Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society Len Aldis holds photos of Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims. (Source: londonbangla.com)
London (VNA) ❀– Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society (BVFS) Len Aldis has passed away at his home at Tomlins Grove Street, London, the United Kingdom. He was 85.
As a peace campaigner known throughout the world, Aldis has been unstinting in his effort to help Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin victims in Vietnam.
In a statement on November 28, local police said they were called by Aldis’s friends who were worried that he had not answered or responded to phone calls recently. The campaigner was then found inside his house and pronounced dead at the scene.
Aldis first came to Vietnam in 1989 and since then he has annually returned to the country to assist people who had suffered in wars, particularly those continued to live with the lasting effects of Agent Orange, a toxic chemical the US troops sprayed on Vietnam during the war.
The British man worked hard to raise funds for the victims, even braved the cold on winter days to sell souvenirs to collect money for them.
In 2009, Aldis launched a website to gather and send signatures to US President Barack Obama and Congressmen to demand justice for the AO/dioxin victims.
Aldis has often been invited to UK universities to talk with students about the AO-related issues. He also raised the matter during his meetings with the local people in Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and France.
He said there is much work to be done to support the AO victims, adding that he will continue performing activities to help the British people as well as international organisations better understand the serious consequences the AO has caused to Vietnamese people.
In a letter to Aldis on his 80th birthday in 2010, former Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem said that the people and the Government of Vietnam would always hodl Aldis' personal as well as the BVFS's friendship and support for Vietnam in high regards.
The campaigner has been honoured with a Friendship Order by the Vietnamese President in recognition for his works.-VNA
The Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society (BVFS) ran a booth selling Vietnamese handicraft products at the “Coin Street Festival” in London on June 14 to raise fund for Vietnamese child Agent Orange victims.
Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society Len Aldis has asked US agencies and companies involved in the production of Agent Orange to take responsibility and provide compensation to Vietnamese AO victims.
Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society Len Aldis has sent an open letter to the committee members of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, reminding them of what Dow Chemical, which is to be a sponsor of the Games, has done to Vietnamese people with the use of toxic chemical Agent Orange.
The 80-year-old general, who leaves home from early morning to go to work and only returns late in the evening every day, is a familiar figure to residents in Mai Dich ward, Cau Giay district, Hanoi.
The General Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society (BVFS) Len Aldis on May 10 sent a letter to the Chinese Ambassador in the United Kingdom of Great Birtain and Northern Ireland Liu Xiaoming to express his concern over the current situation in the East Sea issue due to the presence of illegal Chinese drilling rig HD 981 in Vietnam’s territorial waters.
The struggle for the liberation of South Vietnam and the national reunification of Vietnam 40 year ago was significantly supported by peace-lovers round the world, including activists in the UK. Many of them are still supporting Vietnam as it looks to overcome the aftermaths of the war and continue its rapid development.
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.
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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.
Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society Len Aldis holds photos of Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims. (Source: londonbangla.com)
