Joining hands to ease the pain of Agent Orange

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Over recent years, the Party, the State and Vietnamese people have always paid special attention to the victims of Agent Orange (AO)/Dioxin. Since 2005, the Government has issued and perfected many regimes and policies to improve the lives of victims. Every year, the State spends a large amount of money to care for the health of victims. Separate subsidies for the AO victims every year amount to thousands of billion VND.

At present, there are more than 200,000 people infected with Agent Orange, those participating in the resistance war and their offspring, who are enjoying the policy for people who rendered meritorious services to the revolution; more than 50% of households with disabled people and AO victims have been provided with free medical check-ups and treatment or free health insurance.

Under the Party's guidelines as well as the State's policies, especially after the Directive No. 43-CT / TW dated May 14, 2015, of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on strengthening the leadership of The Party in resolving the tragic impacts the toxic chemical and the Government's National Action Programme on overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam war, all levels of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) have made efforts to overcome difficulties and have actively coordinated with relevant agencies to advise and propose to the Party and State regarding policies and regimes for the AO victims. The VAVA also promoted propaganda work in many forms. Meanwhile, the emulation movement "For the Vietnamese AO victims" has been widely deployed, attracting many people’s participation and support. The Association’s levels have actively propagated and mobilised social resources to care for and help the AO victims associating with the movement "For Vietnamese AO victims" with movements, anniversaries, holidays and Tet Festivals. From 2013 to 2018, the Association mobilised organisations and individuals, inside and outside the country, to raise a fund of more than VND 1,139 billion. The fund aims to build nurturing, rehabilitation and vocational training centres, as well as to visit and give gifts, helping to improve the lives and health of many victims.

However, the performance quality of some associations is not high; advisory work, coordinating between levels, the government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee and related agencies has not been conducted regularly. The mobilisation of resources to support AO victims in some places are still passive, with a lack of perseverance; the form is not diverse; the results of resource mobilisation are limited. Although the war has been receding for more than forty years, Vietnam still has to witness millions of fellow citizens and comrades who have been suffering from severe and persistent consequences of Agent Orange / dioxin. Tens of thousands of victims died; many people are daily, every hour, living in disease. In addition, due to the procedures and documents not really being perfect, there are still cases who have not yet received the State's regimes and policies. As a result, joining hands to ease the pain of Agent Orange is the conscience and responsibility of both the political system and the social community.

In order to contribute to supporting AO victims, in the coming time, the Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front branches at all levels, and localities continue to thoroughly grasp and organise the implementation of the Secretariat’s Instruction No. 43 and the Government's National Action Programme on overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam war, while paying more attention to implementing policies for AO victims. It is necessary to pay attention to leading, directing, coordinating and creating favorable conditions for all levels of the VAVA to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Party and the State. In order to effectively implement the movement "Action for Vietnamese AO victims" launched by the VFF Central Committee, the VAVA should identify key contents and practical solutions. It is necessary to promote propaganda works and mobilise people in the country, overseas Vietnamese in foreign countries, and international friends to better understand the AO disaster in Vietnam and about the work of overcoming consequences of chemicals sprayed in Vietnam. It is necessary to build and consolidate the organisation of the VAVA and to renew the content and the operation methods to connect with AO victims. It is necessary to implement well the role of counseling, criticism and social assessment of policies and regimes for the AO victims. It is necessary to further improve the effectiveness of mobilising social resources, taking care of and helping AO victims, providing timely gratitude and encouragement, and spreading the “golden hearts for the AO victims”. In addition, it is necessary to persevere the campaign and struggle for justice for the AO victims through forms and measures in line with the foreign policy and guidelines of Vietnam’s Party and State.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2019, all levels of the VAVA need to advise the local Party committees, authorities, unions and Fatherland Front to take care of, visit and give gifts to the AO victims, helping them and their families to have a happier and warmer Tet.