Ниже привожу текст послания авторов петиции в адрес президента США. Английский не вьетнамский, думаю, что перевод не потребуется
1st October 2004
George W. Bush, President
United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington. DC 20500
U.S.A.
Mr. President,
As Chief Executive of the United States, you occupy a position of great
power and, consequently, of responsibility - not only for the people of
your own country, but for others all over the world. This is especially
true with regard to the people of Vietnam.
I refer, Mr. President, to your country's war in Vietnam, and a terrible
legacy that it left behind. Among the weapons used by the United States
were toxic chemicals whose effects on the people and environment of Vietnam
gave rise to the term, "ecocide". Many of your own country's military
personnel were affected, as well, and are therefore entitled to benefits
via the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The chemical most widely used in the war against Vietnam was Agent Orange,
a herbicide that contains dioxin, one of the most toxic substances known to
man. Agent Orange comprised the greater portion of the 82 million litres of
toxic chemicals which, according to U.S. researchers, were sprayed on
southern Vietnam during the period from 1961 to 1972.
In 1984, U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War filed a class action suit in New
York against the companies that had manufactured the herbicides. The
veterans claimed that exposure to those chemicals had led to a variety of
serious illnesses, and presented scientific evidence to support their
claim. The chemical companies named as defendants evidently regarded the
veterans' case as strong, for they agreed to a settlement of 180 million
dollars in compensation. Recently, a new suit has been filed by veterans
seeking additional redress.
In July of 1996 your predecessor, President William J. Clinton, announced
that additional illnesses had been determined by the National Academy of
Sciences to be linked to the use of Agent Orange, and that compensation
would henceforth be paid to affected veterans and their children. The list
now includes twelve categories of disease, including at least one that
involves a genetic defect which is transferred from veterans to their
children.
It is also worthy of note that there is a strong presumption of links to
Agent Orange. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs guidelines:
"Veterans who served in Vietnam during 1967-1973 (including those who
visited Vietnam only briefly), and have a disease that VA recognizes as
being associated with Agent Orange, are presumed to have been exposed to
Agent Orange" (emphasis added).
Mr. President, in January of this year another class action suit was filed
in a New York court against the manufacturers of the Agent Orange used in
the Vietnam War. The plaintiffs in that case are Vietnamese victims of
Agent Orange who suffer from serious illnesses that are identical or very
similar to those for which U.S. veterans are being compensated.
Three generations of Vietnamese have already been affected, and the effects
will continue long into the future. To a large extent, this is due to the
fact that, unlike U.S. veterans of the war, the people of Vietnam continue
to dwell in a country heavily contaminated by the toxic residues of a
massive ecocide.
An estimated three million Vietnamese have been affected; yet, to date, not
a single one of them has received a single cent in compensation.
Therefore, Mr. President, I am writing on behalf of all those who are
suffering: The time is long overdue for all victims of Agent Orange to be
granted justice, including the millions in Vietnam.
As of this date, 610,000 have endorsed a petition calling upon the
Government of the United States and the chemical companies named in the
above-mentioned class action suit to accept responsibility for the vast
suffering inflicted on the Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. The
signatories may be viewed at the following web address:
http://www.petitiononline.com/AOVN/It is, of course, too late to compensate those who have already died. But
for present and future victims, there is much that can and must be done.
Mr. President, you have the power and thereby the responsibility to ensure
compensation for the millions who continue to suffer from the terrible
legacy of your country's chemical warfare in Vietnam.
On behalf of all those who have endorsed the petition, I implore you to
accept the United States' responsibility for Vietnamese victims of Agent
Orange, in a spirit of decency and justice that is worthy of your office.
Yours sincerely,
Len Aldis, Secretary
Britain-Vietnam Friendship Society
Flat 2, 26 Tomlins Grove
London E3 4NX
England
