Culture - Sports

Belgian writer-director seeks justice for Vietnamese AO victims

A book and documentary portraying the ill effects of the Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin suffered by millions of Vietnamese over multiple generations were presented to the public in Wallonia – Brussels Centre, Paris on April 13.
A book and documentary portraying the ill effects of the Agent Orange(AO)/dioxin suffered by millions of Vietnamese over multiple generationswere presented to the public in Wallonia – Brussels Centre, Paris onApril 13.

“Lien in Me Linh or War and its crimes”by Belgian writer-director Jean Marc Turine recounted 1961 to 1972 whenthe US army dumped over 80 million litres of defoliant, mostly thehighly toxic Agent Orange/dioxin, over a quarter of the area in southernVietnam, marking the largest-ever chemical warfare in history that hassince devastated generations of Vietnamese, the environment andecological system alike.

The main character isLien, 18, an AO victim living in the outlying district of Me Linh. Herfather was exposed to AO/dioxin while fighting in the central – CentralHighlands battlefields, then transmitted the toxin to her.

Confined to a wheelchair at home, Lien faces physical and spiritualagony from fits of convulsions. Her dream of going to school will nevercome true.

Jean-Marc Turine said through the film,he wants to criticise the irresponsibility of the US government andchemical producers Monsanto and Dow Chemical which denied compensationfor Vietnamese sufferers.

Through the voices ofvictims and witnesses, he aims to awaken European citizens to thepainful after-effects of AO and spread a message of compassion andsupport for victims with practical actions.

Thefilm was screened ahead of the April 16 court date in the French city ofEvry, a case lodged by Vietnamese-French Tran To Nga to seek justicefor Vietnamese AO victims.-VNA
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