Viet Nam Human Rights
On October 24 and 25, representatives of the association and donors presented cows to disadvantaged people, including UXO victims, in Minh Tan commune (Vi Xuyen district), Lung Tao commune (Dong Van district) and Xin Cai commune (Meo Vac district).
Hau Tho Chung, aged 36 from Vi Xuyen district, was among the benificiaries. He had lost his leg because of a landmine explosion when he was cultivating on his land. The gift from the VBMASA would help his family to develop their livelihood and stabilize their lives, he said.
Likewise, Duong Thanh Ba, a 60-year-old man from Minh Tan commune, felt very happy because he has received a pregnant cow.
According to Lieutenant General Pham Ngoc Khoa, former Head of the Department of Combat Operations of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Vice-Chairman of the VBMASA, the program’s organizing panel presented 33 cows to UXO victims and provided them with farming techniques training.
In addition to the support for locals’ livelihood, the association collaborated with functional agencies to provide information dissemination for students in Xin Cai Secondary School in Meo Vac district and raise their awareness on preventing bomb and mine accidents.
During the previous program in February 2015, the association also gave training and information related to preventing bomb and mine accidents and fitted 35 sets of prosthetic legs and arms and handed over gifts to 57 UXO victims in Vi Xuyen commune. In 2016 Lunar New Year, the organization presented over 100 Tet gifts to disadvantaged UXO victims in the province.
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Since the end of the war, in 1975, more than forty thousand Vietnamese have been killed by U.X.O.
While most of the victims used to be farmers working their fields, these days, with more of the countryside cleared, those most at risk are scrap-metal scavengers, who cut up rusted bombs and shells in the hope of earning a few dollars.
Communication campaigns are to be boosted to raise awareness of UXO danger, thus helping people avoid UXO-related accidents.
Relevant bodies and localities, particularly at communal level to increase inspection and deal with related violations.
Around 30 percent of explosions are triggered through reckless acts by people collecting, storing, trading, sawing or dismantling UXO.
The remaining explosions are unexpectedly caused by those, including children, who live in areas contaminated with unexploded ordnance.
Since the war was over in 1975, the Party and State have considered the settlement of post-war UXO consequences as an urgent, regular and long-term task. They have also paid attention to assistance to UXO victims to help them integrate into the community.
Policies for the disabled should continue to be carried out in an effective manner while it is necessary to expand support services and social work centres, including setting up hotlines through which UXO victims can ask for help when they need.
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