Written questions, answers and statements

Burma: Rohingya

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Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN 10010, tabled on 11 September 2017

Question

Hilary Benn
Labour
Leeds Central
Commons

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Burma on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' assessment of Burma's operations against Rohingya Muslims constituting a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.

This answer is the replacement for a previous holding answer.

Answer

Mark Field
Conservative
Cities of London and Westminster
Commons

Answered on

18 September 2017

Since the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights' statement on 11 September, our Ambassador has raised the situation in Rakhine with Burmese Ministers and has set out our concerns about the violence, the large scale displacement of civilians, and the need for improved humanitarian access. The Foreign Secretary had earlier spoken to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 7 September in similar terms and to underline the need for any allegations of human rights abuses to be investigated. Subsequently, at his press conference on 14 September, the Foreign Secretary described the situation in Rakhine as an “abomination”, and urged the displaced Rohingya to be allowed back and for the abuse of their human rights and killings to stop.

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office
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