Vietnam, Cambodia cooperate in dealing with AO issues

(VOV) - A delegation from the Vietnam Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims (VAVA) is on a working visit to Cambodia from May 23-25.

The visit aims to strengthen the two countries’ relationship and cooperation in overcoming the bad consequences caused by Agent Orange/Dioxin toxic chemical sprayed by US troops during the past war in Vietnam.
At a working session with the Cambodian Women’s Association for Peace and Development (CWAPD) in Phnom Penh on May 23, the Vietnamese guests presented reports on issues related to Agent Orange victims in Vietnam who have badly suffered from a huge amount of herbicide that US troops spayed in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the past war.
In Vietnam’s southern region alone, nearly 5 million Vietnamese people have been affected by about 80 million liters of herbicide, most of which are Agent Orange (AO) chemical.
Border areas in Cambodia and Laos which share the common borderlines with Vietnam are also affected by the toxic chemical, resulting in environmental pollution and many serious diseases for generations, such as cancer and deformity.
The Vietnamese delegates called for closer cooperation among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to protect the legitimate rights of AO victims.
Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Men Sam An, who is also CWAPD Chairwoman, expressed her sympathy for Vietnamese AO victims. She pledged to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in pursuing justice for AO victims in Indochina.