US court ruling on Monsanto gives hope to Vietnam’s AO lawsuit

The recent ruling of a court in California, the US, on the link between weedkiller produced by Monsanto and cancer, has sparked hope for the lawsuit against the same company launched by Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
US court ruling on Monsanto gives hope to Vietnam’s AO lawsuit ảnh 1A man cares for victims of AO/dioxin (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The recent ruling of a court inCalifornia, the US, on the link between weedkiller produced by Monsanto andcancer, has sparked hope for the lawsuit against the same company launched byVietnamese victims of Agent Orange.  

After a month-long trial, the US jury determined Monsanto’sRoundup weedkiller caused cancer for Dewayne Johnson, a 46-year-old formergroundskeeper, and that the corporation failed to warn him of the healthhazards from exposure.

The US chemical group has for long been associated with theAgent Orange issue in Vietnam. It was one of the main suppliers of more than 80million litres of herbicides that US troops sprayed over southern Vietnam from1961-1971. Of the volume, 44 million litres were AO, containing nearly 370kilograms of dioxin.

Around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxicchemical. As a consequence of exposure, many of the victims have died ofnumerous diseases, while millions of their descendants are living withdeformities and diseases due to the chemical’s effects.

In 2004, Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims filed a lawsuitagainst 37 US firms, including Monsanto, for producing the chemical toxinssprayed by the US army. In 2009, an international court opened in France todeal with the AO matter and Vietnamese victims. However, both the US Governmentand sued companies refused to appear.

On April 18, 2017, The Monsanto Tribunal in The Hague, theNetherlands found Monsanto is guilty of ecocide, which has left long-termconsequences on the ecosystem of various nations, including Vietnam, after sixmonths of investigation and two days of testimony. The US agrochemical giant,which specialises in manufacturing glyphosate – a broad-spectrum systemicherbicide (Roundup), rejected the ruling.

In an interview following the Roundup trial, the co-coordinatorof the US-based Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign MerleRatner said it was a historic verdict, which will have significant impacts onsimilar trials against Monsanto.

The fight would be long as Monsanto said it would appeal theverdict, she said but stressed that the ruling has greatly encouraged people whohave been standing up to seek justice for the victims of its products.

Ratner said she will continue campaigning tourge the US Government and Congress to adopt measures in support of AOconsequences alleviation in Vietnam, while pursuing legal procedures to make USchemical companies involved to accept their compensation duty.-VNA
VNA

See more

At a job fair in HCM City (Photo: VNA)

Job market to surge in 2025, technology and sustainability leading the way

TopCV predicts that roles such as software developers, data analysts and cybersecurity engineers will dominate the labour market in the technology sector, while manufacturing and logistics industries are expected to prioritise recruitment of automation engineers, supply chain managers and quality control specialists to optimise processes and integrate new technologies.

Thu Duc city covers an area of about 21,156ha. (Photo nongnghiep.vn)

HCM city’s urban area master plan approved

Thu Duc city will be an area leading the HCM City’s economy and other metropolitan areas through knowledge-based economic activities such as training, research, high-tech production and development cooperation.

Workers give up their Tet holiday to work at Long Thanh International Airport's construction site. (Photo: VNA)

Labour gaps expected after Tet, Ministry warns

The Ministry urged labour agencies to strengthen monitoring of supply-demand trends and expand online job-matching platforms across provinces to fill the forecast labour gaps in the first quarter.

Tet gifts are handed to poor, near-poor families in Nghe An province (Photo: VNA)

Tet 2025: Communities come together to spread joy, support

According to local Departments of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, over 13.5 million people nationwide benefited from this outpouring of support. The total budget for this endeavour exceeded 7.943 trillion VND, up 181 billion VND from the previous year.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung speaks at the event (Photo: VNA)

CPV’s 95th anniversary celebrated in Thailand

Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung described the CPV founding as a turning point in Vietnam’s revolutionary path - a moment that marked the growth of the Vietnamese working class and their readiness to lead the nation toward independence and progress.

National flags hung along a road in Ea Tieu commune, Cu Kuin district, Dak Lak province (Photo: VNA)

Flag road model inspires national pride

In recent years, the National Flag Road model has been widely developed across many localities in the Central Highlands province of Dak Lak, serving as a testament to the spirit of great national unity and making a practical contribution to the movements of building new-style rural areas and civilised urban areas.