US spraying AO on VN defines “day of infamy”

Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, has described the day the US began spraying Agent Orange/dioxin on Vietnam as “A day of infamy”.
Len Aldis, Secretary of the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society, hasdescribed the day the US began spraying Agent Orange/dioxin onVietnam as “A day of infamy”.

In his recent open letter to allemployees of Monsato, one of companies to produce herbicide Agent Orange(AO), Len said August 10 , 1961, when the first use of the noxiouschemicals began, is a day of infamy.

“So too friends, willAugust 10, 1961 [be remembered], for on that day began the spraying of80 million litres of Agent Orange – manufactured by your company alongwith others. The spraying was to continue for ten years,” he wrote,calling on the employees to consider the loss of life over the decadeand the millions born years after the war ended in 1975, many crippledin mind and body due to Agent Orange.

“Today in Vietnam thereare over three million victims suffering from the effects of AgentOrange, and the company you work for, Monsanto, is one of thoseresponsible,” he continued.

Shamefully, Monsanto’s publicrelations office to this very day continues to deny any responsibilityfor the illnesses and deformities that Agent Orange has caused to thepeople of Vietnam , he said.

In the letter, he wrote,“Friends, next year, 2011, will see the 50th anniversary of the sprayingof Agent Orange on Vietnam . Remember the date August 10. It will bea day when millions in Vietnam and its friends in many countriesaround the world will commemorate as a day of infamy.”

Len Aldis, 80, is a close friend of the Vietnamese people and a special friend for AO/dioxin victims.

Hevisited Vietnam in 1989 for the first time and then returned to theSoutheast Asian nation every year to meet and help AO/dioxin victims.

He donated 50,000 GBP (about 75,000 USD) via Vietnam Red Cross and raised funds for humanitarian activities.

Lastyear, he launched a website to collect signatures of those who supportjustice for Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims in order to send to USPresident Barack Obama and parliamentarians. The petition has to datecollected more than 3,380 signatures.

He is usually invited totalk to students about the issue at universities in the UK . He alsoraised the issues at meetings with the public in Sweden , Denmark ,Germany and France./.

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