"I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THE SUFFERING OF THE VICTIMS OF AGENT ORANGE IN VIETNAM AND OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD."

Dear Mr. Nguyen Van Rinh, President of VAVA Organization

Distinguish guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of Cambodian Women for Peace and Development delegation, I would like to express my sincere appreciation and many thanks to VAVA, the organization that invites US to participate in the Second International Conference of Victims of Agent Orange. I really enjoy this occasion for listening, learning and sharing knowledge and information on the struggle for justice of victims and for the protection of environments of Vietnam as well as of all the friends around the world.

I want to take this opportunity to share the suffering of the victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam and of the people around the world.

Distinguish guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

In Cambodia from 60s to 70s, nearly a decade during the war in Indochina, u.s Army force sprayed a lot of Agent Orange along the Cambodia-Vietnam border for destroying the forests and people in order to break the revolutionary movement of the peoples of our three countries, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos.

Out of provinces close to Vietnam border, two most severely effected by Agent Orange were Svay Rieng and Kompong Cham, wherein thousand and thousand hectares of rice fields and rubber plantation were destroyed and several people were subject to tragedies caused by the action taken by the u.s. forces.

The Royal Government of Cambodia had positively demanded the u.s Government to stop the spraying of Agent Orange and forced it to acknowledge its responsibility for its actions. The u.s Government finally promised to compensate the Cambodian people in 1971, Unfortunately, from 1970 to 1998, because of several obstacles, such as the civil war and genocidal regime, the mass murder and execution of people, the displacements of local inhabitants, the need to concentrate our effort in the liberation of our country from genocidal regime and then the national restoration and development, the issue of Agent Orange has yet been seriously considered and studied by any institution or organization in our country to evaluate its impact on our people and nature. While we know well that many Cambodians are still suffering from Agent Orange and this chemical has exerted great impact on our human resource and national development of our country.

We hope that from this Second International Conference of Victims of Agent Orange, we may learn, from and exchange experiences with delegates around the world, that will benefit the victims of Agent Orange in Cambodia.

On this occasion, I would like to suggest that VAVA and all other organizations or institutions who are present herein, to offer support and contribution to Cambodia so that it may conduct its research and carry out its efforts in helping the victims in Cambodia for a better, healthier and brighter life.

Once again, I would like to say many thanks to the conference organizing committee and to all of you.

Wish you all good health and every successes.

Thank for your attention.

Men Sam An (Royal Cambodia)

Senator, Representative of the Cambodian Women for Peace and Development