NACC

5th May 2025,

To the National Anti-Corruption Commission,

I am submitting a formal complaint concerning what I believe to be serious and systemic corruption within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) and other Australian government agencies. This involves the long-term suppression of information, denial of entitlements, and obstruction of justice affecting the children of Vietnam veterans exposed to TCDD (dioxin), commonly referred to as Agent Orange.

For over five decades, the children of Vietnam veterans have suffered intergenerational harm while successive governments and departments have actively denied access to medical recognition, support, and records. This failure is not just administrative—it represents a coordinated cover-up in breach of Australian law and international treaties.

Australia has been warned six times by the United Nations (1995, 2000, 2006, 2011, 2019, and 2024) regarding the rights of children affected by war, toxic exposures, and institutional harm—including specific concerns about the impact of dioxin exposure. These warnings remain unacted upon.

The situation breaches multiple international legal instruments:

• Under the Stockholm Convention, Australia is required to prevent, monitor, and remediate persistent organic pollutants like TCDD. This includes historical contamination and intergenerational exposure. The failure to acknowledge or record the contamination of veterans’ children violates these obligations.

• Under the Rome Statute, systemic denial of medical care and recognition, in the context of knowingly inflicted harm from toxic military exposures, may constitute crimes against humanity, war crimes, and potentially acts of genocide, as defined by intentional destruction of a group in whole or in part based on identity and origin.

Departments have failed to preserve or release critical records, misrepresented international obligations, and contributed to decades of silence and suffering. This is not just about individual wrongdoing—it’s about a systemic betrayal of thousands of Australians whose rights and lives have been disregarded.

I urge the Commission to open an investigation into this matter. I am available to provide further information or assistance if required.

For more detailed information and supporting documentation related to this case, I invite you to visit my website at

https://agentorangechild.wixsite.com/agent-orange-child

Please confirm receipt and advise of the next steps. 

Warm Agent Orange Burns regards,

Danielle