Argentinean forensic anthropologists are helping Vietnam in identifying the remains of fallen soldiers, according to Tien Phong [Vanguard] newspaper.

The daily said on October 11 that the Argentinean experts arrived in Ho Chi Minh City following a proposal by Argentinean Ambassador to Vietnam Alberto J. Kaminker to identify 11 Vietnamese martyrs who are said by 16 families as their relatives.

At present, the forensic anthropologists are exhuming the tombs of the martyrs to take samples for sending to Argentina for DNA assessment.
The Argentinean Ambassador said that information provided by the Vietnamese Government shows there remain hundreds of thousands of unidentified fallen soldiers in Vietnam . Therefore, he contacted with the Argentinean anthropologists to ask for their help.

According to Dr. Mercedes Salado Puerto, they will spend three days taking samples from the 11 sets of remains before taking samples from their relatives for comparisons. Both types of samples will be sent to Argentina .

In addition to DNA assessment results, the Argentine Association of Anthropology will send back Vietnam all information they find, he added.

In order to improve the identification of missings in action, in July 2012, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EAAF) singed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Vietnam National Institute of Forensic Medicine.

It is estimated that around 450,000 Vietnamese soldiers killed during the war are yet to be identified. From now to 2013, Argentina will organise training courses in both countries for Vietnamese experts in forensic anthoropology.

Established in 1984, EAAF is a non-governmental scientific organisation which boasts expertise in anthropology and forensic genetics. Over the past three decades, the team has worked in more than 30 countries to identify the remains of people killed by repressive regimes and political violence.

Since 2010, EAAF has boosted technical cooperation with Vietnam to identify the remains of fallen soldiers./.VNA