General Thanh, who is also a Party Politburo member, emphasized this at a meeting with the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA) on July 30. He said this tragic aftermath of the American war remains a big problem and resolving it will take a long time.

VAVA President Nguyen Van Rinh said that, since it was established seven years ago, the Association has mobilised social resources to provide the victims with both physical and mental support. The VAVA has developed and now has  58 provincial and municipal branches nationwide.

Despite economic difficulties, the Party and State have issued numerous policies to support AO victims, while businesses and donors have also joined hands to care for the victims.

However, Mr. Rinh said, only 200,000 out of more than 3 million victims have benefited from the Party and State’s policies. Third-generation victims and those living or working in seriously infected areas are still facing difficulties.

VAVA proposed that the Party, State, and Ministry of National Defence complete the policies for AO victims. It urged the Ministry and its agencies to work closely with the association to create the best policies for people and soldiers affected by AO, as well as those working in seriously contaminated areas.

It also asked the Ministry to cooperate with the VAVA to take care of the victims by building houses of gratitude, granting scholarships, providing vocational training to victims’ children and detoxifying infected people.

General Thanh said the Ministry will take the initiative to propose amendments to current policies related to AO victims to relieve their pain.

He said the Ministry’s agencies have jointly organised activities to help social-policy beneficiary families, including those of AO victims, and to detoxify contaminated areas.