For those who cannot speak up

Ms. Nga has devoted all her energy in her old age to pursuing lawsuits for those who cannot speak up.

When I was born, the first thing my father did when he welcomed me was to touch the red baby from head to toe to make sure I had no disabilities. Both my father and mother had worked and fought in the Agent Orange "pan" of Quang Tri during the fierce years of the war against America. My father's worries were the same as those of thousands of other fathers and mothers who were unfortunately victims of Agent Orange.

Bearing in mind my father's worries, since I was pregnant with my children, I had to have my fetuses examined and scanned carefully. When they were born, I tried to sit up to touch and feel each child to feel at ease.

Is the concern about the genetic effects of Agent Orange unnecessary? During my working days, I have encountered countless families whose hardships caused by the effects of Agent Orange are indescribable. There are grandparents who are Agent Orange victims and are taking care of 3-4 grandchildren who are all 13-15 years old but are living a "vegetative" life, without consciousness or voice. There are mothers who have to lock their children naked in an empty room with a cold cement floor so that they can survive...

In Hai Duong, the provincial Association of Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims currently has 11,000 members; 531 are third-generation victims and 7 are fourth-generation victims of Agent Orange. This number could be even higher because some families do not want to provide information about the status of their children and grandchildren. And deep down, many families are still hoping for some kind of support and compensation to ease their difficulties and serve as a support for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

At 82 years old, what made Mrs. Tran To Nga, a former reporter for the Liberation News Agency, now the Vietnam News Agency, pursue a lawsuit against 14 multinational chemical corporations that supplied the US military with dioxin for use in the war in Vietnam? "I am not only fighting for myself, but also for my children and millions of other victims," ​​said Mrs. Nga, who devoted all her energy and old age - which should have been spent enjoying a comfortable life - to sue those who caused her to be attacked by Agent Orange, which attacked her immune system, causing her to have type 2 diabetes and a rare insulin allergy, a consequence of the poisoning. She also suffered from tuberculosis twice and cancer. All three of her daughters were poisoned, of which the eldest daughter died when she was only 17 months old, and her two children and grandchildren also suffered from many diseases due to the effects of dioxin.

She settled and became a French citizen. Therefore, Ms. Nga's lawsuit against the American chemical companies took place in the Court of Evry, France, because she is currently a French citizen.

This trial was supposed to take place in October 2020 but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms. Nga filed a lawsuit in 2014, demanding that the companies be held responsible for causing health damage to her and her children, as well as countless other victims, and for destroying the environment.

Despite her advanced age, Ms. Nga steadfastly went through the hearing at the Paris Court of Appeal on the morning of May 7, 2024, which lasted nearly 4 hours, with concrete evidence that her body was ravaged by Agent Orange. At this appeal hearing, many politicians, deputies from Paris and neighboring cities, representatives of left-wing parties, and environmental activists attended and expressed their support for Ms. Nga. Ms. Nga's supporters came in large numbers, mostly foreigners, and waited until the end, showing that Ms. Nga was not alone.

This is an individual lawsuit, but that small, resilient woman, despite her advanced age and weak health, still stands on the side of many people who cannot speak up, thousands of families waiting for a just verdict.

I and many others, though fortunately not affected by the after-effects of Agent Orange, are still waiting and ready to speak up for a fair verdict for Ms. Nga and the Agent Orange victims who are struggling with illness and disease.