At the 4thnbsp; "Vietnam: Land and its People" Photographic Contest and Exhibition held recently by Vietnam Pictorial and Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists, a group of pictures entitled "Dioxin - Responsibility of the US" by photographer Ngo My won the First Prize. In these photographs, Ngo My reflected only three Vietnamese Agent Orange/Dioxin victims, including Major Tu Duc Phang, Tran Quang Hung and Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, with their sufferings caused by the war.nbsp;nbsp;

Major Tu Duc Phang (from Khanh Hoa Province) (Photo 1) was very emotional when he looked at his portrait taken before he joined in the army. In 1973, he fought at the southern battlefield and participated in saving the weapon store in Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa). Twelve years later, Phang saw large, black and red spots and water bubbles appearing on his body and all his hair had fallen out. All were caused by the Agent Orange/ Dioxin toxicant, which was sprayed by the US troops in Vietnam during the war. After 30 years, the toxicant continues to cause sufferings for the post-war Vietnamese generation. Millions of Vietnamese people are deformed and many of them are children.nbsp;

Nguyen Thi Kim Thoa, 18, (Photo 2) who once won a silver medal at the Hanoi's Singing Contest. After nearly 20 years, the Agent Orange/Dioxin toxicant she inherited from her father, an army man during the war, started affecting her.nbsp;

Tran Quang Hung from Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa) (Photo 3) was effected through his father's genes. Now at six, Hung is incapable of walking or talking.

Speaking about these photographs, Ngo My said: "I want to reflect the truth and the sufferings caused by the war, so all the people will not only sympathize with unlucky fates, but also show their deep gratitude to those who have devoted their life to bringingnbsp; independence and peace to the country."

Story: Tri Cong