Over 5,000 join mass solidarity walk in Ho Chi Minh City to support AO victims

The program, which demonstrated support for AO victims, was jointly organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin and the municipal Department of Culture and Sports.

The event was attended by Nguyen Van Nen, former Politburo member and former secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Nguyen Manh Cuong, alternate member of the Party Central Committee and deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City administration; and Pham Minh Tuan, deputy chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee in Ho Chi Minh City.

Also in attendance were former Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh and representatives of the consulates of China, Russia, Cuba, and Laos in Ho Chi Minh City.

The program reflected the Party and state's attention to people affected by chemical toxins and their efforts to address the consequences of war, as well as care for, assist, and protect AO victims.

Tran To Nga, an 84-year-old Vietnamese-French woman who has pursued a legal battle for justice for AO/dioxin victims in France, also joined the walk, which turned the pedestrian street into a sea of orange.

Nga praised the program for highlighting the significance of the commemoration and said she was deeply moved by images of Ho Chi Minh City leaders pushing wheelchairs for AO victims.

She underscored that the event was not merely a gathering but the determination of the Vietnamese government and the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin to raise global awareness of the AO disaster while improving the lives of AO victims.

A highlight of the event was the launch of ‘Su menh khong the ne tranh’ (‘A Mission That Cannot Be Avoided’), a book by late Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, who made significant contributions to promoting international cooperation to address the consequences of war, including the issue of AO/dioxin, in pursuit of peace and reconciliation.

The book portrays the wounds left by history while highlighting resilience, the pursuit of justice and efforts to heal relations between Vietnam and the United States.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dang Thi Minh Ngoc, the wife of late Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vinh, said the family helped complete the book in accordance with her husband's wishes and based on information he had collected.

The book was released nationwide on Sunday, with part of its profits to be donated to support AO victims, she said.

She also presented a cash gift of VND100 million (US$3,800) to the event to support AO victims.

On the occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin presented 10 savings books, each worth VND10 million ($380), to 10 disadvantaged families with AO victims.

The association also gave 20 gift packages, each worth VND1 million ($38), to another 20 disadvantaged families with AO victims.

At the event, Huang Wan Rong, deputy consul general of China in Ho Chi Minh City, presented a cash gift of VND120 million ($4,560) to Major General Nguyen Hong Son, vice-president of the Vietnam Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin and president of the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin.

Ho Chi Minh City is home to around 25,000 AO/dioxin victims across multiple generations, according to Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper.

Major General Son said the Ho Chi Minh City Association for Victims of AO/Dioxin will continue to raise awareness among local communities and international audiences about the consequences of war and AO in Vietnam.

The association will also continue to innovate its operations and pursue creative approaches to its work, he said.