In the morning, the court heard three Vietnamese AO/Dioxin victims talk about the lingering pain they have suffered during their daily life.

In the courtroom, a wife of a US war veteran who served during the Vietnam War was moved to hear the stories, especially those of children. She said that she feels sympathy with these unfortunate people and wants to do something to support the victims.

“US chemical firms must be responsible for the consequences they caused in Vietnam,” she said.

The court also heard lawyer William Boden present new evidence of the consequences of the toxic chemicals which he had gathered during his recent fact-finding tour of Vietnam.

In the afternoon, Vietnamese and foreign scientists, journalists and scholars presented reports on the effects of AO and the role and responsibility of US chemical companies in the case.

The two-day hearing, which was chaired by Jitendra Sharma, president of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers, drew the participation of lawyers from Asia, Europe, Africa and the America. French people, international friends and Vietnamese nationals living in France also attended the trial.