The Vietnam Dioxin Collective calls for an international mobilization week for the victims of Agent Orange just before the U.S. Veterans Day (on November 11, 2005).
It’s exactly 30 years ago Vietnam recovered peace. But today, many families are still suffering from the effects of the American chemical war, which took place between 1961 and 1971.
Today more than one million people suffer from serious diseases, including different types of cancer and disabilities, as a result of the sprayings of defoliants and herbicides, and in particular AGENT ORANGE, which contained large amounts of DIOXIN. 200 000 children are now the third generation of victims suffering from malformations and severe defects of the immune and the nervous system.
During the past 30 years neither the US government nor the manufacturers of Agent Orange have chosen to bring any help to the victims.
In 2004, Vietnamese victims filed a class-action lawsuit against the 37 companies which produced the deadly defoliants (principally Dow Chemical and Monsanto), as the U.S. veterans did in 1984.
At that time, the American veterans only obtained 180 million dollars in an out-of-court settlement. The Vietnamese victims’ suit was dismissed by the same judge in a federal district court in New York on March 10th, 2005. The victims are appealing this decision.
In reaction to this tragedy, citizens and associations all over the world have joined forces in an international campaign to:
Support the present legal action of the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, against the manufacturers of Agent Orange;
Demand that social and medical assistance be urgently brought to the most severely hit population;
Testimony for peace.
Vietnam Dioxin Collective
First French organisations that support this international call: Action des Citoyens pour le Désarmement Nucléaire (Citizens for Nuclear Disarmament), Aides Viet-nam (Help for Vietnam), France-Vietnam Friendship Association), Association Republicaine des Anciens Combattants (Veterans Republican Association), Van Canh Friendship Village, D.E.F.I. Viet-nam, Droit et Solidarite (member of International Association of Democratic Lawyers), Enfant du Monde – Droit de l’Homme (Children of the World – Human rights), Peace Movement, le MJC (Young Communist Movement), le MJS (Young Socialist Movement), Mouvement national de lutte pour l’environnement (National Environmental Movement), MRAP (Movement against Racism for Friendship among Peoples), Sud Chimie (Chemical South Trade union), Tam viet, l’UNEF (Student Trade union), Union of the Vietnamese in France, Union of Vietnamese Students in France), Union of the Vietnamese Youth in France, Les Verts (The Greens), Viet-nam les Enfants de la dioxine (Vietnam, Children of Dioxine).
AN INTERNATIONAL MOBILIZATION
Several cultural events and demonstrations supporting the victims of agent orange will be organized throughout the week of November 6th, 2005.
San Francisco
Veterans For Peace will officially join the Veterans Day’s parade with portraits of the victims.
Contact : Nadya Williams and Diana Ruiz.
New York
Press and email blitz organized by The Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign. Contact : info@vn-agentorange.org.
2005 JUSTICE TOUR: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Santa Fe, Raleigh/Durham, the Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, … : American and Vietnamese victims will tour in a dozen cities in the U.S. from November 13 to December 13, 2005, organized by the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign. See Tour Preview.
Bruxelles (Belgium)
11th of November : Concert in support of the victims of dioxin by Nguyen Thanh Tung (musician, victim of the dioxin), organised by Truong Son Band and Vietnam, Child of the Dioxin.
Contact : Do Thi Chuong Dai.
Stockholm (Sweden)
6th of November : Rally organized by the Comité pour la Paix (Committee for Peace) and the Association of Vietnamese Students. Seminars on the 7th and the 8th of November on “Agent Orange and its effects – 30 years after the Vietnam war”. Contact : Mai Vodinh.
Aix la Chapelle (Aachen, Germany)
6th of November: Concert supporting the victims of agent orange with Nguyen Thanh Tung (musician also victim of the dioxin), organized by the Union of Vietnamese in Germany, Child of the Dioxin. Contact: Bich Ngoc HUYNH.
Madrid (Spain)
6th of November : Rally organized at the initiative of the Vietnamese -Hispanic Cultural Institute.
Contact : Miguel Bordera.
La Coruña (Spain)
6th of November : Conference and film projection on agent orange organized by the Vietnamese -Hispanic Cultural Institute. Contact : Miguel Bordera.
Santiago de Compostelle (Spain)
6th of November : Rally organised at the initiative of the Vietnamese -Hispanic Cultural Institute.
Contact : Miguel Bordera.
PARIS : RALLY ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH 2005 AT THE “CHAMPS DE MARS”
At the call of the Vietnam Dioxin Collective, a rally to support the families of the victims of Agent Orange will take place at 14:00 at the “Champ de Mars”.
— Drums from Vietnam will accompany information to the public: distribution of flyers, signing of a petition to support the victims, exhibition of photos.
— Portraits of victims from Agent Orange will be exhibited to the public, signed by Alexis DUCLOS (France), former reporter photographe at Gamma Agency, Philip Jones GRIFFITHS (United States), great reporter from the Vietnam war, former director of the Magnum Agency, Renaud Khanh (France), independent Photographer.
— Personalities from the International committee in support of Vietnamese victims will hold speeches to show their support.