Even though 40 years have passed, overcoming the consequences of war is still something that all warring parties must pay attention to and resolve. Vietnam has made efforts to heal the wounds of war,environmental improvement, mine clearance, taking care of implementing social policies... But the problem still lies ahead.Although the Vietnamese Government and peopleHe asked any government to apologize.i for sending military forces to Vietnam and causing serious war consequences for this country, but in the context of globalization and integration, especially when the interdependence between nations is increasing, in the condition that the US - Vietnam relationship has been and is being reconciled, from being sworn enemies to becoming comprehensive partners and continuing to develop towards becoming a comprehensive strategic partner, then with conscience, moral and legal responsibility, with the spirit of humanity, love, and respect for human life, the issue of the consequences of the Vietnam War, an issue left over from the past but not forgotten, can and needs to be addressed more actively from many sides, especially from the US Government.

1. The loss of life due to the opposing goals between Vietnam and the United States during the war

Waging the war of aggression against Vietnam, the longest war in American history, the US administrations through 5 presidents (Aisenhao, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Pho) with the reason of ensuring "national security", aiming to permanently divide Vietnam, turning the South into a separate country in the "free world", opposing the "communist faction", mobilized a large force of US troops and 5 US allies to directly participate in the war.[1], using most war strategies (except total war), most modern weapons (except nuclear weapons) with huge war expenditures[2]. In the history of world wars, Vietnam is the country that was bombed the most. The number of bombs dropped by the US on Vietnam was nearly 3 times the total number of bombs used in World War II, in the so-called "lunarization" policy.[3].

More seriously, the US used chemical weapons to clear forests, mountains and fields in the South through the Ranch Hand campaign.[4], turning many dense tropical mountainous areas with many different layers of vegetation in South Vietnam into bare hills and mountains; turning many mangrove areas into empty wastelands, destroying the bases of the Liberation Army and guerrillas; destroying crops, aiming to cut off the supply sources of the revolutionary forces; at the same time forcing and herding people into concentration camps or areas controlled by the US and the Republic of Vietnam government[5].

For independence and freedom, the entire Vietnamese people bravely rose up to fight, raising their determination to fight and defeat the Americans. In this historic confrontation of epochal and international significance, the Vietnamese people had to endure boundless losses and sacrifices.

There are many documents both domestic and foreign written about the consequences of the war in Vietnam. Due to many different reasons, the specific numbers do not match, but there is an undeniable fact that the consequences were extremely severe for all parties involved in the war.

Depending on the source, between 3 and 5 million Vietnamese died in the war, and millions more were injured and disabled. Those who survived continue to face serious economic, social and environmental problems caused by the war, including the highest rate of birth defects in the world.[6].

The most recent official figures on Vietnamese casualties are nearly 2 million civilians dead; more than 2 million civilians with lifelong disabilities; about 2 million people (including soldiers) exposed to toxic chemicals. The Vietnam People's Army (including the Liberation Army of South Vietnam) had about 1.1 million soldiers who died in various circumstances (directly fighting on the battlefield, having accidents, falling ill on the march), 600,000 soldiers were wounded or sick. Of the dead, 300,000 soldiers have not yet been found.[7]. In total, 30 years of revolutionary war against French and American invaders (1954-1975) and the wars to defend the Fatherland against Khmer Rouge and Chinese invaders inSouthwest borderandborderNorth (1978-1979), along with a number of anti-bandit campaigns andFULRO), Vietnam has over 1,140,000 martyrs[8].

The human losses for the US and its allies were not small. According to the list of the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington DC, USA[9], and the Vietnam Military History Journal, the total number of US military casualties in Vietnam was 365,157 soldiers, of which 58,168 were killed in action.[10]. There are also 1,875 missing (as of 2004). Of the 58,168 Americans killed, 7,878 were officers. Of the officers killed, 426 were commanders and commanding officers (37 were generals). The loss of American lives in Vietnam exceeded the number of deaths in World War I and the Korean War.[11]. Of the 303,704 wounded, 153,329 were seriously injured and required long-term hospitalization. 20,000 Americans were certainly exposed to Agent Orange used by the US in Vietnam. In addition, nearly 350,000 other veterans (15% of the total) were dishonorably discharged, without job security, and without respect and trust after returning home. The armies of US allies also suffered many casualties in Vietnam.[12].

In addition to the loss of life, American soldiers also suffered heavy mental losses. Hundreds of thousands of American soldiers returned home suffering from many diseases.mental disorderdue to psychological trauma from the horrors they encountered in Vietnam (often referred to by Americans as the Vietnam Syndrome); about 200,000 American soldiers became addicted to drugs during their days in Vietnam[13]. These are major psychological and emotional shocks to Americans in general and American veterans in particular. In addition, their psychological injuries are also clearly manifested in a constant state of anxiety and stress. The number of American soldiers suffering from mental illness during and after the war in Vietnam is the highest of all the wars that the US military has participated in history. Decades after the war, those symptoms still exist.

During the war, more than 6 million Americans lived in the occupied areas of South Vietnam, resulting in nearly half a million Amerasian children born, many of whom did not know who their fathers were, and many of whom had to live in orphanages both during and after the war.

Human losses are not the basis for determining which side won or lost in the war, but certainly Vietnam suffered the most pain and loss because of the modern weapons and fierce intensity of the US military's attacks.

2. The painful consequences that last for generations of chemical warfare, especially Agent Orange/dioxin

Agent Orange is still destroying the health and lives of millions of Vietnamese people, creating horror for many generations. Innocent, disabled children, born dead or if alive, have abnormal health, intelligence and appearance. Those innocent creatures become the haunting, painful memories of their relatives, families and the whole society.^[14]. At the Second International Conference onChemical herbicides used by the US during the Vietnam War and their long-term effects on nature and humansheld in Hanoi (1993), many Vietnamese and world scientists affirmed: "American Agent Orange has destroyed nature, destroyed human health, caused many serious diseases, caused many genetic mutations passed down through the mother or father, caused reproductive accidents, birth defects, deformities, and malformations in many children born, caused cancer..."[15].

In Vietnam, there are about 150,000 children born with deformities because their parents were exposed to Agent Orange. About three million Vietnamese were exposed to dioxin during the war and at least one million are seriously affected by Agent Orange. Many of them are veterans. Others are second or third generation. Many of these victims live in areas near former US military bases, especially Bien Hoa (Dong Nai province), the area of ​​Da Nang airport, where large amounts of Agent Orange remain.

According to the Chairman of the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Da Nang, the city has over 5,000 people infected with dioxin, including more than 1,400 children, most of whom are severely disabled and unable to take care of themselves.[16].

According to Professor Nguyen Trong Nhan, Vice President of the Vietnam Red Cross Society (VAVA), “the consequences caused by Agent Orange are much worse than anything people thought when the war ended.”[17]. There are still children born with deformities due to the effects of this toxic substance. Agent Orange victims are living in pain due to illness. Parents still want to have a warm family and enjoy the happiness of having children, disabled children have to fight against birth defects every second, every minute. Despite that, they still love life, still yearn to see the sunlight, still hope for good things and want to do useful things.

The use of toxic chemicals has robbed people of their lives and their right to live normally. It is estimated that about 4.8 million Vietnamese people have been exposed to Agent Orange/dioxin, living in provinces along the coast.Truong Son roadand Vietnam border withCambodiaHundreds of thousands of them have died. Millions of people and their descendants are living in illness and poverty due to the consequences of Agent Orange.[18].

A test result announced on August 25, 2012 showed that 100% of the blood samples of 62 people living in Hai Chau and Thanh Khe districts (near Da Nang airport), randomly selected, not on the list of Agent Orange victims, not showing signs of dioxin contamination like other victims, were all contaminated with dioxin. This result was conducted since 2006, by the Da Nang Dioxin Pollution Assessment and Management Project (DDAMP), funded by the Ford Foundation, conducted by members of the Hatfield Consulting Company, Office 33 of the Government and the Ministry of Health. The result was completely unexpected and allowed people to think of a number of people contaminated with the poison that far exceeded all previous calculations. Many people want to be tested but are afraid because the cost is too high, as well as not knowing where to start.[19].

3. ChangesEcological environment in Vietnam - the terrible destruction of war

Environmental destructioncaused by America is so great that it has given rise to a new English word,ecocide(ecocide). From 1961 to 1971, the US military conducted in Vietnam a chemical warfare on the largest scale in the history of world war. Agent Orange, which the US military used in the Vietnam War to defoliate forest trees to "neutralize the camouflage of the Viet Cong", contained one of the most toxic substances, dioxin (TCCD) with a high concentration of toxicity, from 3 to 4 mg/l. About 80 million liters of herbicides and defoliants were sprayed on 24.67% of the total area of ​​South Vietnam, most of which was Agent Orange.[20], with an estimated half-life of 15 to 20 years or longer. The huge amount of highly concentrated toxic chemicals, sprayed repeatedly, not only killed animals and plants, but also polluted the environment for a long time and disrupted natural ecosystems. The Bertrand Roussel Tribunal as well as the Paris Conference in 1970 for the first time denounced to world public opinion the cruelty of the US chemical warfare in Vietnam; calling it "a war that destroyed the environment, destroyed the ecosystem and humans".[21].

Toxic chemicals were sprayed from the 17th parallel to Ca Mau Cape, concentrated in many different places such as: McNamara electronic fence area (Quang Tri province), A Luoi (Thua Thien - Hue province), Sa Thay (Kon Tum province), Can Gio area (Ho Chi Minh city) and Ca Mau.

The dioxin contaminated environment in Vietnam is very large, in the Da Nang airport area alone there are 73,000 cubic meters of soil and sediment contaminated with dioxin.[22]. An estimated 366 kg of dioxin was sprayed over southern Vietnam, mainly in rural areas. Traces of dioxin are still found in the soil in most heavily contaminated areas - about 25 "hot spots". Dioxin has had a severe impact on the environment and local residents. Studies at several hot spots such as A So airport (Thua Thien - Hue), Da Nang, Bien Hoa indicate that dioxin continues to affect the health of people living in these areas.

The destruction of natural landscapes in war is nothing new, but the scale of natural destruction in the Vietnam War is unprecedented in human history.

The US military destroyed the environment on a large scale and for many years, in a synchronized manner, causing the destruction of many natural ecosystems with large areas in Vietnam. Before the war, the forest area of ​​Southern Vietnam covered 10.3 million hectares. The sprayed areas accounted for 24% of the area of ​​Southern Vietnam, 86% of the toxic chemicals were sprayed on forest land, the remaining 14% were sprayed on agricultural land, mainly rice fields. More than 2 million hectares of forest land were destroyed. According to environmental experts, the impact of toxic chemicals is very diverse, destroying over 150,000 hectares of mangrove forests and about 130,000 hectares of Melaleuca forests in the Mekong Delta and hundreds of thousands of hectares of inland forest land.

Herbicides sprayed at high concentrations not only destroy the nutrients in the soil, making the soil barren, but also in tropical monsoon climates, it is very difficult for forests to recover on their own.

Initial results show that over 3.3 million hectares of natural land were sprayed with toxic chemicals (with a spraying width of about 1,000m), of which inland forests were severely affected at different levels, causing a loss of over 100 million m3.³wood, in which the Southeast region is an area with over 50% of its natural area affected. War Zone D, War Zone C, Boi Loi forest, Cu Chi forest... are areas that have been sprayed with millions of liters of toxic chemicals along with millions of tons of bombs and ammunition, in which many forests have been completely destroyed such as Ma Da area, Dong Nai province, Phu Binh area, Bu Gia Map area, Binh Phuoc province.[23].

About 10 to 15 million bomb craters, accounting for 1% of the forest area of ​​South Vietnam, caused ground instability, making the land susceptible to erosion by rain. This consequence also had a negative impact on 28 river basins in Central Vietnam: There are 16 basins, in which the destroyed forest accounts for 30% of the total natural area; 10 basins lost 30-50% of the forest area, and 2 basins lost more than 50%. Most of these rivers are short and flow along complex terrain and have a direct impact on downstream areas. Decades after the end of the war, floods still regularly ravage the basins of the Huong, Thach Han, Han, Thu Bon, Tra Khuc, Con, Ve, Cau and Ba rivers, leading to great losses of human life and property. These tragic consequences are still lingering with no end in sight.[24].

The war ended, but in the whole of Vietnam, there are about 66,000 km2 of unexploded bombs and mines. It is estimated that there are more than 600,000 tons of bombs and mines lying underground, scattered throughout the country, especially in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai... The number of bombs and mines that have been cleared is only about 20%. On average, about 20,000 hectares of land are cleared each year. At this rate, it will take another 300 years to remove all types of unexploded bombs and mines. Bombs and mines left over from the war continue to cause heavy losses in life, property, and people's lives, taking the lives of 10,529 people, injuring 12,231 people, of which 25% are children aged 14 and under, severely affecting socio-economic development.[25].

4. Efforts of Vietnam and the United States in dealing with the consequences of war

Since the period of resistance against French colonialism, with a humanitarian and peaceful viewpoint, the Vietnamese Government has had policies for war invalids and martyrs, cared for the families of soldiers who died, treated prisoners of war humanely, and showed mercy to French soldiers who died. With a spirit of loving peace among nations and a humanitarian ideology, Ho Chi Minh wrote:

"I bow before the souls of Vietnamese soldiers and compatriots who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland.

I also feel sorry for the French who died.

Alas, before charity, French blood or Vietnamese blood is still blood, French people or Vietnamese people are still people"[26]He reminded Vietnamese soldiers and people to treat prisoners of war kindly and humanely, and to be tolerant and generous with those who had lost their way.

After 30 years of war (1945-1975), Vietnam has made efforts to overcome the consequences of war. The Vietnamese government and people have made great efforts to search for and collect martyrs' remains in cemeteries, care for wounded soldiers and martyrs' families, care for Agent Orange victims, clear and remove bombs and mines, and search for missing Americans...

Many policies to overcome the consequences of war were issued by the Vietnamese Government: Decision No. 16 (February 5, 2004)VAssistance for households with two or more people who cannot take care of themselves due to the consequences of chemical poisoning; Decision No. 120 (July 5, 2004)On some regimes for resistance fighters and their children who suffered consequences from exposure to toxic chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam WarDecree No. 54 (May 25, 2006)VOn guiding the conditions as a basis for considering and resolving the regime for resistance fighters infected with toxic chemicals and their children.…In particular, on June 1, 2012, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 651on the action plan to fundamentally overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals used by the US during the war in Vietnam by 2015 and orientation to 2020The basic goal is to solve the consequences of chemical toxins on the environment and people, including thoroughly handling chemical toxins in heavily polluted areas; 100% of resistance fighters and their descendants infected with chemical toxins enjoy the regime and policies for people with meritorious services; replant 300,000 hectares of forest on bare land and hills caused by chemical toxins...

The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin has received support and assistance from friendship associations with Vietnam in the UK, France, Germany, Russia, the World Peace Council, the Brazilian Peace Committee, the Hoa Tai Association of China, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, the Korean Association of Veterans Disabled by Agent Orange (KAOVA), the American Veterans for Peace (VFP), organizations that mobilize relief and responsibility for Vietnamese Agent Orange victims in the US (VAORRC), the Peace and Friendship Bridge between South Osaka and Asia of Japan (NPO-MOA), Greenpeace of India (GIS), For Dioxin Children of France, the United Nations Development Organization (UNDP) and embassies of several countries in Hanoi...

However, Vietnam faces many difficulties in dealing with the consequences of war in general and Agent Orange victims in particular.

In the development of Vietnam - US relations, some consequences of war have been resolved by the two sides in cooperation.

On the issue of mine clearance, nOn November 10, 2006, at the Headquarters of the Bomb and Mine Disposal Technology Center (BOMICEN), the Engineering Command in Hanoi, representatives of BOMICEN and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) signed phase II of the project "Investigation, monitoring and assessment of the impact of post-war bombs and mines in Vietnam".The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials from the Vietnamese and US governments, the Australian and Belgian embassies, and relevant agencies and organizations. This is part of the efforts between the parties to overcome the consequences of war. This project began in 2001 in 344 out of 549 communes in the three provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Nam and Quang Tri. The completion of phase I of the project (2002) resulted in the removal of bombs and mines on 421 hectares of land, the discovery and safe disposal of 6,205 bombs and mines, and explosives of all kinds. Phase II of the project continued to be implemented in the three provinces and expanded to 133 more communes in Thua Thien - Hue and Nghe An. The funding for this phase II is about 1 million USD, of which VVAF sponsored 850,000 USD. The US Ambassador to Vietnam, Mr. Michael Marine, said: "This is the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new chapter in the cooperation between the two countries" and the project "is an effort to address some of the legacy of the war in the last century". Soldiers from both sides of the conflict have joined hands to pledge to return to the old battlefields where they fought, to coordinate "the relocation and destruction of the remnants of the war, so that the land of Vietnam can be used again, bringing a better life to the Vietnamese people".[27].

On the issue of Agent Orange, when US President Bill Clinton visited Hanoi, Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong asked the US Government to “take responsibility to help clear mines and detoxify former US military bases in Vietnam and help Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange”.

On the morning of December 16, 2006, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the US Embassy and the US Agency for International Development in Vietnam signedMemorandum of Understanding on Health and Environmental Remediation Programs in Addressing Agent Orange in VietnamAccordingly, the US Congress allocated 6 million USD in 2007 and 2009 for this program. According to US Ambassador to Vietnam Michael Michalak, the memorandum marks an important milestone and a new level of commitment in working together to find new and creative solutions to a complex problem.[28].

In February 2007, after conducting a field study at Da Nang airport, the US Ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Marine, confirmed dioxin contamination and the US took more positive steps in dealing with Agent Orange.[29]. The US Ford, Bill & Melinda Gates and Atlantic Philanthropies foundations have funded the project of building temporary anti-diffusion works at Da Nang airport; building a dioxin laboratory; researching biotechnology to clean up dioxin at Da Nang airport; quantifying all pollution, exposure and proposing mitigation measures from 2010 to 2012... From August 9, 2012, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a partner with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to implement the project "Environmental treatment of dioxin contamination at Da Nang airport", lasting until 2016 by excavating about 73,000 cubic meters of soil and sediment and heating them to clean up the toxic substances.[30].

Contributing to solving the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin, the Vietnam - US Dialogue Group has developed a 10-year plan (2010 - 2019), with a budget of 300 million USD, implemented in 3 phases. The main goal is to clean up dioxin-contaminated land, restore the devastated ecosystem and expand services provided to people with disabilities related to Agent Orange/dioxin. Assessing the efforts from the US side in solving the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam, Mr. Le Ke Son, Chairman of the US - Vietnam Joint Advisory Committee on Agent Orange/dioxin said: "From no cooperation to scientific cooperation, then taking dioxin samples to determine the concentration of contamination, developing treatment methods and helping victims. It can be said that these are positive steps in the relationship between the two countries and we also acknowledge that positivity from the US side."[31].

US aid to overcome the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam is increasing: 3 million USD/year (2007, 2009), 15 million USD (2010); 34 million USD to clean up Da Nang airport (2011); 44 million USD (2012, 2013) to continue to handle Agent Orange/dioxin hotspots in Da Nang. Ms. KC Choe, Director of the Environment and Social Development Division of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) affirmed: “The areas contaminated with Agent Orange/dioxin at Da Nang airport will be completely cleaned up by 2016. For the Agent Orange/dioxin hotspot at Bien Hoa airport[32], is conducting environmental impact assessment steps to propose a treatment plan"[33].

To contribute to overcoming the consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin on humans, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) fundsComprehensive and integrated assistance program for people with disabilities exposed to Agent Orange(The program runs from October 2012 to September 2015). The main objectives of the program are to provide social work training for community-based rehabilitation managers and collaborators; develop support plans for people with disabilities; improve the quality and access to specialized services for people with disabilities, including orthopedic surgery, physical therapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy; improve the quality of public health services to prevent and reduce the severity of disabilities, including birth defect surveillance, postnatal screening, cancer detection, and pre-pregnancy counseling services for women to reduce the risk of birth defects.

5. More humanity and responsibility are needed in dealing with the consequences of the Vietnam War.

The war is over, but the consequences of war have not disappeared, becoming social problems that always require urgent and long-term solutions.

There is still a large amount of unexploded bombs and mines scattered throughout Vietnam, always threatening human life, and at the current pace, it will take another 3 centuries to remove them.

There are still areas of land that, after 40 years, still contain dioxin residues beyond the permitted level, causing harm to production and the lives of local communities.

There are still hundreds of thousands of soldiers' remains lying on almost every battlefield, hundreds of thousands of remains whose identities have not been determined.

People who are carrying unidentified and unknown toxic chemicals still need medical care for their health and illnesses every day and every hour. In Vietnam, with a large area of ​​contaminated land and a very high number of people infected, it is extremely difficult to determine exactly who has been affected by dioxin, because it is necessary to conduct tests for each person at a cost of about 1,000 USD/person/time.[34]. On the other hand, due to the complexity of the disease mechanism and the conditions for monitoring and diagnosis, Vietnam has not been able to fully identify the number of victims of toxic chemicals, let alone the conditions for health care. Many people have died from diseases that have not been clearly diagnosed. Many people are only in the incubation period, meaning that there are only metabolic changes and genetic changes that have not yet manifested themselves.

In addition, after the war, people who were on both sides of the front line, including those from the same family and lineage, also had difficulty healing their emotional and psychological wounds. More than 1 million soldiers and millions of civilians of the Republic of Vietnam had different thoughts and continued to influence their descendants. To effectively resolve these issues, specific and long-term social policies were required.

Although the Vietnamese Government has been paying attention to and is addressing the consequences of war, it cannot be completed overnight due to insufficient resources, from policy mechanisms to human resources, from technological equipment to financial resources...

Along with the efforts of the Vietnamese Government and people, support from international and national organizations around the world, especially from the US Government, is extremely necessary. However, such support is still very modest compared to the serious consequences that the US military caused to the Vietnamese people. Moreover, the support has only focused on solving environmental problems, while the detection and care for the health and life of victims of Agent Orange/dioxin are still very limited. Many people have died because they did not have enough time to wait.

The pain of the consequences of war still haunts those who are living until it is completely resolved in reality.

The Vietnamese people's efforts to close the painful past have been shared by many organizations and individuals, including Americans, lecturers, university students and even former US soldiers who fought in Vietnam...

In March 2005, a group of students and faculty from Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) traveled to Vietnam during Spring Break to share their love and care for children who were victims of Agent Orange. Jennie Brunsdon, 21, said: “I am very happy to join this volunteer team. But what is more interesting is that I get to share my time and love with disabled children. Do all the good things you can, with all the means you have, in all the ways you can, everywhere you can go to everyone you can meet… That is my motto.” Regarding her impressions when meeting children who are victims of Agent Orange at Thanh Xuan Peace Village, Van Canh Friendship Village (Hanoi)... Jennie Brundson, said: “I am very happy and joyful when I get to play with disabled children, who are victims of Agent Orange. The joy and confidence of the children in the places I visited helped me to somewhat reduce the sadness about what the US Government has caused.”[35].

According to the website "mySanAntonio.com", the official website of the South Texas region of the state of Texas, Mr. Jan C. Scruggs, founder and President of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), said that many American veterans who fought in Vietnam are conscious of healing the wounds of war. Many American veterans have returned to Vietnam many times. He himself has visited Vietnam 10 times.[36].

Many international journalists have come to Vietnam to report on Agent Orange victims. BBC journalist Tom Fawthrop went to Cu Chi district, witnessed many Agent Orange victims with his own eyes and wrote about them.

Under the headline "Consequences of war still haunt Vietnam", the newspaperYoung Worldof Germany on September 26, 2010 had an article calling for justice for Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange.

The article states that the immediate effects of exposure to this toxin are symptoms of poisoning, which can be fatal. It is also harmful to pregnant women, causing premature birth, miscarriage, birth defects and mental retardation. In addition, the toxin causes heart disease, cancer and neurological diseases.

The article calls on US officials to acknowledge the consequences of this toxic chemical sprayed by the US military on Vietnam during the war on the Vietnamese people and to provide appropriate compensation to the Vietnamese victims.[37].

The US government, scientists and US chemical manufacturing companies all acknowledge that Agent Orange/dioxin causes many harmful effects to human health.[38]On January 6, 1991, US President George H.W. Bush issuedAgent Orange Lawto address the complexities associated with veterans exposed to herbicides — such as Agent Orange — used during the Vietnam era.[39]. This is the first move by the US government to express humanitarian concern for people affected by Agent Orange. However,Agent Orange Act of 1991Support only for American veterans affected by poisoning, not extended to Vietnamese veterans and civilians.

Within the mechanism of comprehensive dialogue and cooperation, Vietnam and the United States can completely resolve the consequences of war in the spirit of closing the painful past and creating a mutually beneficial cooperation model.

The Vietnamese government does not require any government to apologize for sending military forces to participate in the war and causing serious consequences for Vietnam. However, in the context of globalization and integration, when the interdependence between nations is increasing, with the spirit of humanity, with love and respect for human life, with moral and legal responsibility, the issue of the consequences of the Vietnam War needs to be resolved more positively.

REFERENCES

1. American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics, Congressional Research Service, February 26, 2010,Available online.

 2. Le Cao Dai:Agent Orange in the Vietnam War – Situation and Consequences,Hanoi Publishing House, 1999,

3. Vu Le Thao Chi: “The Silent War”,The resistance war against America, to save the country",Ho Chi Minh City National University Publishing House, 2005.

4.History of the resistance war against America to save the country (1954-1975), vol. 8, National Political Publishing House. Hanoi, 2008.

5. Ho Chi Minh:Full set, vol. 4, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2000.

6.Agent Orange pain, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2013.

7. Nick Malloni, "Agent of Destruction,"Far Eastern Economic Review, December 7, 1989.

8. Multiple authors:Agent Orange – Tragedy and Legacy, Ho Chi Minh City Literature Publishing House, 2004.

9. JM Stellman, SD Stellman, Richard Christian, Tracy Weber, Carrie Tomasalle:The extent and patterns of usage of orange and other herbs in Vietnam – Nature,3003, vol. 422.

10. Central Committee of Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin:Outline of propaganda for 50 years of Agent Orange disaster in Vietnam (August 10, 1961 – August 10, 2011), Hanoi, 2011

11. Vietnam News Agency:Special References, January 19, 2010.

12. Peter Korn, "The Persisting Poison,"The Nation, April 8, 1991.

13. Lockard, 239. Craig A. Lockard, "Meeting Yesterday Head-on:The Vietnam War in Vietnamese, American, and World History",

14.Journal of World History, Vol. 5, No. 2, 1994, University of Hawaii Press

15.Vietnam News(VNExpress), August 25, 2012.

16.http://www.medinet.hochiminhcity.gov.vn/ttyh/bshkhkt/Dioxin.htm

17.http://viet.vietnamembassy.us

18.http://www.mon(Vietnam POPs Information Portal, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment)

19.https://chientranhvietnam.wordpress.com/consequences of war