legally responsibility to the Vietnamese victims, but taken a number of practices, including a plan worth $300 million unveiled recently, to help Vietnam overcome the consequences. Phuong, who is vice head of the VAVA, affirmed the association will continue standing side by side with the victims in fighting for justice and calling on the international community’s support. Beside the support from international organizations, individuals at home and abroad mobilized a total of VND150 billion for Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims between Jan 2004 and June 2010, the VAVA said. (www.vietnamplus.vn [1] Aug 8, cpv.org.vn Aug 10)
