uses a similar strategy as mine detection. Detectors make a decision about whether they can diffuse the ordinance or they call in a team with special training capable of safely removing UXO.
Le Cao Dai
During the second independence war, from 1961 to 1971, Agent Orange was sprayed over Vietnam by the millions of liters. Spraying was primarily confined to South Vietnam, but Laos and Cambodia were also exposed. People living in South Vietnam during the war, as well North Vietnamese who were fighting in the south were effected by dioxin in Agent Orange. Blood samples show evidence of the effect in dioxin levels that are as much as four times higher in northern soldiers who fought in the south than in the general population in Hanoi. Exposure is evident throughout the South Vietnamese population as well. Birth defect rates are significantly higher in the exposed population, and the defects are seen being passed on through several generations. Grandchildren of the exposed population are starting to be born and defects continue to be significantly higher in children born as late as 1997 and later.
Malformations as a result of dioxins take a range of appearances, from critical malformations such as cleft palates, cleft lips or club feet to severe malformations such as mental retardation. Dr. Dai showed several videos on the effects of Agent Orange, one of which discussed the American soldiers who left the war unharmed and are beginning to experience effects of the dioxins they were exposed to. Americans who spent a year or two spraying dioxins have slightly higher levels of dioxins, but Vietnamese have had substantially longer exposure to Agent Orange. About 100,000 children have disabilities linked to exposure, and the Vietnamese government set up a fund to research the effects of Agent Orange and aid families suffering from exposure. The fund provides treatment and education to children experiencing the effects of the dioxins.
Observations
As a closing thought, the common thread in all presentations is that nearly 25 years after the war, the victims are still there and there are continually new victims. Marc Bonnet, working in Cambodia, added that victims of all these effects are victims for life and cooperation between agencies and the government is vital to see issues a global way and to identify and effectively address all issues. In Cambodia, the Visibility Action Council takes a global view of issues faced by all victims.
Questions
One participant observed, as an addendum to Dr. Dai’s presentation, that from early 1960 through 1973, Laos also experienced heavy defoliation but there are no records. Laos and Cambodia both need dioxin research desperately. A number of other questions emerged from the presentation on Agent Orange, as to whether lingering dioxins are sufficient to affect new people (they are not) and how Vietnam has benefited from research in the US on Agent Orange. Dr. Dai observed that scientific exchange has been limited primarily by lack of support from the US. Another participant observed that Dow Chemical settled years ago in the US and vets who worked with dioxins received compensation from Dow, and wondered if Vietnam had addressed such a possibility. The Red Cross, however, as Dr. Dai observed, is a humanitarian organization that has not been involved in such negotiation.
As a final point, one participant stressed the importance of finding balance between meeting humanitarian needs and finding justice and preventing recurrence of the problem.