Millions still suffering from Vietnam War's aftermath, 40 years on

[Nike]

Millions still suffering from Vietnam War's aftermath, 40 years on

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam War on Thursday (Apr 30), millions of victims of Agent Orange - the chemical used by the US military during the war - are still grappling with its ill effects.

UNG HOA, Vietnam: It has been four decades of peace in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, but for about three million victims of Agent Orange - the chemical sprayed over rural areas by the American troops - the ordeal is far from over.

Among them is 14-year-old Dat. For him and his mother, meal time is a daily challenge, as the teenager often chokes and struggles whenever he stretches his deformed limbs.

“Other children can walk and go to school, but not my son," said Dat's mother, Hien. "His limbs got more twisted when he turned three. The doctor told me he has cerebral palsy.”

Dat's father, Khoa, also suffers from joint problems. He traces his son's as well as his own disorder to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange, used by the US military during the Vietnam War, after which he was conceived.

AGENT ORANGE

Between 1961 and 1972, the US military sprayed huge swathes of Vietnam with the herbicide to drive the communist forces out of the forest. Exposure to Agent Orange, which contains the carcinogen dioxin, is linked to birth defects and a long list of severe illnesses, from diabetes to cancer.


A signboard near Da Nang Airport in Vietnam, which warns people of Dioxin contamination. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

Vietnam's laws do not provide specifically for third-generation victims of Agent Orange. Although Dat receives about US$40 every month from a government fund for the disabled, it is not enough for his monthly medical bills. Still, it is the only source of regular income for the family, which otherwise they will have to rely on donations from relatives.

His mother stays home as his full-time caregiver, while his father is unemployed. Several years ago, his father had to quit his job after the pain in his joints became too severe.

NO COMPENSATION

Ung Hoa is one of Vietnam’s rural areas where Agent Orange has left its indelible mark. According to the local Agent Orange association, about 3,000 victims live in the town, while the number of third-generation victims remains unknown.

According to the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) in Hanoi, only 10 per cent of the estimated three million Vietnamese exposed to Agent Orange receive government aid - a result of bureaucracy, poor medical infrastructure and limited funds.


A victim of Agent Orange in Vietnam. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

“We’re still poor,” said Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who chairs Ho Chi Minh City’s Society for Reproductive Medicine. “The government cannot cover all the victims, many millions of them.”

Help for the victims is tied to Vietnam’s economy.

“Financial support for Agent Orange victims really depends on the country’s economic development," said Nguyen The Luc, general secretary of VAVA. "As the country moves forward, we can gradually increase their aid.”

The US government has invested in a US$40 million clean-up project in Da Nang, and offers funding for general disability in Vietnam. However, the victims do not get compensation from the chemical companies that manufactured Agent Orange, which include Monsanto and Dow Chemical. These companies have denied the herbicide’s link to health problems in Vietnam.

- CNA/pp

they prefer to bought arms and weapons than medicine for their own people even though they admitting they are poor country, that's Vietnamese for you keep deluded themselves as they are supa powa

 

[biendong]

they prefer to bought arms and weapons than medicine for their own people even though they admitting they are poor country, that's Vietnamese for you keep deluded themselves as they are supa powa

How about victims of Japanes Imperial UNIT 731 in WW II in China ? they were murdered by chemical warfars made by Japanese.

You are Japanese descent. How do you feel about it ?

Between 3,000 and 12,000 men, women, and children[1][2]—from which around 600 every year were provided by theKempeitai[3]—died during the human experimentation conducted by Unit 731 at the camp based in Pingfang alone, which does not include victims from other medical experimentation sites.[4] Almost 70% of the victims who died in thePingfang camp were Chinese, including both civilian and military.[5] Close to 30% of the victims were Russian.[6] Some others were South East Asians and Pacific Islanders, at the time colonies of the Empire of Japan, and a small number ofAlliedprisoners of war.[7] The unit received generous support from the Japanese government up to the end of the war in 1945.

Unit 731 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Raphael]

Those images are heartbreaking. And it's very unpleasant to learn that these victims are accorded a low priority by the government, which mis-allocates resources by splurging on the same weaponry that maimed the poor victims depicted.

If a government doesn't care about obtaining redress or apologies for citizens harmed in foreign aggression, but instead takes bribes from the same foreign aggressor, they are effectively saying: "our people's lives are worthless. You can massacre them at will". Is this really the right message to send to the world?

 

[Aepsilons]

Very sad to read about this !

 

[Nike]

How about victims of Japanes Imperial UNIT 731 in WW II in China ? they were murdered by chemical warfars made by Japanese.

You are Japanese descent. How do you feel about it ?

Between 3,000 and 12,000 men, women, and children[1][2]—from which around 600 every year were provided by theKempeitai[3]—died during the human experimentation conducted by Unit 731 at the camp based in Pingfang alone, which does not include victims from other medical experimentation sites.[4] Almost 70% of the victims who died in thePingfang camp were Chinese, including both civilian and military.[5] Close to 30% of the victims were Russian.[6] Some others were South East Asians and Pacific Islanders, at the time colonies of the Empire of Japan, and a small number ofAlliedprisoners of war.[7] The unit received generous support from the Japanese government up to the end of the war in 1945.

Unit 731 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

what the point?

article clearly said

1. Vietnam is poor country
2. Vietnam doesn't have money to bring medicine
3. The American seem reluctant to bring their fullfledge aid towards the victims

and although all the ruckus about Vietnam-US relationship and so much about your country defense spending is much ironic to your own people suffering

 

[AViet]

Wait until the day we can spray orange on the US soil. The day may not be too far off. We will never forget

 

[biendong]

what the point?

article clearly said

1. Vietnam is poor country
2. Vietnam doesn't have money to bring medicine
3. The American seem reluctant to bring their fullfledge aid towards the victims

and although all the ruckus about Vietnam-US relationship and so much about your country defense spending is much ironic to your own people suffering

why did you created this thread ? trolling ?

we don't let our Islands is defenceless, kid.

 

[Beast]

Wait until the day we can spray orange on the US soil. The day may not be too far off. We will never forget

True vietnamese, Vietnamese must realised the true enemy of your country. Not like some lackey who embrace murderer help and even accept their assist and advice.

 

[liubang]

why did you created this thread ? trolling ?

we don't let our Islands is defenceless, kid.

No because it is news. After all, one time a year or decade, Americans came together and remind themselves for that tiny hiccup that they make. >__< I am so tired of arguing with the drove of Americans lately. They want to be the good guys. They want to be the winners. And I am like, good job. You are the good guys, you are the winners, and I will pat you on the back. They learned jack from Vietnam.

It may need a few more decades but one of these day, I do hope the USA will apologize for this. But Vietnam move on.

I am so very tired of dealing with unreasonable blood thirsty people.

Anyhow, let hope our fellow chinese forum users don't troll on this thread for the sake of the victims.

If a government doesn't care about obtaining redress or apologies for citizens harmed in foreign aggression, but instead takes bribes from the same foreign aggressor, they are effectively saying: "our people's lives are worthless. You can massacre them at will". Is this really the right message to send to the world?

I hope this is sincere sentiment. Yes and no. I agree with you half way. An apology don't do much good in reality. Money however do much more than an apology. If America willing to fork out moneys and not willing to admit to it, I guess we have to take that option as well for the sake of those that are suffering.

 

[frequency]

Millions still suffering from Vietnam War's aftermath, 40 years on

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam War on Thursday (Apr 30), millions of victims of Agent Orange - the chemical used by the US military during the war - are still grappling with its ill effects.

UNG HOA, Vietnam: It has been four decades of peace in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, but for about three million victims of Agent Orange - the chemical sprayed over rural areas by the American troops - the ordeal is far from over.

Among them is 14-year-old Dat. For him and his mother, meal time is a daily challenge, as the teenager often chokes and struggles whenever he stretches his deformed limbs.

“Other children can walk and go to school, but not my son," said Dat's mother, Hien. "His limbs got more twisted when he turned three. The doctor told me he has cerebral palsy.”

Dat's father, Khoa, also suffers from joint problems. He traces his son's as well as his own disorder to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange, used by the US military during the Vietnam War, after which he was conceived.

AGENT ORANGE

Between 1961 and 1972, the US military sprayed huge swathes of Vietnam with the herbicide to drive the communist forces out of the forest. Exposure to Agent Orange, which contains the carcinogen dioxin, is linked to birth defects and a long list of severe illnesses, from diabetes to cancer.


A signboard near Da Nang Airport in Vietnam, which warns people of Dioxin contamination. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

Vietnam's laws do not provide specifically for third-generation victims of Agent Orange. Although Dat receives about US$40 every month from a government fund for the disabled, it is not enough for his monthly medical bills. Still, it is the only source of regular income for the family, which otherwise they will have to rely on donations from relatives.

His mother stays home as his full-time caregiver, while his father is unemployed. Several years ago, his father had to quit his job after the pain in his joints became too severe.

NO COMPENSATION

Ung Hoa is one of Vietnam’s rural areas where Agent Orange has left its indelible mark. According to the local Agent Orange association, about 3,000 victims live in the town, while the number of third-generation victims remains unknown.

According to the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) in Hanoi, only 10 per cent of the estimated three million Vietnamese exposed to Agent Orange receive government aid - a result of bureaucracy, poor medical infrastructure and limited funds.


A victim of Agent Orange in Vietnam. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

“We’re still poor,” said Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who chairs Ho Chi Minh City’s Society for Reproductive Medicine. “The government cannot cover all the victims, many millions of them.”

Help for the victims is tied to Vietnam’s economy.

“Financial support for Agent Orange victims really depends on the country’s economic development," said Nguyen The Luc, general secretary of VAVA. "As the country moves forward, we can gradually increase their aid.”

The US government has invested in a US$40 million clean-up project in Da Nang, and offers funding for general disability in Vietnam. However, the victims do not get compensation from the chemical companies that manufactured Agent Orange, which include Monsanto and Dow Chemical. These companies have denied the herbicide’s link to health problems in Vietnam.

- CNA/pp

they prefer to bought arms and weapons than medicine for their own people even though they admitting they are poor country, that's Vietnamese for you keep deluded themselves as they are supa powa

That's the ultimate result of a war. I don't know why it's been taking so long to clean up.

But it's much worst when an Indonesian points finger at a country that was corrupted by war for 25 years and criticized something that was not preventable. If you even care, why don't you donate them money to help these people and help clean up the chemical?

This is an event that was not preventable, unlike your Indonesian government who cannot get the laws straight get criticized by the Western world. As an ASEAN leader, stop embarrassing yourself to the world. You are starting to look like a loser.

 

[Nike]

truth must be spoken

Those images are heartbreaking. And it's very unpleasant to learn that these victims are accorded a low priority by the government, which mis-allocates resources by splurging on the same weaponry that maimed the poor victims depicted.

If a government doesn't care about obtaining redress or apologies for citizens harmed in foreign aggression, but instead takes bribes from the same foreign aggressor, they are effectively saying: "our people's lives are worthless. You can massacre them at will". Is this really the right message to send to the world?

yes not to mention there is so many Vietnamese who largely ignoring those victims suffering and made support for US to back to Vietnam

 

[William Hung]

Millions still suffering from Vietnam War's aftermath, 40 years on

As the world marks the 40th anniversary of the Vietnam War on Thursday (Apr 30), millions of victims of Agent Orange - the chemical used by the US military during the war - are still grappling with its ill effects.

UNG HOA, Vietnam: It has been four decades of peace in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, but for about three million victims of Agent Orange - the chemical sprayed over rural areas by the American troops - the ordeal is far from over.

Among them is 14-year-old Dat. For him and his mother, meal time is a daily challenge, as the teenager often chokes and struggles whenever he stretches his deformed limbs.

“Other children can walk and go to school, but not my son," said Dat's mother, Hien. "His limbs got more twisted when he turned three. The doctor told me he has cerebral palsy.”

Dat's father, Khoa, also suffers from joint problems. He traces his son's as well as his own disorder to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange, used by the US military during the Vietnam War, after which he was conceived.

AGENT ORANGE

Between 1961 and 1972, the US military sprayed huge swathes of Vietnam with the herbicide to drive the communist forces out of the forest. Exposure to Agent Orange, which contains the carcinogen dioxin, is linked to birth defects and a long list of severe illnesses, from diabetes to cancer.


A signboard near Da Nang Airport in Vietnam, which warns people of Dioxin contamination. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

Vietnam's laws do not provide specifically for third-generation victims of Agent Orange. Although Dat receives about US$40 every month from a government fund for the disabled, it is not enough for his monthly medical bills. Still, it is the only source of regular income for the family, which otherwise they will have to rely on donations from relatives.

His mother stays home as his full-time caregiver, while his father is unemployed. Several years ago, his father had to quit his job after the pain in his joints became too severe.

NO COMPENSATION

Ung Hoa is one of Vietnam’s rural areas where Agent Orange has left its indelible mark. According to the local Agent Orange association, about 3,000 victims live in the town, while the number of third-generation victims remains unknown.

According to the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA) in Hanoi, only 10 per cent of the estimated three million Vietnamese exposed to Agent Orange receive government aid - a result of bureaucracy, poor medical infrastructure and limited funds.


A victim of Agent Orange in Vietnam. (Photo: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP)

“We’re still poor,” said Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, who chairs Ho Chi Minh City’s Society for Reproductive Medicine. “The government cannot cover all the victims, many millions of them.”

Help for the victims is tied to Vietnam’s economy.

“Financial support for Agent Orange victims really depends on the country’s economic development," said Nguyen The Luc, general secretary of VAVA. "As the country moves forward, we can gradually increase their aid.”

The US government has invested in a US$40 million clean-up project in Da Nang, and offers funding for general disability in Vietnam. However, the victims do not get compensation from the chemical companies that manufactured Agent Orange, which include Monsanto and Dow Chemical. These companies have denied the herbicide’s link to health problems in Vietnam.

- CNA/pp

they prefer to bought arms and weapons than medicine for their own people even though they admitting they are poor country, that's Vietnamese for you keep deluded themselves as they are supa powa

The article is telling the truth @madokafc. Too many people are still suffering from agent orange. Always very saddening to read it. Thanks for the article. One comment I would like to add, Viet Nam should ban monsato from operating inside the country, or atleast until Monsanto agree to accept responsibility.

However, I'm puzzled by your last comment. Are you saying VN should cut its defense budget to zero until VN becomes a perfect state without any social/health/poverty problem? VN has no right to spend money for its national security? What about Indonesia? According to your logic, shouldn't Indonesia too cut its defense budget until they solve its all its own social/health/poverty problems?

why did you created this thread ? trolling ?

we don't let our Islands is defenceless, kid.

Yes, she once told me she will post negative articles about VN because I once talked about some internal issues of Indonesia. But even though her intention for posting this article is distasteful, the article still tells the truth and we always must appreciate the truth. So thank you @madokafc.

I hope VN will eventually get rid of this Agent orange problem.

If a government doesn't care about obtaining redress or apologies for citizens harmed in foreign aggression, but instead takes bribes from the same foreign aggressor, they are effectively saying: "our people's lives are worthless. You can massacre them at will". Is this really the right message to send to the world?

Brother, this is not the right attitude to have. Please don't tell me you are also one of those ultra-nationalists who hate the CCP for doing business and trading with Japan. According to your country, China also haven't obtained redress or proper apologies from Japan for its past war atrocities. Yet China still accepted ODA from Japan, welcome Japanese companies to do business in China and have become one of the biggest trading partner of Japan. Is China also sending the wrong message to the world?

You must rethink what you've said.

 

[liubang]

yes not to mention there is so many Vietnamese who largely ignoring those victims suffering (point A) and made support for US to back to Vietnam (point B)

A total conflation. Isn't this like the whole Pakistan is silent over China's treatment of muslims, hence those countries should not talk at all. Or the oversea Viets are blasting Vietnam for even open a channel of communication to China during this time of dispute.

What is this correlation of point a and point b? And how is B follow A logically?

Again, I hope you are sincere. If so, thank you for caring to those victims and I am not trying to offend you with the following statement. But this is why sentimental people with rigid view of the world like you can't and shouldn't run a country.

 

[Raphael]

Brother, this is not the right attitude to have. Please don't tell me you are also one of those ultra-nationalists who hate the CCP for doing business and trading with Japan. According to your country, China also haven't obtained redress or proper apologies from Japan for its past war atrocities. Yet China still accepted ODA from Japan, welcome Japanese companies to do business in China and have become one of the biggest trading partner of Japan. Is China also sending the wrong message to the world?

You must rethink what you've said.

The difference is that we never forget Japanese war atrocities, and we never allow Japan to conceal or distort the history. When they do, we always raise formidable diplomatic protest. That doesn't mean we have to break off diplomatic relations (especially considering they are our 2nd largest trade partner). But you can never put a price on your dignity.

 

[Keel]

The most gruesome and grosteque images that ever happen to mankind have gotten a sequel in poor Vietnam and does anyone remember Fallujah where the same sadness and tragedies have descended on the Iraqis - also caused by the Americans?

These are equivalent to the Nazis and Imperial Japanese!

Despite the animosities between China and Vietnam, I feel very sad looking at those pictures and very sorry for the people who are suffering from the aftermath of the toxin

Ancient Chinese Art of Paper Folding