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The Call
Wars
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.
Today, three
million Vietnamese suffer the effects of chemical defoliants used
by the United States during the Vietnam War. In order to deny food
and protection to those deemed to be "the enemy," the U.S. defoliated
the forests of Vietnam with the deadly chemicals Agent Orange,
White, Blue, Pink, Green and Purple. Agent Orange, which was contaminated
with trace amounts of TCDD Dioxin — the most toxic chemical known
to science — disabled and sickened soldiers, civilians and
several generations of their offspring on two continents.
In addition to
the millions of Vietnamese still affected by this deadly poison,
tens of thousands of U.S. soldiers are also affected. It has caused
birth defects in hundreds of thousands of children in Vietnam and
the U.S. — that is, the second and third generations of those
who were exposed to Agent Orange decades ago. Medical evidence
indicates
that certain cancers (for example, soft tissue non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma),
diabetes (type II), and in children spina bifida and other birth
defects, are attributable to the exposure.
The deadly mark
left by Agent Orange on the natural environment of Vietnam includes
the destruction of mangrove forests and the long-term poisoning
of soil and crops.
Surviving Vietnam
veterans in the U.S., after many years of organized action, have
finally achieved limited compensation from our government for some
illnesses they suffer due to Agent Orange poisoning. While this
struggle continues, the three million surviving Vietnamese victims
received no such compensation, nor any humanitarian aid from the
U.S. government.
Our government
has a moral and legal obligation, under international law, to compensate
the people of Vietnam for the devastating impact of Agent Orange,
and to assist in alleviating its effects. Indeed, the U.S. government
recognized this responsibility: In the Peace Accords signed in
Paris in 1973 the administration of Richard Nixon promised to contribute
$3 billion dollars toward healing the wounds of war, and to post-war
reconstruction of Vietnam.
Nonetheless,
30 years after the end of the Vietnam War, our government has yet
to make good on its formal commitment and moral obligation to assist
the Vietnamese people's recovery from the chemical warfare waged
against them and their land. Neither has it met its responsibility
to the peoples of Laos and Cambodia, whose lands were also poisoned
by the same chemical weapons.
Our focus is
achieving justice for the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. We
are also mindful of the fact that our government has continued
to use chemical weapons, including depleted uranium and napalm,
in Iraq and other places. Our actions therefore are part of an
on-going international campaign to end the use of toxic weapons
and to achieve justice and accountability for all victims.
The Vietnam
Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign is an
initiative of U.S. veterans, Vietnamese Americans and all concerned
about peace and justice. Vietnamese citizens have filed a lawsuit
to hold the chemical companies responsible for the crimes against
humanity of which their products were a part. Now it's our turn
to act: With this campaign, we seek to fulfill our responsibility
by insisting that our government honor its moral and legal responsibility
to compensate the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.
We invite you
to join us in:
- Signing
the petition for justice for Agent Orange victims.
Our goal is one million signatures in this country. The petition
will be presented to Congress and the President.
- Educating
our friends, co-workers and neighbors about the suffering caused
by Agent Orange in Vietnam and in other wars our government has
waged. Organize an event at your home, school, community center
or place of worship. Contact us for films and educational materials.
In the months ahead, we will bring Vietnamese Agent Orange victims
to tour communities throughout the nation with disabled U.S.
veterans. Contact us if you would like to host a visit by this
group to your area.
- Public
donations for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims. Collected
funds will go to the Vietnam Association for Victims
of Agent Orange/Dioxin and to our educational
work within the U.S. to achieve the goals of this campaign.
Tax deductible contributions may be sent to Veterans
for Peace/AO Campaign.
Achieving real
justice for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims will be an important
step toward our government's taking full responsibility for the
long-term devastation that its chemical weaponry caused the Vietnamese
people and all Vietnam War veterans. This tragic chapter in our
nation’s history will not be satisfactorily closed until WE THE
PEOPLE of the United States compel our government to do the right
thing. Thirty years late is better than never!
Thank you for
your participation and support. Together, we can make The
Vietnam Agent Orange Relief and Responsibility Campaign a
resounding success!
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