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 ars
do not end when the bombs stop falling and the fighting ceases.
The devastation continues long after, in the land and in the minds
and bodies of the affected population. As part of healing
the wounds of war, Vietnamese survivors of Agent Orange, who still
seek justice more than 30 years after the end of the war, will
be coming to the United States to meet us.
Today, three million Vietnamese suffer the effects of chemical
defoliants used by the United States during the Vietnam War. Tens
of thousands of U.S. soldiers are also affected. The use of Agent
Orange has caused birth defects in hundreds of thousands of children
in Vietnam and the U.S. — the second and third generations of
those who were exposed to Agent Orange decades ago. Agent Orange
has had deadly consequences for the natural environment of Vietnam
with the long-term poisoning of soil and crops.
While U.S. veterans have received some measure of compensation,
after years of struggle, Vietnamese victims have not received
a single cent of compensation or humanitarian aid from the U.S.
government or the chemical manufacturers. Vietnamese citizens
have filed a lawsuit to hold the chemical companies responsible
for the manufacture of Agent Orange and to achieve justice.
For
30 days in November 2005 Agent Orange victims from Vietnam will
visit the U.S. at the invitation of veterans, Vietnamese American
and peace activists. The delegation includes:
-
 Đặng
Thị Hồng Nhựt
(68) – a woman from Hồ Chí Minh City with multiple miscarriages
between 1973 and 1980 after exposure to Agent Orange around
May 1965.
 Nguyễn
Mười
(22) – the son of a veteran of the ARVN (Army of the Republic
of Vietnam) from Huế who has spina bifida as a result of his
59 year old father’s exposure to Agent Orange in 1970. His mother
had two miscarriages in 1974 and 1976. His
visa was denied by the U.S. government.
 Hồ
Sỹ Hải
(61) – an army truck driver from Thái Bình who suffers from
chronic hepatitis, gastro-duodenal ulcer, enterolitis, unstable
blood pressure, and enlargement of prostate as a result of his
exposure in Atopo, and Quang Tri between 1965 and 1973.
 Dr.
Nguyễn Trọng Nhân
(72) – former president of Vietnam Red Cross, representing the
Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin
(VAVA).
The tour is intended to:
- Educate
our friends and neighbors
about the suffering caused by Agent Orange in Vietnam and in
other wars our government has waged.
- Build
solidarity between U.S., Vietnamese American and Vietnamese
victims of Agent Orange.
- Achieve
justice for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims by supporting
their lawsuit against the chemical manufacturers and urging
the U.S. government to provide significant and meaningful compensation.
Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/AOVN.
- Support
the work of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent
Orange/Dioxin.
The American and Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange will pass
by:
- 11/13-11/17/2005:
New York City; main event, Weds.
11/16, Thurs. 11/17
- 11/18-11/21/2005:
Boston MA
- 11/22-11/24/2005:
Philadelphia PA
- 11/25-11/29/2005:
Washington DC
- 11/29-11/30/3005:
Raleigh/Durham NC
- 11/30-12/02/2005:
Chicago IL
- 12/02-12/05/2005:
Santa Fe NM
- 12/05-12/08/2005:
Portland OR & Seattle WA
- 12/08-12/12/2005:
The Bay Area CA
- 12/12/2005:
Leaving for Vietnam
Join us in welcoming Vietnamese Agent Orange victims
to the U.S. and in achieving justice!
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