March in France seeks support for Vietnamese AO victims

A view of the march (Source: VNA)

Paris (VNA) – Vietnamese expatriates in France joined locals in a march on May 1 to call for support for  Vietnamese people who suffer physical and mental pain caused by Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin sprayed by the US army during the war in Vietnam. 

Launched by various French trade unions, the event also aimed raise public awareness of the AO/dioxin catastrophe as well as the consequences for Vietnamese people.

French people were deeply shocked by photos of Vietnamese AO victims with serious defects and disabilities. They expressed their sympathy and signed a petition asking US chemical firms to compensate the victims.

Talking to France-based Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondents, Vo Dinh Kim, Coordinator of the Collectif Vietnam Dioxine, said about 20 volunteers of the group joined in the march to collect hundreds of signatures for the petition.

Apart from spreading information about the long-term and serious consequences caused by the toxic substance, the group also informed French people about the lawsuit filed by Vietnamese-French citizen Tran To Nga, against US chemical firms, he said.

Kim added that the Collectif Vietnam Dioxine groups 15 social organisations, including the Republic Association of Former Combatants and Victims of War, the French Friendship Committee for Van Canh Peace Village and the Union of Vietnamese Students in France, among others.

Since 2004, the group has launched many programmes to shine light on consequences caused by AO agent/dioxin among the community to seek international support for the victims.-VNA

VNA