Question #1: We have learned that VAVA sent a letter to the U.S. court seeking justice for victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Can you tell us more about this information?
Answer: I have read the letter you mentioned. This is a personal open letter written by Mr. Tran Ngoc Tho. He did not write the letter representing the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin.
I do not find anywhere in the letter stating that the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin has initiated a new lawsuit, as reported by some foreign press.
Question #2: In March 2019, a federal court in San Francisco has found that Monsanto herbicide directly causes harm to human body. What does this finding mean for Vietnam in search for justice for victims of Agent Orange?
Answer: On March 19, a federal court in San Francisco decided that Glyphosate of Monsanto was a “substantial factor” causing Edwin Hardeman’s cancer, and ruled Monsanto to pay a settlement of $80 million dollars to Mr. Hardeman. In August 2018, less than a year before, a California state court jury in San Francisco had ruled Monsanto to pay $78.5 million dollars in a similar case for its misconduct, for hiding the carcinogenic effect of Glyphosate, and for manipulating public opinion, causing Mr. Dewayne Johnson’s cancer. So, 2 U.S. courts have found that Glyphosate causes human cancer.
Unfortunately, the U.S. federal court in New York decided that since Agent Orange is a herbicide, it causes no harm to human beings, and dismissed the lawsuit by victims of Agent Orange in Vietnam. It is obvious that the decision by the U.S. federal court in New York was illogical and unjust.
It should be emphasized here that Glyphosate is a new toxin produced for public use since 1976, and Agent Orange was produced from 2.4-D and 2.4.5-T, produced since the 1940’s, and in the production process [for use in Vietnam], the manufacturers had increased the temperature to speed up the production which created a high level of dioxin in Agent Orange. For that reason, Agent Orange is much more carcinogenic than the class of herbicides based on glyphosate.
Perhaps for that reason, after two lawsuits in San Francisco, many people have raised the possibility that the U.S. federal court would reconsider its decision in the lawsuit by the Vietnamese Agent Orange victims.
Question #3: How does Vietnam gather its resources at this point in time to call for international and national support for a lawsuit?
Answer: On the struggle for justice for victims of Agent Orange, we always enjoy and in need of solidarity and support of people everywhere, from our people to the international justice loving and justice defending friends.
