In 1981 twin brothers were born in Vietnam. The twin brothers were different from other babies. They were joined at the waist and had only one lower half of a body between them. Their names are Beto and Doku. Have you ever heard of their names? In 1988 they came to Japan to be treated. They became famous in Japan.

    From 1960 to 1975, America sprayed 75,000,000 liters of defoliants, including dioxin, over farmlands, forests, and villages in the southern Vietnam. The defoliants had a great influence on plants and lives.  After the war, many children were born with abnormalities. Even now, such babies are often born.

    Beto and Doku are twenty-two years old now. Doku is fine and he can ride a mortorcycle. Beto has a serious mental disability and lives in a hospital. For people in Vietnam, the Vietnam War is not a past event.

    The environment was also damaged by the defoliants. The defoliants had influence on not only mangroves but also birds, animals, and fish.  Every year since 1978, people gather to plant new mangroves.  Many Japanese visit Vietnam to take part in the activity.  A lot of people hope for world peace.