The court made no comment on the decision approved on February 27, which denied the review of the complaints submitted by Vietnamese AO victims as well as the two other petitions filed by US veterans to request US chemical companies to compensate for health effects they and their families suffered.

The New York Court of Appeals previously rejected these complaints despite scientific research and facts that have proved AO used during the Vietnam War relates to cancer, diabetes and foetal deformities.

Lawyer Jonathan Moore, who counsels the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) in the lawsuit against 37 US companies producing the toxic chemical, said he was sad to hear this decision.

“Although we have lost this battle, our struggle must continue until we achieve justice for all those who were victimized by the US government’s campaign of chemical warfare during the Vietnam War,” Moore stressed.

The Coordinator of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign, Merle Ratner, said: “As a US citizen, I am outraged that the Supreme Court has refused justice for the more than 3 million Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange as well as to Agent Orange affected US veterans whose suit was also denied review.”

“However, the lawsuit of VAVA has produced unprecedented public support, both in the US and internationally for justice and compensation for Vietnam’s Agent Orange victims… Americans will keep on fighting for justice and for full compensation for the victims and clean up of the hot spots,” Ratner said.