Escalation DVA

Subject: Formal Request for Review & Notification of International Action

14/5/2025

Dear Simon,

Thank you for your reply.

I am writing to formally request an internal review of your decision and authority, as I believe your response reflects an incorrect and incomplete interpretation of Australia’s obligations under both domestic and international law. I have also contacted the Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA) regarding the exclusion of key dioxin-related conditions and will be pursuing a challenge through that channel.

In parallel, I am escalating this matter internationally.

International Warnings Ignored by Australia

The Australian Government has repeatedly ignored explicit warnings from multiple UN treaty bodies concerning its failure to recognise or support second-generation victims of dioxin (TCDD) exposure—despite Australia’s known use of Agent Orange and its inclusion on the Stockholm Convention list of banned Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs):

• April 2011: UN CRPD Committee urged Australia to address the needs of children of veterans exposed to toxic chemicals.

• February 2016: UN CRC recommended Australia recognize and support children of Vietnam veterans affected by Agent Orange.

• March 2017: UN CESCR stressed recognition of health and disability impacts on subsequent generations.

• July 2018: UN Special Rapporteur on Disability cited Australia’s failure to support second-generation Agent Orange victims.

• April 2019: UN Human Rights Committee raised concerns about discriminatory health policies excluding second-generation victims.

• October 2020: UN CERD urged action on intergenerational harm and discrimination.

• 2021: UN CEDAW raised concerns over gendered impacts and maternal exposure.

• 2024: UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment warned about military toxic harms and state neglect.

Relevant Legal and Case Precedents

• Rome Statute (ICC): Australia’s continued denial of support to second-generation TCDD victims may constitute crimes against humanity (Articles 7 & 8), given the systemic nature of the harm and discriminatory denial of redress.

• Stockholm Convention: Australia has obligations to prevent, remediate, and compensate for POP-related harms, including TCDD.

• Orica Case: Over $100 million was paid in compensation for dioxin contamination by a private company. The government is equally liable, if not more so, for state-created contamination.

• Robodebt Royal Commission: Demonstrated how government departments can inflict mass harm and deny justice, mirroring the situation faced by second-generation Agent Orange victims.

Next Steps

Given the gravity of this matter, I will be:

• Referring this case and related evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC)

• Filing additional complaints with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the CRPD Committee, and through Australia’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

• Publishing this correspondence and evidence of inaction on my public website as part of an international awareness campaign

I again request that you escalate this matter to a more senior authority and confirm the appropriate internal review process. I reserve all rights and will continue pursuing both domestic and international avenues until justice is served.