AO disaster pain of century
The U.S.-waged chemical warfare in Vietnam during the 1961-1971 period caused catastrophic consequences in human history. AO/dioxin sprayed by the U.S. military devastated the ecology and environment of South Vietnam, causing millions of people exposed to it. In particular, the after-effects of this chemical have lasted for many generations, now there are third and fourth generation AO victims. The then State President Nguyen Minh Triet of Vietnam once affirmed that “the pain of Vietnamese AO victims is the pain of the Vietnamese people and also the pain of progressive humanity in the world.”
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At the working session between a delegation from Belgium Embassy in Vietnam and VAVA, March 2025 |
The war has been over for half a century. However, hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people exposed to AO still suffer both physical and mental pain every day, every hour; many areas in Vietnam are still contaminated with this deadly poison. The struggle for justice for Vietnamese AO victims continues to be carried out persistently and is supported by majority of Vietnamese people at home and abroad and international friends.
In his recent article entitled “Vietnam is one; the Vietnamese people are one” on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the South Liberation and National Reunification Day, Party General Secretary To Lam affirmed that “There is no land in Vietnam that is free from pain; there is no family that has not suffered losses, and to this day, we are still dealing with the consequences of war, unexploded ordnance, and AO. But time, compassion, and forgiveness have helped our people gradually overcome pain, heal wounds, put the past behind us, respect differences, and look towards the future.”
That chemical warfare has caused “the pain of the century” for millions of Vietnamese AO victims and their families. That is the common concern of many organizations, individuals, press and media agencies at home and abroad when they visited and had working sessions with the Vietnam Association for AO Victims (VAVA) to learn about the efforts in settling war legacy, including AO consequences.
Many, during their visits to AO victims, could not hold back their tears and were shocked when they “saw AO victims with their own eyes and heard from them with their own ears,” “those victims are the poorest of the poor, the most miserable of the miserable,” and many women are unable to enjoy the happiness of being mothers; many families are at risk of not being able to continue their lineage.
Belgian parliamentarian André Flahaut, who submitted to the Belgian Parliament a resolution on supporting the Vietnamese AO victims, said that the war in Vietnam has been over for half a century, but no one can forget the pain that the Vietnamese people have to endure.
Recently, at a meeting with VAVA, Party Secretary and Political Commissar of Military Region 1 Command Major General La Cong Phuong said that the AO wound, the wound without shrapnel, is still bleeding and lingering, and it really needs joint efforts at home and abroad to ease it.
Joining hands to heal the wound, easing AO pain
Since its inception on January 10, 2004, VAVA has always carried out two missions of fighting for justice and mobilizing resources to care for and assist AO victims.
VAVA President Lt. Gen. Nguyen Huu Chinh said that the AO disaster is serious, long-lasting and cannot be forgotten. Therefore, it is necessary to further dissemination work to raise awareness of local people and international friends of the disaster and to call on international community to support the victims. In addition, the fight for justice for AO victims continues in both legal and moral manner and through humanitarian dialogue.
The VAVA leader also informed that the association has contacted a number of government agencies, the Department of State and a number of U.S. congressmen to lobby for the submission to the U.S. Congress of four bills to defend Vietnamese AO victims.
Senator Patrick Leahy, and his senior advisor on foreign policy Tim Rieser have importantly contributed to promoting cooperation in war legacy settlement and Vietnam - U.S. relations. Mr. Tim Rieser was honored with the "For AO Victims" insignia by VAVA President.
Attentively, in 2024 and the first four months of this year, VAVA Central Committee welcomed nearly 60 international delegations. Last year, it raised over VND 4.5 billion for AO victims from international organizations and individuals.
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Medical staff from the Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City-based University of Medicine and Pharmacy provide free health check-ups for AO victims of Thanh Hoa province. |
In early April this year, VAVA President and visiting Minister-President of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region Rudi Vervoort exchanged an in-principle agreement between VAVA and Aquitara Impact Fund 1 of Belgium to enhance efforts of settling AO consequences and effective support for Vietnamese AO victims.
The message that VAVA leaders wish to convey widely is putting the past behind, looking forwards the future, loving peace, joining hands to heal the wounds of war, and ease the pain of AO. Let's fight together to prevent and not let chemical warfare happen in the future!
Translated by Mai Huong