According to Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation’s (VVAF) President Bobby Muller, the earmarking of US$3 million for Agent Orange/dioxin programmes is the first time since the war ended 32 years ago that the US Congress and Administration recognised the detrimental effects caused by the lethal substance to the environment and public health.

Referring to the experiences of US veterans who were exposed to AO/dioxin in requesting the government’s attention and support, he urged Vietnamese victims to continue with their efforts to win compensation.

The Vietnamese victims had a meeting on June 14 with several US congressmen at the headquarters of the House of Representatives. At the meeting, Congressman John Conyers, Chairman of the US House Judiciary Committee, apologized for the pain and suffering that the Vietnamese war victims endured.

Meanwhile, participants in a forum held in central Da Nang city on June 16 expressed their strong support for a lawsuit filed by Vietnamese Agent Orange victims against 37 US chemical companies.

The forum was jointly organized by the city’s friendship organisation, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and Japan’s Peace Boat.
About 20 representatives of non-governmental organisations from Asian-Pacific countries also attended the event, titled “War aftermath: Agent Orange, peace and justice”.

They met directly with AO victims of the city to hear about their sufferings.
According to Nguyen Thi Van Lan, President of the city’s Association of AO victims, the city has more than 7,260 AO victims, of them 1,300 are orphans. However, only 300 of these children have received monthly allowance and 50 are being fostered in rehabilitation centers.