Be steadfast in the struggle for justice for AO victims

The US Independence Declaration has mentioned three inalienable rights of men, namely: The right to Life, The right to Liberty, and the right to Possession. The right to possession is mentioned in the Declaration as the Right to pursue happiness. “We hold these Truth to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. (US Independence Declaration 4 July 1776).

Social equality is part of the legitimacy. Citizens of a republic country shall enjoy individual rights. They are not subject to the reign of any lord. In the new lifestyle, they are responsible for their own future. They need to be active and creative in work to meet their demand and solve crises together. However, as for Vietnam’s AO victims, what seem to be so natural and simple things are beyond their ability during their lifetime. With our sympathy, conscience and responsibility for AO victims, we should persistent in our struggle for justice for them.

In 2004, Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange filed a lawsuit against 37 chemical companies of the US, including Monsanto. In 2009, an international tribunal was opened in Paris, France to settle issues relating to AO and its victims in Vietnam, but neither the US government nor Monsanto appeared at the tribunal. On 18 April 2017, the International Tribunal on Monsanto based in La Haye, Holland concluded that: Monsanto had depleted the environment, and caused damage to Vietnamese people. However, Monsanto didn’t accept the tribunal’s judgment. Now that for the first time, a US court has punished this company for not giving out warning about the potential risk of cancer that its Roundup herbicide may cause to the users, we hope that justice will be implemented for Vietnam’s AO victims.

Recently, Ms. Merle Ratner – coordinator of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, said that the judgment of the California State Court is such a historic one and it will have considerable impact on the similar cases against Monsanto. In her opinion, the struggle with Monsanto will be long as this company has sent their appeal. Nevertheless, the judgment was a profound encouragement for those who are struggling for compensation for victims of the toxic chemicals produced by this company. She promised to continue her effort to seek measures from the US government, and Congress for supporting Vietnam’s AO victims, at the same time she will pursue legal procedure to force US chemical companies to compensate for AO victims in Vietnam.

Earlier on 10 August 2018, the California State Court demanded that Monsanto compensate a total of USD 289 million for Dewayne Johnson who had used the Roundup herbicide produced by the company for his groundskeeping work during the past 30 years and finally suffered from cancer. However, Monsanto affirmed that their product is safe and they would appeal the court. US opinion hoped that the verdict would put pressure on the US government to issue a ban on the use of glyphosate in the Roundup herbicide. Monsanto Group which is based in St. Louis, Missouri, is also the main supplier of AO used by US military in Vietnam War.

Though having yet to be valid, the verdict encourages and stimulates us to continue our struggle for the legitimate interest of about 4.8 million people exposing to toxic chemicals and 3 million AO victims in Vietnam.