A text-messaging drive to raise funds for Vietnamese Agent Orange(AO)/dioxin victims has been launched nationwide in response to the Dayfor AO victims (August 10).
The charity campaign, held forthe third time since 2011, runs from August 1 to September 30. Eachmessage sent to 1409 will donate 18,000 VND (0.85 USD) for the victims.
Donations can also made via website www.vava.org.vn and www.noidaudacam.net.
At a press briefing on August 8, President of the Vietnam Associationof Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen VanRinh said the text messaging drive in 2011 and 2012 raised a total of9.4 billion VND (more than 447,000 USD), which was spent on the buildingof 12 care centres and 56 houses for the victims, not to mentionscholarships for AO children and other support.
According toRinh, besides the drive, the VAVA is also organising various activitieswith the aim of collecting 130 billion VND this year to assist AOvictims.
In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency onthe occasion of the 10th founding anniversary of VAVA, Sen. Lieut. GenRinh said over 200,000 AO victims are now entitled to monthlyGovernment allowance, just a small figure compared to the total numberof AO victims nationwide estimated at more than 3 million.
Therefore, the association will continue to mobilise domestic andinternational resources to help ease the difficulties of the victims.
He said in the long run, VAVA aims to build 35 morerehabilitation and nursing centres in the northern, central and southernregions. They will provide care to poor and old victims as well asvictims’ orphans.
According to Sen. Lieut. Gen Rinh, over thepast 10 years, VAVA has raised nearly 630 billion VND (30 million USD),which was used to fund the building of rehabilitation centres in 20localities and 2,392 houses for poor victims. He estimated that abouthalf a million victims have received assistance in different forms fromthe association.
The VAVA president stressed that besidesproviding help to the victims, the association has another importantmission, that of representing more than 3 million Vietnamese victims tosue US chemical companies which produced the toxic herbicides used bythe US army during the war in Vietnam.
Between 2004and 2009, VAVA lodged a lawsuit at the US courts of first instance,appeal and supreme level against the US chemical companies.
Though the courts refused to take up the case, Vietnam hassuccessfully brought to light the US chemical warfare in Vietnam,thereby drawing international attention and giving a boost to the worldmovement against chemical war, demanding the US Government and chemicalfirms commit to cleaning up dioxin residues in Vietnam andassisting the Vietnamese victims.
In May, 2009, theInternational Tribunal of Conscience held by the InternationalAssociation of Democratic Lawyers in Paris ruled that the USGovernment must be liable for the use of dioxin in Vietnam and thechemical firms are their accomplices.
It also requested thatthe US Government and chemical firms compensate AO victims and theirfamilies as well as detoxify the environment in Vietnam, especiallyhot spots near former US military bases.
President Rinh said the association will continue to garner support for AO victims’ struggle for justice in the time to come.-VNA
The charity campaign, held forthe third time since 2011, runs from August 1 to September 30. Eachmessage sent to 1409 will donate 18,000 VND (0.85 USD) for the victims.
Donations can also made via website www.vava.org.vn and www.noidaudacam.net.
At a press briefing on August 8, President of the Vietnam Associationof Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA) Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen VanRinh said the text messaging drive in 2011 and 2012 raised a total of9.4 billion VND (more than 447,000 USD), which was spent on the buildingof 12 care centres and 56 houses for the victims, not to mentionscholarships for AO children and other support.
According toRinh, besides the drive, the VAVA is also organising various activitieswith the aim of collecting 130 billion VND this year to assist AOvictims.
In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency onthe occasion of the 10th founding anniversary of VAVA, Sen. Lieut. GenRinh said over 200,000 AO victims are now entitled to monthlyGovernment allowance, just a small figure compared to the total numberof AO victims nationwide estimated at more than 3 million.
Therefore, the association will continue to mobilise domestic andinternational resources to help ease the difficulties of the victims.
He said in the long run, VAVA aims to build 35 morerehabilitation and nursing centres in the northern, central and southernregions. They will provide care to poor and old victims as well asvictims’ orphans.
According to Sen. Lieut. Gen Rinh, over thepast 10 years, VAVA has raised nearly 630 billion VND (30 million USD),which was used to fund the building of rehabilitation centres in 20localities and 2,392 houses for poor victims. He estimated that abouthalf a million victims have received assistance in different forms fromthe association.
The VAVA president stressed that besidesproviding help to the victims, the association has another importantmission, that of representing more than 3 million Vietnamese victims tosue US chemical companies which produced the toxic herbicides used bythe US army during the war in Vietnam.
Between 2004and 2009, VAVA lodged a lawsuit at the US courts of first instance,appeal and supreme level against the US chemical companies.
Though the courts refused to take up the case, Vietnam hassuccessfully brought to light the US chemical warfare in Vietnam,thereby drawing international attention and giving a boost to the worldmovement against chemical war, demanding the US Government and chemicalfirms commit to cleaning up dioxin residues in Vietnam andassisting the Vietnamese victims.
In May, 2009, theInternational Tribunal of Conscience held by the InternationalAssociation of Democratic Lawyers in Paris ruled that the USGovernment must be liable for the use of dioxin in Vietnam and thechemical firms are their accomplices.
It also requested thatthe US Government and chemical firms compensate AO victims and theirfamilies as well as detoxify the environment in Vietnam, especiallyhot spots near former US military bases.
President Rinh said the association will continue to garner support for AO victims’ struggle for justice in the time to come.-VNA
