Belgium-Vietnam Association supports AO/dioxin victims
A get-together and exhibition on Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Vietnam has been held in Brussels, Belgium by the Belgium - Vietnam Association (ABV).
Tran To Nga (R), a Vietnamese French woman and an AO victim, speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)
Brussels (VNA) - A get-together and exhibition on Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in Vietnam has been held in Brussels, Belgium, by the Belgium - Vietnam Association (ABV).
The October 15 event was attended by Tran To Nga, a Vietnamese French woman and an AO victim, who lodged a lawsuit against US firms that had manufactured the toxic AO defoliant used by the US military during the war in Vietnam.
A documentary featuring the life of Vietnamese in intoxicated areas was screened at the event.
At the event, Nga introduced her book written in French entitled Ma terre empoisonnée (My Poisoned Land).
The ABV has worked to help ease difficulties of AO/dioxin victims and continue to support Nga, said its President Pierre Grega.
The association has also presented scholarships to Vietnamese children who suffer from AO-related illnesses.
The VAVA and a number of Vietnamese Agent Orange/Dioxin victims filed a lawsuit to the US Federal District Court in Brooklyn, New York against 37 US chemical companies that had produced and supplied chemicals to the US military for its use in the war in Vietnam, demanding for justice. However, it was refused by the court.
Following the lawsuit, in 2015, Nga lodged a lawsuit against 26 US firms that had manufactured the toxic AO defoliant used by the US military during the war in Vietnam.
The Crown Court of Evry then rejected the lawsuit due to lack of authority to handle a case related to actions of the US Government during the war. However, Nga affirmed that she will continue to pursue the lawsuit./.
Sixty years have passed since the US army dropped tens of millions of extremely toxic chemicals on various areas across the south of Vietnam, but their devastating impact still lingers, destroying the environment and claiming the lives of many generations of Agent Orange (AO) victims.
Thai Binh province – one of the localities with a large number of Agent Orange/dioxin victims in northern Vietnam – held a ceremony on August 9 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the dioxin disaster in Vietnam and respond to the Day for AO/dioxin victims (August 10).
Great efforts have been made by the Vietnamese Government as well as organisations and individuals at home and abroad to support victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) with a hope to ease the incomparable pain that they are suffering.
Vietnam is home to about 75,000 second-generation victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin and 35,000 others of third generation. Some localities even have victims in the fourth generation.
Vietnam has over 4.8 million people exposed to AO/dioxin, including hundreds of thousands in the second, third, and even fourth generations. Many live with severe disabilities, facing high medical costs and loss of earning capacity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that amnesty is a humanitarian policy of the Party and State, reflecting the Vietnamese tradition of compassion and winning attention and high praise both domestically and internationally.
Vietnam officially grants limited-term visa-free entry to high-profile foreigners whose presence is deemed beneficial to the country’s socio-economic development.
With support from the Vietnamese Association in Ufa, Vietnamese language classes for children have been offered for many years. Currently, 60 children of various ages are attending two classes taught by Duc Anh, free of charge.
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Describing Agent Orange as one of the most severe and enduring legacies of the war in Vietnam, Vietnam's former Honorary Consul to Belgium Joseph-Michel de Grand Ry warned that its impact – still affecting generations more than five decades later – could last another two to three decades.
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The activities include a Vietnamese language teaching training course for overseas Vietnamese teachers from August 13 to 28 in Hanoi, Ninh Binh, and Thai Nguyen.
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Whether they grow up to become journalists, diplomats, or professionals in other fields, these children can one day become bridges of friendship and cooperation, telling new and inspiring stories of Vietnam – China relations, said Ambassador Pham Thanh Binh.
A 21-year-old Indian tourist was successfully resuscitated and treated by doctors at Hoan My Da Nang Hospital after a near-drowning incident left him in critical condition. After three days of intensive care, the man was discharged from the hospital and has since returned to India.
In an document issued on August 5, the PM emphasised the need to stablise living conditions for people hit by floods, landslides, and flash floods in late July and early August in northern and north-central provinces, especially Dien Bien, Son La, and Nghe An which suffered some of the worst damage.
Although millions of Vietnamese were affected by AO, only over 626,000 individuals, including war veterans and their children suffering from dioxin-related conditions, are currently receiving state benefits.
Tran To Nga (R), a Vietnamese French woman and an AO victim, speaks at the event (Photo: VNA) 
