Children of Vietnam war’s rape survivors unjustly bear the burden of others’ crimes | Tran Thi Ngai

From being branded Lai Dai Han, a derogatory term, to a lack of access to education and services, these children face a life of stigma. Our country must acknowledge their need for justice

For more than five long decades me, my children and the hundreds of other families affected by sexual assault and rape during the Vietnam war have faced interminable suffering. It has been an impossible battle against shame and stigma, a struggle for jobs, services and survival, and a fight for rightful recognition from our government and our communities.

I am a mother to three Lai Dai Han - a derogatory term that means mixed blood" in Vietnamese - children born as a result of rape committed by South Korean soldiers during the war. These children are regarded in Vietnam as rubbish, denied access to education and basic social services, hindering their ability to get a job and earn a living. Many of the Lai Dai Han have been forced to conceal their identities.