VAVA vows to continue fighting for AO victims
The Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) has issued a statement affirming that it will keep persevering with the struggle for AO/dioxin victims in various forms until justice is achieved.

VAVA vows to continue fighting for AO victims

(05-03-2009)

HA NOI — The Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) has issued a statement affirming that it will keep persevering with the struggle for AO/dioxin victims in various forms until justice is achieved.

The statement expressed great resentment regarding the US Supreme Court’s decision on March 2 to reject VAVA’s petition, saying that it completely denies the fact about the consequence of AO/dioxin in Viet Nam that has been confirmed by many Vietnamese and international scientists.

VAVA also called on all Vietnamese and people with conscience in the world to stand by Viet Nam in demanding the US side to take legal and moral responsibility for resolving the aftermath of AO/dioxin in Viet Nam.

Regarding the lawsuit, Tran Xuan Thu, Vice President cum General Secretary of VAVA, said the US Supreme Court’s dismissal of Vietnamese AO victims’ petition is only valid in the states under the jurisdiction of the Court of Appeals No 2. According to the US law, Viet Nam can still file its suit at the remaining 11 courts of appeals in the US.

In addition to the legal battle, VAVA will also continue to step up the struggle on the front of public opinion aiming at garnering support from people all over the world for the victims.

Thu said a number of individuals and foreign organisations had declared their support for Vietnamese AO victims, including the Britain-Viet Nam Friendship Society, the France-Viet Nam Friendship Association, and the Viet Nam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign of the US.

Len Aldis, Secretary of Britain-Viet Nam Friendship Society, said that the US Supreme Court’s rejection of the appeal by both US and Vietnamese victims without giving any reasons clearly showed that their ruling was based on political reasons rather than legal ones. He affirmed that the struggle would continue until real justice is won for all the victims.

The Viet Nam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign said it would be stepping up its corporate campaign with VAVA aimed at bringing public support for the victims. The France-Viet Nam Friendship Association said it would hold a seminar on the effects of AO in Montreuil on March 9.

The same day, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front issued a statement calling on international organisations, governments, non governmental organisations, scientists and people in the world to take practical actions to support the Vietnamese AO victims and their lawsuit.

According to VAVA, between 1961-1971, the US army used about 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, mainly Agent Orange that contained nearly 336kg of dioxin. Consequently, about 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to this deadly toxic chemicals, and more than 3 million of them suffer from the effects of Agent Orange.

AO watchdog

The Viet Nam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign has called the US Supreme Court’s refusal to review the dismissal of the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese Agent Orange Victims against 37 US chemical companies an action "that denies justice".

Jonathan C Moore, attorney for the Vietnamese plaintiffs, remarked in a recent press release, "It is unfortunate that US courts have chosen, contrary to US and International law, to deny justice to millions of Vietnamese who suffer from the spraying of dioxin-laden Agent Orange, which has left several generations of victims severely sick and disabled."

The New York-based campaign emphasised its success in awakening an unstoppable worldwide effort to assure justice and compensation for Viet Nam’s Agent Orange victims.

It pledged to stand by the Viet Nam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) and "not to rest until the chemical companies that profited so handsomely from their lethal product do the right thing and compensate victims in Viet Nam," read the release.

VAVA represented more than 3 million victims in Viet Nam who filed suit against US chemical companies on January 30, 2004.

The plaintiffs accused US chemical companies of producing the defoliants/herbicides used during the American War, despite knowing they were tainted with a high level of dioxin. — VNS