The US organization Peace Trees Vietnam (PTVN), which consists mostly of American war veterans, has helped Vietnam deactivate around 64,000 pieces of explosives and clear over 138 ha of land contaminated with the unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the country’s central region since 1995.
The statistics were raised at an April 4 meeting in Hanoi between President of the Vietnam-US Association Nguyen Tam Chien and representatives from the PTVN. Robert Stokes, who led the US delegation, said the visit from March 22 to April 4 aims to review the recent relationship between the two countries and the aftermath of the American War in Vietnam. He said the group had met with Vietnamese people and war veterans, and studied the progress by ongoing PTVN projects. Chien informed the guests of the recent activities by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organization (VUFO) which aim to promote people-to-people relations. He also expressed his hope that Peace Trees will continue its assistance to Vietnam in surmounting consequences caused by the war in the country and help bolster the companionship of the two peoples. He hailed the organization’s contributions to disarming UXO in Quang Tri’s Dong Ha city, and highlighted Vietnam’s efforts in the field over many years.
The guests reviewed the projects managed by the PTVN since 1995 in the central region of Vietnam, and said they will move on with a campaign program seeking additional capital sources for these projects. Peace Trees has managed numerous charitable activities such as building schools, libraries and houses for local people.
During its 2011 and 2012 visits, the organization made a 45-minute documentary film namely “Soldier’s Sanctury” following a U.S. serviceman who fought in Vietnam as he tries to achieve conciliation, healing and friendship with the Vietnamese people by helping them recover from the aftermaths of the conflict. (Vietnamplus.vn April 4)