Campaign for Vietnam's Agent Orange victims

[webfact]

Campaign for Vietnam's Agent Orange victims



VIETNAM: -- Viet Nam News reported that the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange on Tuesday began a texting campaign to raise money for sufferers.

Association chairman Nguyen Van Rinh said the campaign, called Orange Pain 2015, was an opportunity for the community to share the pain with those sprayed with the toxic chemical during the American War.

The money will also help their descendants, many of whom have been genetically crippled by the deadly foliage-destroying toxin made by a leading American chemical manufacturer.

Individuals or organisations can contribute to the campaign by texting DACAM and sending the message to 1409, a number set up by the National Humanitarian Information Gate, until September 30.

Each text message will automatically contribute a VND18,000 (80 US cents) donation to Agent Orange victims. The fundraising is part of the annual campaign to mark the Day for Agent Orange (August 10).

The campaign was first launched in 2011 and has received donations of more than VND12 billion ($550,000) to date. The money is being used to build boarding establishments, nurturing Agent-Orange victims and awarding scholarships to the children of victims.

It is estimated that there are more than three million victims of Agent Orange in the country and around 80 million litres of toxic chemical, containing 366 kg of dioxin were sprayed over Vietnam from 1961 to 1971, according to statistics provided by the association.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/campaign-for-vietnams-agent-orange-victims

-- Thai PBS 2015-08-06

[clifric]

Meanwhile the Us continues to criticise other nations for human rights abuses and has the temerity to set up a table of standards.

Will we see the effects of drone strikes on civilians in the Middle East follow the same trend?

[rijb]

Only the orange drones.

[BuaBS]

US is very lucky , that the Vietnamese are a more tolerant people , or there would be 3 million Viet jidadi's looking for revenge...

[Krataiboy]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Edited August 6, 2015 by Krataiboy

[samthefish]

When we see Americans charged with war crimes? Plenty of material,wars.

[DaddyWarbucks]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

[NanLaew]

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Except that it would fly in the face of the common knowledge as to the roots of the brief northeastern Thailand communist insurgency.

[Publicus]

Agent Orange contained the synthetic chemical Dioxin which was at the time one of the most lethal agents if not the most lethal. AO was but one of several chemicals used to "defoliate" the jungles in and adjacent to Vietnam.

From the standpoint of US veterans, the government beginning with the Carter Administration denied veterans their deserved medical care based on Agent Orange poisoning, to include the Reagan Administration.

Most Democrats and Republicans in Congress never moved any legislation on veterans' AO health care, and it is only recently that the health and medical issue has been recognized or addressed by Washington. World War II vets in Congress were always hostile towards Vietnam Vets due to the vile view of most politicians that Vietnam Vets lost the war.

A handful of members of the House and the Senate fought unsuccessfully for vets' AO health and medical care because they believed in the science of it rather than be blinded by the wrongheaded politics of it.

[EnglishJohn]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

How many people might have died do you think if the USA stayed out and the country as a whole was taken over by a communist insurgency ?. And no USA remember so it would have been a slaughter. And no human rights whatsoever.

How I wish you people could take a trip into a reality where the USA didn't get involved in anything outside their own country.

Do you think you would sat safely at home on your fat @rses with computers and internet writing comments like these ?.

[Publicus]

Indeed, people comfortably ignored the Cold War presence in SE Asia of Beijing, Moscow, the Kymer Rouge and much else negative that would have left Thailand and all of the present Asean countries wide open to Marxist-Leninist insurrection, rebellion, revolution.

If the US had been able to figure a way to win in Vietnam, Thailand and Asean would be more like South Korea to include increased republicanism than they continue to be. There might actually be a little less corruption too and vastly improved rule of law instead of what there is presently and going forward.

As it is, Thailand is an African country grafted into SE Asia that aspires mightily to succeed the old Burma/Myanmar as a fascist state.

[jesimps]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

How many people might have died do you think if the USA stayed out and the country as a whole was taken over by a communist insurgency ?. And no USA remember so it would have been a slaughter. And no human rights whatsoever.

How I wish you people could take a trip into a reality where the USA didn't get involved in anything outside their own country.

Do you think you would sat safely at home on your fat @rses with computers and internet writing comments like these ?.

For once it's good to see you talking sense. Agree with you 100%.

Saying that, I also have sympathy for the victims of the conflict, especially the kids.

[Scott]

An inflammatory post has been removed. Please stay on topic.

[Kondiao]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

How many people might have died do you think if the USA stayed out and the country as a whole was taken over by a communist insurgency ?. And no USA remember so it would have been a slaughter. And no human rights whatsoever.

How I wish you people could take a trip into a reality where the USA didn't get involved in anything outside their own country.

Do you think you would sat safely at home on your fat @rses with computers and internet writing comments like these ?.

For once it's good to see you talking sense. Agree with you 100%.

Saying that, I also have sympathy for the victims of the conflict, especially the kids.

I see that someone can acknowledge that Americans have in fact "SAVED" many whole countries of people from communism and fascism. Kept the Russian savages from mass-mudering and mass-raping all over western Germany in 1945, and stopped the Russian advance into Korea at the 38th parallel and jammed democracy down the throats of the Japanese and set up an inter-locking economic system in Western Europe that prevents the Germans and French from killing each other.

Whenever I walk into a room in Thailand - or any foreign country - and have to listen to cheap insults from Frogs and Danes and other <deleted> I wonder how it is that you can ignore these inconvenient truths - like you would not have the freedom to disrespect America if Americans had not died to give your parents freedom from the invaders that you were too weak to fight - and your ultimate trump card: that the Vietnamese "kicked our ass"..

What does that make you? Where would you be? Slaves? Your cities in rubble, your economy in chaos?

How many millions of religious and political refugees poured into your countries seeking freedom from oppression? How many of you would even be alive without the food given to your parents when your countries were down and at the mercy of ruthless savages? It would make more sense if you would think about gratitutde to Americans rather than contempt.

Is it maybe because you know you really are inferior that causes you to resort to kicking better people than you because you perceive they are down and vulnerable?

But maybe this too inconvenient or too truthful for you.

[KOZMO]

Agent Orange contained the synthetic chemical Dioxin which was at the time one of the most lethal agents if not the most lethal. AO was but one of several chemicals used to "defoliate" the jungles in and adjacent to Vietnam.

From the standpoint of US veterans, the government beginning with the Carter Administration denied veterans their deserved medical care based on Agent Orange poisoning, to include the Reagan Administration.

Most Democrats and Republicans in Congress never moved any legislation on veterans' AO health care, and it is only recently that the health and medical issue has been recognized or addressed by Washington. World War II vets in Congress were always hostile towards Vietnam Vets due to the vile view of most politicians that Vietnam Vets lost the war.

A handful of members of the House and the Senate fought unsuccessfully for vets' AO health and medical care because they believed in the science of it rather than be blinded by the wrongheaded politics of it.

The funny part is they used AO in Thailand to keep the bases secure from insurgents and yet the vets who contracted many diseases from it cannot claim it because they were not stationed in Viet Nam

[Linky]

No reference in this article (for reasons not difficult to fathom for anyone acquainted with the Thai phobia about losing face) of Thailand's egregious role in helping the US to murder, main and destroy the livelihoods of millions of innocent civilians in a neighbouring country.

No mention, either, of the collatoral damage to an untold number of Thais contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical during secretive dummy runs in the Kingdom.

The willingness of Thailand's leaders to turn their country into "America's fortress in Asia" during the 12-year conflict undoubtedly helped extend one of the most immoral and bloody wars of aggression.in recent history.

One wonders how many of these inconvenient truths will be told to a growing generation of Thais when new school history books - currently being revised on the orders of the current military regime - are eventually distributed as part of the revamped national curriculum.

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

How many people might have died do you think if the USA stayed out and the country as a whole was taken over by a communist insurgency ?. And no USA remember so it would have been a slaughter. And no human rights whatsoever.

How I wish you people could take a trip into a reality where the USA didn't get involved in anything outside their own country.

Do you think you would sat safely at home on your fat @rses with computers and internet writing comments like these ?.

I think you will find the US didnt win the Vietnam war so nothing has changed to what we are doing.

You may also find that if the US didnt lie to get involved in Iraq then we wouldnt have ISIS. So in that regard things would be a LOT different.

Sometimes it is not the fact people criticize the US for getting involved, it is more to do with how they go about things and what they do and do not do in the wars.

Also, there are many countries that assist and provide troops in wars where they are not directly affected. But some would think the US is the only country to do so.

[NanLaew]

Agent Orange contained the synthetic chemical Dioxin which was at the time one of the most lethal agents if not the most lethal. AO was but one of several chemicals used to "defoliate" the jungles in and adjacent to Vietnam.

From the standpoint of US veterans, the government beginning with the Carter Administration denied veterans their deserved medical care based on Agent Orange poisoning, to include the Reagan Administration.

Most Democrats and Republicans in Congress never moved any legislation on veterans' AO health care, and it is only recently that the health and medical issue has been recognized or addressed by Washington. World War II vets in Congress were always hostile towards Vietnam Vets due to the vile view of most politicians that Vietnam Vets lost the war.

A handful of members of the House and the Senate fought unsuccessfully for vets' AO health and medical care because they believed in the science of it rather than be blinded by the wrongheaded politics of it.

The funny part is they used AO in Thailand to keep the bases secure from insurgents and yet the vets who contracted many diseases from it cannot claim it because they were not stationed in Viet Nam

I think the US DoD standpoint is that AO was never used in Thailand. Those claiming exposure to AO while defoliating around the perimeter of US manned facilities in Thailand are possibly specious.

But this thread is about the Vietnamese peoples much more substantial claims for compensation for serious health issues due to confirmed and prolonged AO exposure.

[MyFriend You]

Indeed, people comfortably ignored the Cold War presence in SE Asia of Beijing, Moscow, the Kymer Rouge and much else negative that would have left Thailand and all of the present Asean countries wide open to Marxist-Leninist insurrection, rebellion, revolution.

If the US had been able to figure a way to win in Vietnam, Thailand and Asean would be more like South Korea to include increased republicanism than they continue to be. There might actually be a little less corruption too and vastly improved rule of law instead of what there is presently and going forward.

As it is, Thailand is an African country grafted into SE Asia that aspires mightily to succeed the old Burma/Myanmar as a fascist state.

You know your Political History...........Thank You

[CMHomeboy78]

Another point that could be made is that the American military presence in Thailand during the Vietnam War created a communist insurgency in the north and northeast that resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.

Except that it would fly in the face of the common knowledge as to the roots of the brief northeastern Thailand communist insurgency.

Your intelligent posts are usually worth reading; so I was somewhat surprised at your contention that the Communist Insurgency in Thailand during the Vietnam War was "...brief...", and that it was confined to the Northeast.

That mistaken notion should be challenged forthrightly. The facts of the matter are contrary to your belief.

During the late 1970s native Thai Communists effectively controlled areas in the North and Northeast including almost all of the Lao and Cambodian border regions, acting in conjunction with the Pathet Lao and Khmer Rouge.

Personal experience in the North at that time reminds me that the insurgents held towns as close to Chiang Mai as Samoeng. The road from Chiang Rai to Thoen had police and/or army checkpoints every ten klics or so. Beyond Thoen was a no-go area where armed conflict was a regular occurrence.

To what extent the American military presence had provoked and encouraged the resistance movement is debatable; as is the question as to what extent the Americans protected Thailand from a victory by Thai, Lao, and Khmer Communists.

Those questions can be argued - what can't be argued is the well-documented existence of the Communist Insurgency that the Thai Army, BPP, local police and village volunteer forces fought for almost twenty years from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s.

Minimizing or denying that long fight is an insult to those who were killed or wounded to keep Thailand from becoming another despicable "Peoples Republic" ruled by old Marxist knuckleheads.

Inform yourself better about that eventful period in Thai history, and disabuse yourself of the idea that Thailand did little or nothing during the Indochina wars.

[Usernames]

And what did the Vietnamese do in Laos? Hmong genocide. "Re-education camps" and "seminar camps," that were every bit as sadistic and murderous as the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Russian and Chinese backed genocide and murder camps all over the region.

[Scott]

Please stay on topic. This is about Agent Orange.

[silverado]

agent orange/napalm... in the shadow, MONSANTO (and his numerous chemicals products) :
but last week, mister P seemed to be glad of this criminel's investments in thailand

[Soutpeel]

Indeed, people comfortably ignored the Cold War presence in SE Asia of Beijing, Moscow, the Kymer Rouge and much else negative that would have left Thailand and all of the present Asean countries wide open to Marxist-Leninist insurrection, rebellion, revolution.

If the US had been able to figure a way to win in Vietnam, Thailand and Asean would be more like South Korea to include increased republicanism than they continue to be. There might actually be a little less corruption too and vastly improved rule of law instead of what there is presently and going forward.

As it is, Thailand is an African country grafted into SE Asia that aspires mightily to succeed the old Burma/Myanmar as a fascist state.

You know your Political History...........Thank You

No he is not quoting history he is speculating what may have happened thats all, its not history

[Soutpeel]

Should just sue the US goverment for use of chemical weapons and WMD's

Edited August 16, 2015 by Soutpeel

[silverado]

from wikipedia :
"In 2004, Monsanto spokesman Jill Montgomery said Monsanto should not be liable at all for injuries or deaths caused by Agent Orange, saying: "We are sympathetic with people who believe they have been injured and understand their concern to find the cause, but reliable scientific evidence indicates that Agent Orange is not the cause of serious long-term health effects."

reliable scientific evidence indicates that Agent Orange is not the cause of serious long-term health effects.

so case closed !

[silverado]

US is very lucky , that the Vietnamese are a more tolerant people , or there would be 3 million Viet jidadi's looking for revenge...

thailand, Cambodia, laos, korea, brazil, hawai and so many others also where this "killer' has been tested

[RickBradford]

US is very lucky , that the Vietnamese are a more tolerant people , or there would be 3 million Viet jidadi's looking for revenge...

It has nothing to do with tolerance, and if you don't believe me, go cheat a Vietnamese and see what you get.

It is about pragmatism; the Vietnamese people have always looked forward to creating a better future rather than dwelling on past conflicts or injustices.

Given their turbulent blood-soaked history, such a forward-looking mentality is probably the only attitude that makes sense.

[TooPoopedToPop]

US is very lucky , that the Vietnamese are a more tolerant people , or there would be 3 million Viet jidadi's looking for revenge...

It has nothing to do with tolerance, and if you don't believe me, go cheat a Vietnamese and see what you get.

It is about pragmatism; the Vietnamese people have always looked forward to creating a better future rather than dwelling on past conflicts or injustices.

Given their turbulent blood-soaked history, such a forward-looking mentality is probably the only attitude that makes sense.

Good observation... but it applies even more so to the USA.

[BuaBS]

US is very lucky , that the Vietnamese are a more tolerant people , or there would be 3 million Viet jidadi's looking for revenge...

It has nothing to do with tolerance, and if you don't believe me, go cheat a Vietnamese and see what you get.

It is about pragmatism; the Vietnamese people have always looked forward to creating a better future rather than dwelling on past conflicts or injustices.

Given their turbulent blood-soaked history, such a forward-looking mentality is probably the only attitude that makes sense.

What ever happened to revenge ?

I'm sure if I was a victime of AO , I would want revenge , especially because I would have nothing to loose.

So this makes 3 million Vietnamese with a score to settle , and numerous others from other countries.

Maybe it is understandable why after the war ended , not all POW were returned.