The Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment of theUS House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearingon Agent Orange (AO) in Vietnam, in Washington on July 15.
"It's a good hearing," said Eni Faleomavaega, Chairman of thesubcommittee.
In an interview with Vietnam NewsAgency's reporter in the US, Congressman Faleomavaega added that thetestimonies and answers given by Matthew Palmer, Acting Deputy AssistantSecretary of the US Department of State's Bureau of East Asian andPacific Affairs; and John Wilson, Director of the Office of TechnicalSupport under US Agency for International Development's Bureaus for Asiaand the Middle East, helped US congressmen be better educated andbetter informed of the US-Vietnam cooperation in addressing the problemsrelating to AO victims in Vietnam, so that US law makers could havemore information in considering more funding for relating programmes.
Faleomavaega, who called and presided over the firstUS Congress hearing on Agent Orange in Vietnam in May 2008 and thesecond in June 2009, described the testimony by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong,Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin(VAVA), as scientifically great, and that by Tran Thi Hoan, a VietnameseAO victim as informative about the lives of Vietnamese AO victims aswell as their call to international communities. He said the twoVietnamese witnesses helped the people in the US in general and UScongressmen in particular get more interest into consequences ofAO/dioxin.
In his testimony before the Subcommittee,Matthew Palmer said over the last several years, the United States hasworked with Vietnam to ensure that its AO activities align withVietnamese health and environmental objectives. “This cooperation hasbrought us closer than ever to the permanent elimination of dioxin atDanang Airport due to AO and has allowed us to provide much-neededassistance to vulnerable populations," he said.
TheActing Deputy Assistant Secretary added: "AO has long been a sensitivetopic in US-Vietnam relations, and we have had some past challengesreaching agreement on how and where to cooperate, but we are nowtransforming dialogue into tangible improvements in the environment andhealth of the people of Vietnam."
He reaffirmedthat: "The United States Government has demonstrated a firm commitmenton working to find a resolution to this lingering concern and toensuring the continued improvement of US-Vietnam relations."
A memorandum sent by the US Congressional Research Service tothe sponsor Subcommittee wrote: "The Vietnamese government has sought USAgent Orange-related assistance since the two nations reestablisheddiplomatic recognition 15 years ago. Initially, the U.S. Governmentdenied any legal liability to provide assistance, and questionedVietnam's assertions about the extent of environmental and healthproblems associated with AO/dioxin."
According tothe congressional agency, the US stance on the issue created sometensions in bilateral relations, though not enough to prevent greatlyexpanded diplomatic, economic and military relations.
Taking the floor of the hearing, John Wilson said that despiteeconomic growth, Vietnam still faces significant environmental anddevelopment challenges, including dioxin contamination "hotspots" atvarious locations around the country. He added: "While we celebrate theprogress that we have made over the past 15 years, we also recognisethat the US can do more, including with respect to dioxin remediation,which will have a significant benefit to our bilateral relations."
The official from the US Agency for InternationalDevelopment called the Congress for continuous commitment to dioxinremediation in Vietnam and called on the US to "be a leader on thisissue and make a significant impact on the lives of many Vietnamese."
The VAVA Vice Chairwoman Ngoc Phuong called on UScongressmen to continue the work begun by the US veterans groups andother American NGOs to decisively heal the wounds of war for Vietnam'smore than 3 million AO/dioxin victims by providing resources forcomprehensive medical services, regular care, rehabilitation andeducational services and facilities; as well as with funding toremediate those areas in Vietnam that continue to contain high level ofdioxin to stop as soon as possible exposure for people living aroundthose "hot spots"; and requiring those chemical companies whichmanufactured AO to recognise responsibility and assist the victims.
She stressed that: "Timely and effective actions taken bythe US Congress to help victims of AO/dioxin in Vietnam are the finalsteps in healing the wounds of war as our two peoples and nationscontinue to build a relationship of friendship and peace."
Phuong, who has twice attended US Congress hearing on AO/dioxinin Vietnam, told Vietnam News Agency's reporter that the invitation of aVAVA representative and a Vietnamese AO victim to attend the thirdhearing reflected some changes in the US side's attitude on the linkbetween AO and the health of people in Vietnam.
Being Vietnam's first AO victim invited to US Congresshearing, the 23-year-old Hoan expressed the hope that US chemicalmanufacturers which made the AO and the US government who sprayed anddumped the toxic substance in Vietnam should do the right thing to helpvictims of terrible consequences of AO. She stressed, "It is a matter ofjustice and humanity".
She called on the US peopleand their representatives to reach out hands in friendship andunderstanding to help make dreams of having a family, getting a job andhaving a peaceful life by young AO victims in Vietnam come true./.
"It's a good hearing," said Eni Faleomavaega, Chairman of thesubcommittee.
In an interview with Vietnam NewsAgency's reporter in the US, Congressman Faleomavaega added that thetestimonies and answers given by Matthew Palmer, Acting Deputy AssistantSecretary of the US Department of State's Bureau of East Asian andPacific Affairs; and John Wilson, Director of the Office of TechnicalSupport under US Agency for International Development's Bureaus for Asiaand the Middle East, helped US congressmen be better educated andbetter informed of the US-Vietnam cooperation in addressing the problemsrelating to AO victims in Vietnam, so that US law makers could havemore information in considering more funding for relating programmes.
Faleomavaega, who called and presided over the firstUS Congress hearing on Agent Orange in Vietnam in May 2008 and thesecond in June 2009, described the testimony by Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong,Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin(VAVA), as scientifically great, and that by Tran Thi Hoan, a VietnameseAO victim as informative about the lives of Vietnamese AO victims aswell as their call to international communities. He said the twoVietnamese witnesses helped the people in the US in general and UScongressmen in particular get more interest into consequences ofAO/dioxin.
In his testimony before the Subcommittee,Matthew Palmer said over the last several years, the United States hasworked with Vietnam to ensure that its AO activities align withVietnamese health and environmental objectives. “This cooperation hasbrought us closer than ever to the permanent elimination of dioxin atDanang Airport due to AO and has allowed us to provide much-neededassistance to vulnerable populations," he said.
TheActing Deputy Assistant Secretary added: "AO has long been a sensitivetopic in US-Vietnam relations, and we have had some past challengesreaching agreement on how and where to cooperate, but we are nowtransforming dialogue into tangible improvements in the environment andhealth of the people of Vietnam."
He reaffirmedthat: "The United States Government has demonstrated a firm commitmenton working to find a resolution to this lingering concern and toensuring the continued improvement of US-Vietnam relations."
A memorandum sent by the US Congressional Research Service tothe sponsor Subcommittee wrote: "The Vietnamese government has sought USAgent Orange-related assistance since the two nations reestablisheddiplomatic recognition 15 years ago. Initially, the U.S. Governmentdenied any legal liability to provide assistance, and questionedVietnam's assertions about the extent of environmental and healthproblems associated with AO/dioxin."
According tothe congressional agency, the US stance on the issue created sometensions in bilateral relations, though not enough to prevent greatlyexpanded diplomatic, economic and military relations.
Taking the floor of the hearing, John Wilson said that despiteeconomic growth, Vietnam still faces significant environmental anddevelopment challenges, including dioxin contamination "hotspots" atvarious locations around the country. He added: "While we celebrate theprogress that we have made over the past 15 years, we also recognisethat the US can do more, including with respect to dioxin remediation,which will have a significant benefit to our bilateral relations."
The official from the US Agency for InternationalDevelopment called the Congress for continuous commitment to dioxinremediation in Vietnam and called on the US to "be a leader on thisissue and make a significant impact on the lives of many Vietnamese."
The VAVA Vice Chairwoman Ngoc Phuong called on UScongressmen to continue the work begun by the US veterans groups andother American NGOs to decisively heal the wounds of war for Vietnam'smore than 3 million AO/dioxin victims by providing resources forcomprehensive medical services, regular care, rehabilitation andeducational services and facilities; as well as with funding toremediate those areas in Vietnam that continue to contain high level ofdioxin to stop as soon as possible exposure for people living aroundthose "hot spots"; and requiring those chemical companies whichmanufactured AO to recognise responsibility and assist the victims.
She stressed that: "Timely and effective actions taken bythe US Congress to help victims of AO/dioxin in Vietnam are the finalsteps in healing the wounds of war as our two peoples and nationscontinue to build a relationship of friendship and peace."
Phuong, who has twice attended US Congress hearing on AO/dioxinin Vietnam, told Vietnam News Agency's reporter that the invitation of aVAVA representative and a Vietnamese AO victim to attend the thirdhearing reflected some changes in the US side's attitude on the linkbetween AO and the health of people in Vietnam.
Being Vietnam's first AO victim invited to US Congresshearing, the 23-year-old Hoan expressed the hope that US chemicalmanufacturers which made the AO and the US government who sprayed anddumped the toxic substance in Vietnam should do the right thing to helpvictims of terrible consequences of AO. She stressed, "It is a matter ofjustice and humanity".
She called on the US peopleand their representatives to reach out hands in friendship andunderstanding to help make dreams of having a family, getting a job andhaving a peaceful life by young AO victims in Vietnam come true./.
