AO representative Tran To Nga (first left) takes part in the walk. Photo: congan.com.vn Nearly 8,000 people participated in a walk for Agent Orange (AO) victims at the Dam Sen Park in Ho Chi Minh City on August 2 as the designated date for supporting sufferers (August 10) approaches.
President Nguyen Van Rinh of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) said the event reflects a huge communal response to the victims’ ongoing fight for justice, particularly the recent lawsuit of their representative Tran To Nga against US chemical companies involved in the production of AO during the US war.
The walk holds significant social and humanitarian meanings and is likely to trigger greater public support, acknowledged Rinh.
According to Tran Ngoc Tho, Head of VAVA’s chapter in the southern hub, his agency has taken care of more than 5,000 victims at a cost of almost 14 billion VND (645,161 USD) over the last decade. Their charitable programmes include building houses, offering loans and presenting scholarships and medical aid, among others.-VNA
