The speakers, including members of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Collectif Dioxin Vietnam, said more than 30 years after the war, the serious consequences of Agent Orange can be seen in many places in Vietnam, citing children born with dioxin-related deformities and contaminated environment, particularly water resources. They called on French people and peace-loving people around the world to voice their support and demand justice for the victims.

Many publications on the effects of Agent Orange/Dioxin were distributed to participants at the meeting.

“The defoliants containing Agent Orange/dioxin sprayed by the US army during the war in Vietnam not only cause inter-generational health effects, but also may acquire genetic material in the long run,” said Nguyen Quang Tien, member of the Vietnamese Association in France. “Today’s rally aims to lend a helping hand to the lawsuit lodged by the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims. International friends should know that more than two million Vietnamese people have suffered from the lingering after-effects of the chemicals and that the US Government and US chemical companies must take responsibility for assisting these victims.”

President of the France-Vietnam Society Jacques Maitre shared the view, “I have visited many places in Vietnam where people exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin live. We saw with our own eyes the consequences of the war. It was terrible and unacceptable. Many people, especially children, were suffering from the severe consequences of the toxic chemical. The environment was also severely contaminated in many places by the chemical. Innocent victims are in dire need of assistance to help integrate into the community.”

Organisers displayed yellow cartons containing more than 700,000 signatures worldwide in support of the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims’ lawsuit. The signatures were collected from the website www.petitiononline.com/AOVN launched by Len Aldis, president of the UK-Vietnam Friendship Society.