A number of US congressmen have voiced support for Vietnamese AgentOrange /dioxin victims, saying the US government must placesimportance on dealing with the consequences of the toxic chemical.
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, Chairman ofthe House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and theGlobal Environment Eni F.H. Faleomavaega and congressman Bob Filneraffirmed the support during meetings with a delegation of the VietnamAssociation for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) which paid a visitto the US from Nov. 22-Dec. 4.
Having organisedthree hearings on the AO/dioxin-related issue in Vietnam ,Faleomavaega said he was regretful because he “had yet to do much forVietnamese AO/dioxin victims”. The congressman also called on thegovernments of the US and Vietnam to jointly assume responsibilityfor addressing this issue.
At a working sessionwith the VAVA delegation, headed by its President Sen. Lieut. Gen.Nguyen Van Rinh, US Department of State officials in charged forSoutheast Asian affairs also affirmed the settlement of the AO/dioxinconsequences in Vietnam is a priority of the department.
During the trip, the VAVA delegation and leaders of the Veterans forPeace (VFP) and the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and ResponsibilityCampaign (VAORRC) discussed the coordination of activities to assist thevictims in the coming time, especially on the 50 th anniversary of thebeginning of the US chemical war in Vietnam (August 10,1961-August 10, 2011).
The delegates worked with thePresident of the Ford Foundation and representatives of the AtlanticPhilanthropies. They also met with lawyers and scientists who havedevoted to the victims’ struggle for justice, as well as a number ofoverseas Vietnamese who have launched initiatives to enhance relationsbetween the Us-based Vietnamese community and the homeland./.
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee John Conyers, Chairman ofthe House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and theGlobal Environment Eni F.H. Faleomavaega and congressman Bob Filneraffirmed the support during meetings with a delegation of the VietnamAssociation for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) which paid a visitto the US from Nov. 22-Dec. 4.
Having organisedthree hearings on the AO/dioxin-related issue in Vietnam ,Faleomavaega said he was regretful because he “had yet to do much forVietnamese AO/dioxin victims”. The congressman also called on thegovernments of the US and Vietnam to jointly assume responsibilityfor addressing this issue.
At a working sessionwith the VAVA delegation, headed by its President Sen. Lieut. Gen.Nguyen Van Rinh, US Department of State officials in charged forSoutheast Asian affairs also affirmed the settlement of the AO/dioxinconsequences in Vietnam is a priority of the department.
During the trip, the VAVA delegation and leaders of the Veterans forPeace (VFP) and the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and ResponsibilityCampaign (VAORRC) discussed the coordination of activities to assist thevictims in the coming time, especially on the 50 th anniversary of thebeginning of the US chemical war in Vietnam (August 10,1961-August 10, 2011).
The delegates worked with thePresident of the Ford Foundation and representatives of the AtlanticPhilanthropies. They also met with lawyers and scientists who havedevoted to the victims’ struggle for justice, as well as a number ofoverseas Vietnamese who have launched initiatives to enhance relationsbetween the Us-based Vietnamese community and the homeland./.
