French court to hold hearing on AO lawsuit

Ms. Tran Thi To Nga at the press conference on April 25. (Photo: VNA)

Paris - The Court of Appeal of Paris will open a hearing in early May regarding a lawsuit filed by Vietnamese-French Tran Thi To Nga against US chemical corporations that supplied Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin for the US army during the war in Vietnam.

Nga said at a hybrid press conference on April 25 that Vietnam had more than 3 million AO/dioxin victims at the time she filed the lawsuit in May 2009; however, the impact of the toxic chemical has lingered for generations, even to the fourth generation, increasing the number to over 4 million.

“I’m fighting for not only myself, but also millions of victims in Vietnam and many other countries”, Nga stated.

She said she always has the backbone to follow the lawsuit as this is a just and noble fight.

William Bourdon, one of the two lawyers who have given voluntary support to Nga and millions of Vietnamese victims since the start of the lawsuit, said that they will have to provide strong evidence convincing the Court of Appeal to reject the Crown Court of Evry city’s irrational decision in favour of the multinationals that produced toxic herbicide causing unprecedented humanitarian, health and environmental disaster.

There are many legal arguments showing that the firms were not forced by the US Government but voluntarily joined the bidding and produced the poison, he said, expressing his optimism about the court’s result.

William Bourdon (R) and Bertrand Repolt have supported Nga in her fight. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, lawyer Bertrand Repolt said that Nga has garnered enthusiastic support from AO/dioxin victims as well as many associations and organisations, which give the lawyers strength to follow this legal fight.

At the press conference, many organisations voiced their solidarity with Nga. Collectif Vietnam Dioxine said it will organise a meeting to support Nga and AO/dioxin victims at the République Square in Paris on May 5. Meanwhile a charity party will be held on April 26 night to raise funds for Nga’s lawsuit.

Tran To Nga, born in 1942, graduated from a Hanoi university in 1966 and became a war correspondent of the Liberation News Agency, now the Vietnam News Agency. She worked in some of the most heavily AO/Dioxin affected areas in southern Vietnam such as Cu Chi, Ben Cat and along the Ho Chi Minh Trail, ultimately experiencing contamination effects herself. She suffered from five out of the 17 diseases, disorders, deformities, and malformations associated with dioxin exposure recognised by the US.

Among her three children, the first child died of heart defects and the second suffers from a blood disease.

In 2009, Nga appeared as a witness at the Court of Public Opinion in Paris, France against the US chemical companies.

On April 16, 2015, the Crown Court of Evry city in the suburb of Paris held the first hearing on the case, but since then, lawyers of the sued chemical companies tried every way to prolong the procedures.

On May 10, 2021, the Evry Crown Court rejected her lawsuit, saying it did not have jurisdiction to hear the case, a ruling that disappointed the Vietnamese and international public.

However, Nga and her lawyers decided to file an appeal, and the struggle for justice for AO/dioxin victims is still underway.

From 1961-1971, US troops sprayed more than 80 million litres of herbicides 44 million litres of which were AO, containing nearly 370 kilograms of dioxin over southern Vietnam.

As a result, around 4.8 million Vietnamese were exposed to the toxic chemical. Many of the victims have died, while millions of their descendants are living with deformities and diseases as a direct result of the chemical’s effects.

Belgian golf tournament raises funds for Vietnamese AO/Dioxin victims A friendly golf tournament entitled “Vietnam Ambassador’s Cup 2020” was co-hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium and Luxembourg, the Delegation of Vietnam to the EU, and One to One Consult SA NV in Belgium on September 14.

US announces 32 million USD contract for dioxin remediation The US Mission to Vietnam, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), on July 27 announced a 32 million USD contract to the US firm Tetra Tech to continue the cleanup of dioxin-contaminated soil in and around the Bien Hoa air base in the southern province of Dong Nai, according to a media release by the US Embassy in Vietnam.

Tien Giang supports AO/dioxin victims stablise lives The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is home to more than 11,800 Agent Orange/dioxin victims, most of them live in poverty, according to the provincial association of AO/dioxin victims.

USAID-funded project improves livelihood for AO victims A workshop on creating job opportunities and improving livelihoods for people with disabilities and victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin is held by the US Agency For International Development (USAID) and the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) in the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu on August 14-16.

Belgium to have projects to support Vietnam in Agent Orange/Dioxin contamination clean-up Belgium will soon have projects to support Vietnam in Agent Orange/Dioxin contamination clean-up, President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie D'Hose said when receiving Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Brussel, adding that Belgium will back the European Parliament (EP) on passing a resolution and taking actions to support Vietnam in this regard.