Strengthening the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange” practically to contribute to alleviating the pain of Agent Orange

Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh

Member of the Party Central Committee,

Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

The chemical war conducted by the U.S. in the Vietnam War was the most serious one in human history in which more than 3 million Vietnamese people were victims and another 4.8 million ones were exposed to Agent Orange.

Though the war has ended for over 40 years, illnesses and wounds caused by Agent Orange have wreaked havoc to the lives of its victims. They are the poorest among the poor, the most miserable among the miserable. I have been to several localities of our countries and visited many war participants who directly fought and served in the areas sprayed with Agent Orange. They have turned their old age and are suffering from both mental and physical pains. I have also witnessed a number of miserable lives with severe illnesses caused by Agent Orange. Even their second and third generation offsprings are born with deformities. Some of whom are leading vegetable life and many women can’t enjoy the happiness of being a wife nor a mother. Some families have 2, 3, or even 4 victims of Agent Orange, making their life more and more desperate. Laugh can hardly be heard in their families. The mothers of victims of Agent Orange can hardly enjoy a full sleep. We can hardly see their smile, either. They are bound with concern and worries that when they pass away no one will take care of their victims. This is not only their pain but also our concern as a whole.

Over the past years, our Party and State have implemented many favourable policies for revolutionary contributors, including the victims of Agent Orange. However, most of the victims are still living in hardships due to their illnesses, inabilities while state’s supports are limited and can cover only part of their living expenses. Therefore, to alleviate the their hardships, on 19^th June 2011, the Central Committee of the Vietnam’s Fatherland Front launched the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange”, calling for levels, sectors, organisations and individuals, people both at home and abroad, to promote the tradition of unity and solidarity as sharing with the victims and help them overcome their hardships and integrate with the community. Up to now, the movement has seen remarkable developments in both quality and quantity, created a strong spillover effect and positively responded by both domestic and international communities.

According to the report of the Central Committee of VAVA, since 2011 to date, the victims have received an amount of donation worth over 1.500 billion dong. Millions of people have benefited from the donation in which thousands of houses have been renovated and newly built; thousands of households have been disbursed with interest-free loans for economic production; millions of victims have been provided with free medical checks, healthcare and medicine; thousands of offsprings of the victims have been provided with scholarship, nourishment, free vocational training and employment. Leaders of the Party, State, party committees, authorities, the Vietnam’s Fatherland Front and VAVA have regularly paid visits and presented gifts to the victims on holidays, Tet and other special occasions annually, etc. These have contributed to alleviating the pains and hardships of the victims and helped them integrate into the communities.

On behalf of the State, I highly appreciate the kindness and good deeds of domestic people and international friends that you have spared for the victims of Agent Orange, as well as the effective operations of VAVA in the past years.

In the coming time I hope that the movement will be further promoted towards sustainability and practicality. I also expect that levels, sectors, socio-political unions, Vietnamese people, both at home and abroad, will continue to foster the tradition of “Remember the source when drink water” and “solidarity” of our nation and respond to the movements of “hunger eradication, poverty alleviation”, “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange” with concrete and practical actions, both mental and material support for the victims so that they and their offsprings can enjoy a better life and won’t be left behind.

I, hereby, recommend that VAVA further uphold the spirit of “United – gracious – responsible for the victims of Agent Orange” to build the Association all-round strong and a reliable partner of the authorities and party committees at all levels; actively participate in the social supervision and criticism of the guidelines and policies of the Party, State relating to the victims’ opportunely commend and reward the collectives and individuals with outstanding contributions to the Association; continue to promote your role as a representative in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the victims and be their common house and deserve their trust while continue to fight for their justice.

Thoroughly implementing the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange” is a vivid manifestation of your graciousness for your comrades and compatriots, which will contribute to building the great national unity bloc and the firm people’s heart and mind posture in the cause of national construction and defence. With this spirit, I call for all Vietnamese people, both at home and abroad, international organisations and communities to continue to respond to the movement of “Acting for Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange”.

On the occasion of 2019 new year, I would like to extend my best wishes to all compatriots and troops, war participants in general and Vietnam’s victims of Agent Orange in particular.