Vietnam war draft deferments

Both countries share common strategic vision of regional and global landscape, and address differences in a responsible manner, he told media workers.

Both countries have maintained high-level contacts under the Biden administration. President Joe Biden sent a letter to top Vietnamese leaders, while Secretary Antony Blinken and the President’s Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry had telephone talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.

The two countries have also worked closely with each other when Vietnam assumed its roles as the Presidency of ASEAN in 2020 and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

Kritenbrink anticipated the coming years will see the US-Vietnam partnership develop vigorously, especially after President Biden stressed the need to further develop relations with its allies and partners.

“I am very optimistic about the future of the two countries’ relations,” said the diplomat.

Kritenbrink said the comprehensive partnership between the two countries has developed well in recent times, citing the fact that bilateral trade has grown exponentially, reaching US$46.5 billion last year.

Vietnam was the fastest growing export market for the United States before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, noted the US diplomat.

He also reviewed US-Vietnam cooperation in education, health care and security, saying an American aircraft carrier had docked in Vietnam during his tenure and this was the first time such a US navy ship had visited the Southeast Asian nation since the Vietnam War.

With regard to post-war humanitarian and reconciliation efforts, Ambassador Kritenbrink said that the US has committed to dealing with war aftermath responsibly. It has completed dioxin detoxification at Da Nang airport, while a similar project is underway at Bien Hoa airport. It is also carrying out a project to deal with unexploded ordnance in central Vietnam.

In addition, the two sides have collaborated closely in the search for the remains of soldiers missing in action during the past war.

Ambassador Kritenbrink thanked the government and people of Vietnam for their support during his working term, and wished Vietnam greater achievements in national development.

VOV

“Vietnam has been a tremendous partner for the U.S. when it comes to addressing legacies of war, not just, obviously, the unexploded ordnance issue, but also the issues of those who’ve been missing in action as well as dioxin and Agent Orange,” Jerry Guilbert, chief of Programs for Weapons Removal and Abatement under the U.S. Department of State, told a press conference Tuesday.

Guilbert said one of the greatest accomplishments in Vietnam-U.S. cooperation in dealing with war legacies is the fact that there have been no deaths from unexploded ordnance in Quang Tri Province for the past few years.

He also praised the efforts of provincial authorities in pioneering many new and innovative technologies and techniques for addressing UXOs.

“We’re actually on track to making Quang Tri free from the impact of UXOs by the end of 2025,” Guilbert stressed, adding the central province was the most heavily contaminated by UXO in all of Vietnam.

Between 2014 and 2019, the province had attracted $100 million in foreign non-governmental aid, receiving an average 38 new projects a year. It has cooperated with 67 foreign NGOs and international organizations from countries like Ireland, South Korea, the U.K. and U.S.

Quang Tri was the stage of the Tet Offensive in 1968 and Easter Offensive in 1972.

A total 391,000 hectares of provincial land, accounting for 83.3 percent of its total area, remains infested with mines and other explosives from the war, according to official statistics.

According to Quang Tri’s Legacy of War Coordination Center, 8,540 people in the province have fallen victims to UXOs since 1975, with 3,431 fatalities. Many were collecting scrap when detonating an explosive.

A 227kg bomb was found and safely handled by a mobile bomb and mine clearance team from PeaceTree in Hướng Hóa District, Quảng Trị Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Hồ Cầu

QUẢNG TRỊ — After finding unexploded bombs when he was digging the foundations of his new house last month, Tạ Thành Đạt knew what he had to do.

The man in Đông Hà City, the central province of Quảng Trị, called the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team and asked for help.

The team comes from RENEW – a co-operative programme between Quảng Trị and foreign NGOs to restore the environment and address the consequences of war, especially unexploded ordnance (UXO). The main foreign partner in the programme is Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA).

As soon as they received the call, EOD arrived at Đạt’s house, searched and finally found 22 unexploded bombs and more than 350 small bullets.

The unexploded ordnance and bullets were moved away from the construction site and deactivated safely.

Đạt said the team’s professional and quick response helped him feel safe and confident that his new house would be built on schedule.

Earlier, in January this year, teams from the NPA/RENEW project searched for UXO across 865,000 sq.m in Hoàng Hà Hamlet, Gio Việt Commune, Gio Linh District of the same province.

The teams found and deactivated 111 cluster bombs and other unexploded ordnance.

Lê Viết Mậu, a resident, said almost all of the more than 100 households’ land and almost all their farmland was contaminated with UXO, which put people in danger.

“We are so happy to see unexploded ordnance removed,” he said.

The central province of Quảng Trị was most heavily contaminated by unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Việt Nam following the three decades of bombardment in the resistance war against the US.

Eighty-two per cent of Quảng Trị’s total area is contaminated by UXO from the war with the US. Wartime bombs and landmines have killed more than 3,430 local people and injured 5,100 others.

In the last 26 years, the province has received nearly US$144 million from international organisations to remove the bombs. Thanks to this funding, UXO has been cleared on a total land area of more than 214 million sq.m. Part of the funding was spent on detecting cluster bombs on 449 million sq.m and identifying more than 446 million sq.m of land contaminated by UXO. More than 86 million sq.m of contaminated land was tackled. More than 740,700 UXO were found and deactivated.

Dozens of thousands of people in affected areas received support to improve their livelihoods and better understand UXO.

Vice-chairman of the province People’s Committee Hoàng Nam said the province and its partners have been making great efforts in bomb clearance.

2018 was the first year the province reported no accidents relating to UXO, he said.

The province has worked since 1995 with international organisations such as the US-based Peace Trees Vietnam, the Mines Advisory Group, Clear Path International, and Norwegian People’s Aid on clearing UXO and supporting UXO victims.

Peace Trees Vietnam was the first non-governmental organisation granted permission to operate in Việt Nam to implement bomb clearance.

Nam said that US non-governmental organisations helped the province clear UXO in about 187 million sq.m as well as to deactivate hundreds of UXO.

They also helped develop and train human resources to use modern technology for bomb clearance.

Nearly 900 local people living in UXO-affected areas received support to get stable jobs and incomes, he said.

The NPA/RENEW project since 2001 has also brought safer living conditions for local people.

The province is working to clear about 3,000ha of land each year to become the first Vietnamese locality safe from UXO accidents by 2025, Nam said.

Early this year, the provincial People’s Committee approved a plan to implement an action programme for settling the consequences of UXO in 2021-25 period.

Besides land clearance, it aims to mobilise US$10-12 million annually from foreign non-governmental organisations to address UXO, complete all cluster bomb detection activities, and publicise areas identified as dangerous due to UXO.

It plans to help 60,000 people access education on UXO and have 1,300-1,500 UXO victims and their families receive healthcare and livelihood support every year.

All local schools are expected to include UXO safety education in their curricula within the next five years.

The province also plans to seek more foreign funding for dealing with UXO, prepare human resources for UXO settlement, increase training for those who manage and steer the work, and boost communications to raise awareness among agencies and the community.

According to the Ministry of Defence, between 2010 and 2020, the total clearance area is estimated to reach more than 500,000ha, including over 400,000ha conducted by the ministry and the remaining by international organisations.

Việt Nam has spent approximately VNĐ12.6 trillion (US$549 million) on bomb and mine clearance in the past decade.

The total amount includes VNĐ9 trillion ($391 million) from development and investment projects, VNĐ1.42 trillion ($62 million) from the national action plan against post-war legacy, and VNĐ2.2 trillion ($96 million) from international non-refundable aid.

UXO was scattered over Việt Nam, Laos and Cambodia by US bombers, at three times the volume of ordnance dropped in World War II, according to Project Renew. — VNS

Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son chairs the UNSC open debate on mine action on April 8. (Photo: UNSC)

Among delegates attending the event were Secretary-General António Guterres; Ambassador Stefano Toscano, the Director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining; Nguyen Thi Dieu Linh, Manager of “Project Renew” (an all-women demining team) at the Norwegian People’s Aid in Vietnam; and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Michelle Yeoh. Actor Daniel Craig, a UN Global Advocate for the Elimination of Mines and Explosive Hazards, delivered a pre-recorded video message before the start of the meeting.

Delegates voiced their support for the humanitarian purpose of limiting use of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) around the world, emphasized the consequences of landmines and ERW in conflict-ravaged zones, and backed efforts to overcome the consequences, assist victims, and stabilize the situation for reconstruction and socio-economic development.

They underscored the importance of international cooperation in overcoming the consequences of landmines and ERW, and emphasized the need to strengthen cohesion and coordination within the United Nations system, including the UN Security Council, so as to further contribute to landmine and ERW recovery efforts by the United Nations and relevant countries.

Representatives of UNSC member states attend the videoconference on mine action. (Photo: UNSC)

Addressing the meeting, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son stressed that sustainable peace is only achieved when the consequences of wars and conflicts, including consequences of mines and ERW, are resolved.

He shared Vietnam’s experience, saying the leadership’s interest, the participation of people of all social strata, including women, and cooperation with international partners are important factors in carrying out the task.

Cooperation with international partners should be strengthened, especially through landmine and/or unexploded ordnance recovery, to heal the wounds of war, said Son, adding that this should be done through financial provision, technical assistance, capacity building, awareness and experience sharing for affected countries.

He stressed the United Nations and in particular the Security Council should step up measures to ensure the safety of peacekeepers, protect civilians and promote sustainable peace.

The meeting adopted a presidential statement initiated by Vietnam that calls on member states and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen their efforts to implement resolution 2365 on mine action. It encourages the inclusion of mine action, where appropriate, in ceasefire and peace agreements.

The presidential statement also underscores the need to facilitate adequate resourcing, training and equipment for UN peace operations to mitigate the threat posed by landmines, improvised explosive devices, and explosive remnants of war. It further expresses concern regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mine action.

The statement also calls for setting up a specialized landmine and ERW recovery body within the United Nations peacekeeping missions, taking into account special needs of women and children in implementation of related tasks.

Vietnam is assuming the role of UNSC Presidency in April 2021.

VOV

Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Nguyen Tien Thuc presents certificate of merit to Hungary – Vietnam Friendship Association (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary)

The honorees were HVFA Chairman Dr. Botz László, Vice Chairman Col. Nagy Gyula, and Col. Imre Lajos from the Group of Hungarian War Veterans who joined the International Commission of Control and Supervision  (ICCS) from 1973-1975.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Thuc said it is a recognition of the Vietnamese Government and the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry in particular for the HVFA’s active contributions to bilateral cooperation and friendship.

He thanked the HVFA for working closely with the Vietnamese Embassy and Hungarian authorities to successfully hold activities marking the 70th anniversary of Vietnam – Hungary diplomatic ties last year. He wished that the HVFA would continue serving as an important bridge to popularise the two countries’ cultures to increase mutual understanding and trust.

HVFA Vice Chairman Váraljai Márton affirmed that the Hungarian people always hold special affection for Vietnam. He promised to continue working with the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary, authorities and localities of the two nations to further foster bilateral friendship.

HVFA leaders also congratulated Thuc on completing his tenure in Hungary with success and wished that he would continue joining activities to step up bilateral exchanges.

Delegates at the event (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary)

Founded on April 27, 1989, the HVFA comprises mostly Hungarian war veterans who joined the ICCS during 1973-1975. It now groups over 130 members, including Vietnamese living in the European nation.

Activities of the organisation include receiving visiting delegations of Vietnamese war veterans and the Vietnam – Hungary Friendship Association, and holding cultural activities such as painting exhibitions, screening of documentaries about Vietnam, and music and fashion shows of Vietnamese national costumes in Hungary./.VNA