Association of Agent Orange/dioxin victims honoured with Labour Order

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Association of Agent Orange/dioxin Victims (VAVA) was honoured with the Labour Order, third class, at a ceremony in Hanoi on December 28, during which the association also marked its 60th founding anniversary.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan, who is First Vice President of the Central Council for Emulation and Commendation, on behalf of the Party and State presented the order to the VAVA at the event.

Addressing the ceremony, Vice President Xuan underlined that the dioxin disaster that Vietnamese people have been suffering for the past 60 years is a pain of not only Vietnamese people but also humankind.

She called on international friends, organisations and community to continue to accompany with and support Vietnam to ease the dioxin pain for the victims and at any cost prevent chemical war anywhere in the globe in the future.

For his part, VAVA President Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Van Rinh noted that between 1961 and 1971, the US army sprayed about 80 million litres of toxic chemicals, 61 percent of which were Agent Orange, containing 366 kg of dioxin, on to nearly a quarter of South Vietnam, causing severe and long-term consequences to the environment, the ecosystem and people’s health. As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical, and more than 3 million of them became victims, he said.

As part of efforts to care for, support and gain justice for Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Vietnam, on January 10, 2004, the VAVA was founded, aiming to mobilise resources for the victims and struggle for justice for them.

So far, the association has raised over 3.04 trillion VND (133.1 million USD) in cash and goods to build houses, provide scholarships and capital support for the victims as well as construct detoxification and rehabilitation centres for the victims and care for their families.

The VAVA leader expressed hope that the government, ministries, sectors and Vietnamese people in and outside the countries as well as international friends will continue to join hands to ease the dioxin pain, while accompanying the victims in their journey to reclaim justice./.