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The two-day second international conference of victims of AO/dioxin wrapped up in Hanoi on August 9 with an appeal for people to join hands to support AO victims in the world, particularly Vietnamese AO victims.
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Delegates signed the appeal (Photo: VNA) |
The appeal was compiled by a committee of 12 members, representing countries and international organisations.
The appeal said that the use of Agent Orange during the war in Vietnam is a war crime and a crime against humanity. The consequences of those actions may impact on many generations.
It called on all progressive and peace-loving people to engage in practical actions to support the victims, especially Vietnamese victims. It also called on scientists and health and environmental experts, especially those from the US , to exert more efforts to conduct research on the harm of dioxin and ways to overcome its affects. This research will not only help the victims but also protect future generations from similar calamities.
The appeal asked the US government and other governments that allowed the use of AO substances in Vietnam during the war to announce all places where the substance was used, buried or disposed of and asked US chemical firms, especially Monsanto and Dow Chemical, to take responsibility and exert more efforts with the Vietnamese Government and people to solve the consequences of AO in Vietnam.
Delegates to the conference signed the appeal and promised to try their best to disseminate it to a large number of people in the world to support AO victims.
Speaking at a press briefing after the conference, President of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange /dioxin (VAVA) Nguyen Van Rinh affirmed that the conference was one of the activities to mark the 50 th anniversary of the AO disaster in Vietnam . Opinions and reports at the event contributed to helping people in Vietnam and the world more fully understand the harm of the toxic AO chemical used during the war and to provide more assistance to victims and accelerate the struggle for justice.
The same day, a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam handed over 5,000 USD to the conference to support Vietnamese AO victims.
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