Viet Nam Rally Highlights Government's failure to consult

The representation from a group of Veterans who have spoken out about the Government’s “consistent and despicable rejection of Viet Nam Veterans health and welfare concerns” was sad to see, said Tariana Turia today.

“These veterans not only carry the lifelong trauma of their time in Viet Nam - but they have suffered the ongoing impact of Agent Orange, the possibilities of genetic damage upon whakapapa, and the gruelling reality of watching comrades die before any compensation was ever considered” said Mrs Turia.

“They have told us of the wide range of health effects they link to Agent Orange – cancers, heart and respiratory diseases, diabetes, skin rashes, nerve damage and many debilitating illnesses that are beginning to show up in their children and their grandchildren” said Mrs Turia. “And there are other major indicators of post-traumatic disorder, as evident in alcoholism and family breakdown”.

“I was greatly distressed that those responsible for the ceremonies today failed to even invite groups such as the Vietnam Veterans Action group or Whanau of Vietnam Veterans Survivors / Nga Morehu” said Mrs Turia. “The group who came to Parliament’s foregrounds today, talked about feeling excluded from the elite ‘invite list’ of Veterans that the Government clearly found the acceptable face of Viet Nam”.

“Is that what we call, ‘welcome home’?”

“The group told me that just as they felt shunned by New Zealand society in their return from Viet Nam in the late 1960s, they now feel shunned by officialdom in the restrictive criteria that eliminate so many conditions in the compensation coverage”.

“The group described ‘three decades of duplicity’ ending in a ‘flawed and deficient settlement document’” said Mrs Turia.

“The Maori Party is outraged that only nineteen of the 1300 Viet Nam veterans have received any compensation to date, and only sixteen family members”.

“We acknowledge too, the statement of claim presented by Te Whakahuihui Vercoe on behalf of Maori Viet Nam Veterans” said Mrs Turia. 65% of the personnel who served in the Viet Nam conflict were Maori.

“It is simply astounding” said Mrs Turia. “3289 New Zealand personnel served, on our behalf, in a foreign land where they endured conflict and chemical exposure that has damaged their capacity to enjoy life for ever more. And how do we treat them – the Government decides, on their behalf, an entitlement which is both insufficient and riddled with restrictive criteria”.