John Trinh, Vietnamese-American director of a documentary film on Agent Orange (AO), has called on the US Government to recognise its mistake and act in accordance with justice.
According to Trinh, who has won prizes at international film festivals, it is necessary to compensate all victims in Vietnam and all others around the world.
During the ten years from 1961-1971, the US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of toxins, 44 million litres of which were AO containing nearly 370kg of dioxin, over almost a quarter of southern Vietnam. As a result, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the chemical defoliants, of whom three million have been suffered from serious health problems.
Trinh said he shuddered when seeing photos of deformed foetus and deformities on AO victims.
“As an American citizen, I respect the decision of the New York Court, but from the heart of a citizen and as a good sense person in general, I feel that the justice has not yet been implemented in a satisfactory manner,” the director said.
Trinh said he decided to produce the film “Agent Orange: 30 Years Later” after coming across an article on a lawsuit filed by the Vietnamese AO victims against the US Government.
According to the director, generally, audiences around the world were moved and angry after watching the film – a story on the differing fates of Vietnamese AO victims from the north to the south. Audiences in the US , particularly those having their relatives who participated in the war, expressed their support to the victims. Many of them asked Trinh to explain how to donate to and help the victims.
Trinh said the cruelty caused by the toxic substance and miseries created by the US Government to the land and people of Vietnam are unprecedented and cannot be measured. Although the war ended in 1975, Agent Orange still contaminates land and kills millions of Vietnamese people, who were not involved in the war.
“They are waiting to die of deformities, cancers and strange diseases,” he emphasised.
Trinh said he wants to take the film as evidence on the ravages and destruction by the AO/dioxin or other weapons capable of mass destruction through using toxic chemicals on the environment and people. The film also affects human compassion and good sense as well as raises each person’s awareness and responsibility to take action without racial or political discrimination.
“I always look closely for activities and information relating to Agent Orange in Vietnam and around the world with a hope of finding out a useful way of assisting victims,” Trinh said.
He also affirmed he will continue raising the AO issue through charitable and cultural organisations.-VNA
According to Trinh, who has won prizes at international film festivals, it is necessary to compensate all victims in Vietnam and all others around the world.
During the ten years from 1961-1971, the US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of toxins, 44 million litres of which were AO containing nearly 370kg of dioxin, over almost a quarter of southern Vietnam. As a result, 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to the chemical defoliants, of whom three million have been suffered from serious health problems.
Trinh said he shuddered when seeing photos of deformed foetus and deformities on AO victims.
“As an American citizen, I respect the decision of the New York Court, but from the heart of a citizen and as a good sense person in general, I feel that the justice has not yet been implemented in a satisfactory manner,” the director said.
Trinh said he decided to produce the film “Agent Orange: 30 Years Later” after coming across an article on a lawsuit filed by the Vietnamese AO victims against the US Government.
According to the director, generally, audiences around the world were moved and angry after watching the film – a story on the differing fates of Vietnamese AO victims from the north to the south. Audiences in the US , particularly those having their relatives who participated in the war, expressed their support to the victims. Many of them asked Trinh to explain how to donate to and help the victims.
Trinh said the cruelty caused by the toxic substance and miseries created by the US Government to the land and people of Vietnam are unprecedented and cannot be measured. Although the war ended in 1975, Agent Orange still contaminates land and kills millions of Vietnamese people, who were not involved in the war.
“They are waiting to die of deformities, cancers and strange diseases,” he emphasised.
Trinh said he wants to take the film as evidence on the ravages and destruction by the AO/dioxin or other weapons capable of mass destruction through using toxic chemicals on the environment and people. The film also affects human compassion and good sense as well as raises each person’s awareness and responsibility to take action without racial or political discrimination.
“I always look closely for activities and information relating to Agent Orange in Vietnam and around the world with a hope of finding out a useful way of assisting victims,” Trinh said.
He also affirmed he will continue raising the AO issue through charitable and cultural organisations.-VNA
