50 years of agent orange/dioxin disaster in Vietnam

(Bqp.vn) - The was has ended for 36 year. Although Vietnam has attained miraculous changes in many fields, the country remains blighted by toxins which are not only harmful to environment but also affect seriously human health, causing many potential dangerous diseases with heredity factors. These diseases have made people sickened, disabled, suffered from interminable pains and deep psychological wounds together with prolonged and profound social consequences.

It is estimated that 4.8 million Vietnamese have been exposed to dioxin, including about 3 million Agent Orange victims (many of them are children). Tens of thousands of people have died in a painful death and resentment due to incurable diseases. Many female victims have experienced reproductive problems. Many of them have been deprived of the ability to bear children and to experience the joy of being a mother. The most disastrous is tha their offsprings, those who did not take part in the war also become Agent Orange victims with born malformations. They cannot enjoy the minimum happiness to lead a normal human life. Agent Orange/Dioxin victims (AO victims) are the poorest among the poor, the most miserable among the miserable.

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Agent Orange disaster in Vietnam, (August 10, 1961-August 10, 2011) Vietnam News Agency in cooperation with the Vietnam Association of victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) published the picture book “50 years of Agent Orange/Dioxin disaster in Vietnam” to review and assess in a comprehensive and objective way the consequences of the chemical warfare waged by the US Army against Vietnam; at the same time together with Vietnam AO victims overcome various difficulties on the way to struggle for justice, helping ease “the Agent Orange victims’ pains”.

With more than 200 photos carefully selected and complied from various sources all over the country, “50 years of Agent Orange/Dioxin disaster in Vietnam” faithfully and lively depicts the aftermath of Agent Orange on different generations of the Vietnamese, the examples of overcoming difficulties of AO victims and their families, the Vietnamese Government’s activities to overcome the chemical warfare consequences, the joint activities of organizations and philanthropists throughout the country for AO victims and of various VAVA chapters to care for and struggle for justice for AO victims, and international friends’ support for this tenacious struggle.

It is expected that “50 years of Agent Orange/Dioxin disaster in Vietnam” will contribute to promoting the “action for AO victims in Vietnam”, encourage the people over the country and international friends to support VAVA and AO victims and to allay “Agent Orange pain”, painstakingly struggle for justice.

We have the honuor to introduce the book to our esteemed readers.

VNA PUBLISHING HOUSE

From 1950, the American had escalated their intervention into the indochinese war. In 1960, due to their continous defeated efforts to suppress the revolutionary movement in South Vietnam and the stronger revolutionary movement in this area, in the framework of the Staley-Taylor plan and with the aim to pacify South Vietnam within 18 months, the US Government, with the consent of the Ngô Đình Diệm puppet authority, had vehemently prepared to use herbicides and defoliation agent in the war in Vietnam.

On August 10, 1961, a H-34 helicopter of the US Air Force conducted the first flight to spray the herbicides along Highway 14 from Kon Tum to Đắk Tô, starting the defoliation operation under the code name “Ranch Hand”. From 1965 to 1971, the chemical warfare was enlarged, the US Army also used giant C123 transport aircraft carrying more than 4.5 ton chemical agents to spray in the revolutionary bases. Reality showed that, the chemical warfare waged by the US against Vietnam was the biggest and longest one with the most disastrous aftermath in human history.

During ten years from 1961 to 1971, the US military sprayed about 80 million liters of toxins, 61% of which were Agent Orange containing 366 kg dioxin over about 26,000 villages with area of more than 3.06 million ha (86% of which were sprayed more than 2 times, 11% were sprayed more than 10 times).

The term Agent Orange/Dioxin refers to toxins containing dioxin. The manufacture of 2,4,5-T (occupies about 50% of orange compound) produces impurities (side products or unwanted products) which are dioxin. Dioxin is one of the most toxic subtances known to man. Only 1 picogram (pg) dioxin can cause cancer and birth defects in humans; dozens nanogram (ng) dioxin can kill people immediately. Many scientists think that only 85 gram dioxin dissolved in a water supply system can kill the entire population of a city of 8 million people.

Nearly a quarter of South Vietnam, including alomost all ecosystems from mountainous to coastal areas (Northern Central Vietnam, Coastal Central Vietnam, Central Highlands, Eastern South Vietnam, Western South Vietnam) were sprayed with Agent Orange/Dioxin, among them Eastern South Vietnam was the most affected (56% of its natural area). About 86% of the toxic substances were sprayed over forests, the rest 14% were used to destroy the cultivated area. The most destroyed forests were: along the Vietnam-Laos border with Hồ Chí Minh Trail - from Quảng Trị to Kon Tum (Hướng Hóa, A Lưới, Sa Thầy, Đăk Lay); Eastern South Vietnam (Resistance Zone C, Resistance Zone D, Bời Lời, and Sắt Triangle etc.); Năm Căn - Cà Mau Province; Cần Giờ - Sài Gòn. The two mangrove forest areas most affected were Sác Forest and Cà Mau cape.

Due to the great amount of toxins sprayed many times for a long period of time, the environment has been seriously polluted, changing the ecosystems and killing many plant and animal species. Instead of that, many types of wild and reeds encroached the forests and eroded the fertile soil. The aftermath has prolonged for many years: under great destruction, the environment protecting function of the riverhead protection forests was deteriorated, leading to frequent big floods over 28 river basins in Central Vietnam (Thạch Hãn, Hương, Hàn, Thu Bồn, Trà Khúc, Côn, Vệ and Cầu Ba etc.)

4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to Agent Orange/Dioxin with more than 3 million victims. Almost all of them are resistance cadres, soldiers, voluntary youth, people living in sprayed areas, and some people who had served the former Saigon regime. Hundreds of thousands of victims have died, while hundreds of thousands are fighting day and night with fatal diseases. The victims’ children (F1) and grandchildren (F2) were born with malformations, paralysed limbs or whole body, blind, deaf, mental deficiency, mental disorder or cancer etc. most of victims’ families have been living in misery, sickness and poverty. Many of them have 2, 3 or event 4, 5 victims who cannot work to survive, suffer from chronic diseases and meet with extreme difficulties. They are the poorest among the poor and the most miserable among the miserable.

The heart-breaking cases are unaccountable. A mother carries a child in her womb for nine months bearing pain upon pain, contrives to foster her child for dozens, but he/she only lies lifeless. A family with a father and four children who are all victims. A family with three successive victim generations. A family in which every house column has a chain to tie a child when he/she gets mad due to Agent Orange. A couple having malformation child every time giving birth. The family of Mr. Đỗ Đức Địu and Mrs. Phạm Thị Nức in Hà Thiệp village, Võ Ninh Commune, Quảng Ninh District, Quảng Bình Province had 15 children, all of them were AO victims and at present, only three of them alive.

The second Symposium on chemical herbicides used by the US military during the war in Vietnam and their long-term harmful effects on nature and human beings (Hà Nội, 15-18 November 1993) concluded: “The American Agent Orange destroyed nature and plants, human health, causing serious diseases and genetic disorders through fathers or mothers, birth defects, congenital malformation, and cancers etc.”

Not only the Vietnamese, but many American, Korean, Australian and New Zealand soldiers who took part in the war in Vietnam also acquired diseases after exposure to Agent Orange. According to Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former Commander of US Air Force and Navy in Vietnam (1968-1970), at least 2.6 million American military personnel were exposed to Agent Orange. The Korean Disabled veteran’s Association for Agent Orange (KAOVA) showed: more than 100 thousand/300 thousand Korean soldiers who fought in Vietnam were Agent Orange victims, 20 thousand of them have died.

Recent statistical data indicated that 70% of Agent Orange/Dioxin-affected families are classified as living below the poverty line. 22% of families comprise three and more affected persons. Of those affected, 30% experience constantly deteriorating health and 90% are jobless. Quite a few are war veterans, resistance cadres and ex-volunteers. They and their sick spouses struggle to make both ends meet and often raise severely disabled children. Tens of thousands of soldiers and their families from the former Saigon regime’s army are also still struggling with diseases caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin exposure.

With its sense of responsibility, the Vietnamese State established Committee 10-80 to investigate the aftermath of the US chemical war and Steering Board 33 deal with war consequences. In February 2000, the Vietnamese Gorvernment issued a policy to support AO/dioxin victims. The support level was raised according to Decision No. 120/2004/QĐ-TTG dated July 5, 2004 of the Prime Minister. The Government also provided additonal fund for the Vietnam Red Cross to help provide plastic surgery for children with disabilities.

However, support of the community and society is not enough as AO/dioxin victims remain the poorest people of the poor and suffer the most. In this context, on January 10, 2004 the Vietnam Association of victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) was officially set up. VAVA is a social organisation of AO victims, individuals and groups who volunteer to make donations and non-material contributions to assist these victims to overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals used by the U.S during the Viet Nam war. The Association protects the rights of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange and functions as their legal representative to contact with domestic and international organizations and individuals.

One of the first works of the Association was the project “to help the victims of Agent Orange to improve their standard of living”, at the same time “collect documents and evidence to sue the American chemical companies that produced Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant used by the US Army during the Vietnam war.”

On January 30th, 2004, the Association and some of the victims filed a lawsuit at the Brooklyn Distric Court of the State of New York, USA against the 37 American manufacturers of toxic chemicals provided to the American army during the Vietnam war.

On February 25, 2004, the Association released a statement calling on Vietnamese people inside and outside the country, organizations and individuals with good sense all over the world-especially in the United States to show their strong interest in caring for and supporting to the Agent Orange/Dioxin victims in Vietnam; to sympathise for and support the Association an AO victims by launching activities for peace and justice.

On June 25, 2004, representatives from 32 member organisations of the Vietnam Fatherland Front held a conference under the theme “For Vietnamese victims of AO/dioxin”. At the conference, they agreed to select August 10 annually (the first day that the US army sprayed chemicals over South Vietnam in 1961) as the National Day for Vietnamese AO/dioxin Victims.

On July 9, 2004, the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC) issued a statement calling on people of all classes across the country and overseas Vietnamses to support AO/dioxin victims, the governments, non-government organizations, prestigious scientists and lawyers, and people all over the world should be aware of the truth about the chemical warfare waged by the US Army in Vietnam, about its immediate harmful effects and serious consequences on generations of Vietnamese. After that, all member organizations of the Vietnam Fatherland Front issued their statements to support AO victims and took effective actions to assist them in their lives as well as in their lawsuit.

From 2004 up to now, the concerns and supports from people in the entire country and international friends to Vietnamese AO victims have been regular around the year, especially in the National Day for Vietnamese AO/dioxin Victims, anniversaries and New Year holidays. Many Party and State leaders participate in the meetings with the victims, the visits to their families and Centers for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.

The meetings in Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, many other cities and provinces, the direct Vietnam TV programs “We are not emotionless” (evening January 06, 2005), “Justice of the heart” (yearly from 2005-2010) and many other radio - TV programs organized by offices and organisations of central and local level; many works of music, movie, play, traditional opera, exhibitions of photography, poster, and publications (from 2004 to 2011) on Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin have expressed the spirit of “With the merciful you will show yourself merciful”, assisting the victims to overcome the Agent Orange pain in their lives and supporting them in their lawsuit at the lower courts and courts of appeals in USA.

The campaign to collect signatures in support of Agent Orange/Dioxin victims has received a wide response from localities, agencies and organizations nationwide and abroad. So far, the Central Committee of VAVA has collected 12.5 million signatures.

Mrs Anjuska Weil of te Switzerland-Vietnam Friendship Association, Japenese artist Kumiko Yokoi and American artist Peter Yarrow (USA) were able to visit Vietnam more than once and perform to support victims.

By the end of December, 2010, the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin had seen its network expanded to 58 out of 63 provinces and cities, 407/677 districts, 3.635/10.500 wards, communes.

The funds for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVAF) have been set up at the central level and in dozens of localities. The fund has raised almost 199 billion VND (171 billion VND from domestic donors and over 28 billion VND from abroad). In addition, some localities also encouraged donors both in and out side the country to provide support in the forms of goods or investment worth a total 40.8 billion VND. With the donations, the Association has built three rehabilitation centres (in Thái Bình, Đà Nẵng, Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu), 12 boarding centres, 1,552 houses of compassion, granted 32,000 packages of allowances, 1,620 scholarship and provided medical checks, treatment to 25,577 victims as well as hundreds of thousands of gifts on the occarion of August 10 every year and New Year festival.

The fund sets the target for the 2011-2013 period to raise 250 billion VND (80 billion VND in 2011 only) to build three facilities in the three regions of the North, the Centre and the South to provide care, medical treatment, rehabilitation and vocational training to victims; build 46 day-boarding establishments, 1,160 houses and grant 2,320 scholarships to the victims.

The pain suffered by Agent Orange/Dioxin victims is also the pain the entire Vietnamese people, and ultimately of all mankind. For this reason, the support and assistance for these victims is growing by the day and bring about great effects.

Agent Orange/dioxin is the cause of many tragedies, depriving countless Vietnamese people of the right to a normal life. But Vietnamese AO victims do not resign themselves to the sufferings from diseases and only rely on the help and sympathy from community. Hundreds, thousands of victims are wrestling every hour, every day with the pain and their disabilities to live a decent life and contribute their voice to the fight for justice. It is Nguyễn Thanh Tùng with the traditional monochord and the beautiful music praising the love for the country which has moved international audience to tears. It is Trương Thị Sen in Nghệ An, a girl born without legs who scrawl on her hands to school every day. Over almost a decade, Sen has travelled thousands of kilometers on her small hands. She is always honoured for excellent academic results every year. Trần Thị Hoàn, 23, in Hồ Chí Minh City does not has the left hand as well as legs from knee down, but she was able to become a student at the Hồ Chí Minh City Foreign Language-Informatic University. She wrote a letter to US President Barack Obama to speak for Agent Orange victims and shared with him the wish that “all children in the world live in happiness”.

The tremendous efforts of the victims will bear fruit some day. Every one of us hopes for this, because their families, the community and society as a whole and all those who love peace and justice over the world have been giving them the helping hand.

On January 30, 2004, the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin and a number of victims filed a petition to the Brooklyn District Court, New York, the US, against 37 US chemical companies that produced and supplied toxic chemicals for the US army to use during the war in Vietnam. After more than five years (from January 30, 2004 to March 2, 2009), going through three levels of the first instance court, appeal court and federal supreme court, the case was still in the pre-trial period. The US court refused to take up the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese Agent Orange victims on the ground that Agent Orange is a herbicide and denied that Agent Orange is harmful to human. The unreasonable, unfair decision that goes against objective reality of the US courts has triggered a wave of indignation and a drive of protest not only in Vietnam but also in many countries, including the US. Mr. Len Aldis, Secretary General of the UK-Vietnam Friendship Association, wrote in a letter to US President B. Obama, “The aftermath of the destruction of the forests through Agent Orange can still be seen today. And the aftermath of the use of Agent Orange can be seen in the people seriously disabled in Vietnam”. Ms Merle Ratner, Co-coordinator of the Vietnam AO Relief and Responsibility Campaign (VAORRC) said, “We will continue to fight for justice for victims and for the clean-up of existing ‘AO hot-spots’ in Vietnam”. On May 16-17, 2009, the International People’s Tribunal of Conscience held in Paris, France, issued a verdict, affirming that that United States Government is guilty of the use of dioxin the damage of which to the environment of Vietnam can be defined as “ecocide”; the US chemical companies who were charged in the summons and complaint are guilty of complicity. The United States Government and the chemical companies which manufactured and supplied Agent Orange must fully compensate the victims of Agent Orange and their families, and must also repair the environment to remove the contamination of dioxin from the soil and the waters, and especially from the “hot spots” around former US military bases.

The lawsuit of Vietnamese AO victims, though rejected by US courts, has won an important victory in social and humane terms.

The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin has overcome many hurdles to take the lawsuit to three levels of US court (first instance, appeal, supreme) despite the protest by the chemical companies and the US government regarding the content of the lawsuit and the association’s legal entity status. The lawsuit has exposed to the public the US’ attempt to cover its crime in conducting a chemical war in Vietnam. It has helped people in Vietnam and the world better understand the Agent Orange disaster in Vietnam; drawing the interest of public opinion in the country, in the world and in the US, creating an international movement against chemical warfare and demanding for the US to pay compensation to the Vietnamese people. The lawsuit will not stop there for many reasons, such as the statute for limitations of the case has yet to expire, and the legal status of the Vietnamese plaintiffs has been recognised by the US court… They set the judicial precedents for the Vietnamese plaintiffs to continue their legal fight for justice to the end in the US.

For political, legal, social, and economic reasons, the US Government and chemical companies dared not admit their legal responsibility puclicly. However, seen from a certain angle, the lawsuit and the pressure from public opinion have made initial impacts on the US legislative and law-executing sector’s attitude and actions. Which were manifested in recent moves by the US Congress and Government in dealing with Agent Orange/dioxin consequences in Vietnam.

235 years ago, the US Declaration of Independence (1776) solemnly declared: “all men are created equal, thay they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The right to Life.