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Burma: Human Rights

Question for Foreign and Commonwealth Office

UIN HL6282, tabled on 13 March 2018

To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking, if any, to promote the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, published on 9 March.

Answered on

27 March 2018

We support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur, Ms Lee. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to cooperate with her, not least by allowing her access into Burma. As the Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field MP, made clear in his statement to the House on 15 March, we agree with many of the principal conclusions of her report, and will look for opportunities to address her recommendations where possible. The Foreign Secretary has been clear that the violence against the Rohingya is ethnic cleansing. We continue to work with our international partners on what can be done, both to assist the victims and to bring those responsible to justice. The immediate task is to support those gathering information, which may be useful for any potential future judicial process. In line with the Special Rapporteur's recommendations, the Government is considering how to support better co-ordination between organisations collecting testimony in Bangladesh, through an international or local mechanism. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to ensure basic rights for all and stand ready to support the Government of Burma in implementing the Annan Commission's recommendations to this end.

Answered by

Foreign and Commonwealth Office