Vietnam Women's Union Speaks Out Over Dow Chemical Sponsorship of Olympics

"...the Vietnam Women's Union would like to call upon IOC to reconsider your decision to accept Dow Chemical Corporation as a sponsor of the Olympic events"

Courtesy: indianmuslimobserver.com

(HANOI, Viet Nam) - We received hot off the press, the following letter from the Vietnam Women's Union, courtesy of Agent Orange Advocate Len Aldis in London. The women of Vietnam are raising a voice in objection to the inclusion of Dow Chemical as a sponsor in the upcoming Olympic games.

Long story short, Dow was a primary manufacturer of Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant sprayed over the jungles of Vietnam during the US war there. To this day, Dow has never answered to what amounts in the minds of many, to a decades-long war crime that continues to cripple children today, in the fourth generation since the war. This not only takes place in Vietnam, but also in the US and Australia, and in other places related to Agent Orange use and storage.

Attention: International Olympic Committee (IOC)

On behalf of the Vietnam Women's Union (VWU), I would like to extend my best compliments to the International Olympic Committee (IOC)!

We got to know that Dow Chemical has been made a sponsor of the Olympic Games from 2012 until 2010. Dow Chemical is one of the major producers and suppliers of the Agent Orange which was used by the American Army during the war time in the South of Vietnam for over 10 years from 1961 to 1971. There is no doubt about the horrific damages the dioxin has done to the environment and millions of people from generation to generation in Vietnam, including many women and children who are suffering illnesses, diseases and living in poverty. The Agency Orange has had negative effects on hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese children of the 4th generation who were born with severe congenital deformities.

For decades, international public opinions have denounced Dow's immoral actions and its violations of international laws, demanding it and other companies to compensate the victims of Agent Orange in different countries including Vietnam. However, Dow refuses to accept responsibility or makes compensation to tragic victims.

The Olympic Games are the symbols of the friendship & solidarity between the continents, the fairness, progress and peace in the world. We are concerned that the acceptance of Dow sponsorship will negatively influence the image and reputation of the Olympic Games. With the functions of representing and protecting rights and interests of women in Vietnam, the Vietnam Women's Union would like to call upon IOC to reconsider your decision to accept Dow Chemical Corporation as a sponsor of the Olympic events, thus preserving the good images and reputation of the Olympics.

Success to London Olympic Games 2012!

With kind regards,

Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa
President, Vietnam Women's Union