Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking in Myanmar to (a) support child protection and (b) facilitate access to psychosocial support for children.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are extremely concerned about the worsening situation in Myanmar, and the acute impacts on the physical and mental wellbeing of children in Myanmar. Children are being killed, wounded, detained and exposed to tear gas and stun grenades and are witnessing scenes of violence. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR's) latest figures, 200,000 have been displaced, cutting children off from essential services. Humanitarian access for providing urgent assistance to those affected by violence and conflict in Myanmar is increasingly constrained. Access to education and access to healthcare have been severely disrupted since the coup. The UK has on average provided around 14% of all humanitarian assistance through the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), placing the UK among the top three humanitarian donors in Myanmar. We are developing our response and have provided £5 million for emergency displacement and needs since the coup.
The UK is committed to children in Myanmar and to providing the services critical for children's survival and wellbeing. A large part of the humanitarian caseload are children and, through national and international organisations, civil society and the UN, we are providing assistance in health, nutrition, protection and education. The UK supports global human rights actors and monitoring mechanisms, such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), to monitor and collate evidence of all forms of violence and abuse in relation to the coup, including gender based violence and violence against children. I met with the IIMM on 17 June to discuss its critical role in preserving evidence, and the UK's continued support for the mechanism.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he taking to help ensure that children in Myanmar are protected against (a) exploitation, (b) sexual violence and (c) physical violence during the current crisis.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are extremely concerned about the worsening situation in Myanmar, and the acute impacts on the physical and mental wellbeing of children in Myanmar. Children are being killed, wounded, detained and exposed to tear gas and stun grenades and are witnessing scenes of violence. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR's) latest figures, 200,000 have been displaced, cutting children off from essential services. Humanitarian access for providing urgent assistance to those affected by violence and conflict in Myanmar is increasingly constrained. Access to education and access to healthcare have been severely disrupted since the coup. The UK has on average provided around 14% of all humanitarian assistance through the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), placing the UK among the top three humanitarian donors in Myanmar. We are developing our response and have provided £5 million for emergency displacement and needs since the coup.
The UK is committed to children in Myanmar and to providing the services critical for children's survival and wellbeing. A large part of the humanitarian caseload are children and, through national and international organisations, civil society and the UN, we are providing assistance in health, nutrition, protection and education. The UK supports global human rights actors and monitoring mechanisms, such as the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM), to monitor and collate evidence of all forms of violence and abuse in relation to the coup, including gender based violence and violence against children. I met with the IIMM on 17 June to discuss its critical role in preserving evidence, and the UK's continued support for the mechanism.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking (a) in response to the disruption to the covid-19 strategy in Myanmar and (b) to prevent the further spread of covid-19 in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK has provided £35.5 million for the COVID response in Myanmar to date, which is being delivered via NGOs and UN organisations. We have also re-orientated our wider aid portfolio to mitigate the effects of COVID, prioritising support for health and humanitarian support. UK aid is supporting COVID prevention and providing essential access to clean water, food, sanitation and medical services. We are working with civil society organisations in conflict-affected areas not controlled by the government to improve risk communication within communities and expand testing. We are concerned about reports of rising numbers of COVID cases in Myanmar. We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our partners to respond.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of levels of violence against or detention of faith leaders and religious figures in Myanmar.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is very concerned by divisive, racist and nationalist propaganda perpetuated by the military regime since the coup. Our Embassy is meeting with a range of stakeholders, including Buddhist, Christian and Muslim leaders who are bravely standing up against the military junta. The UK also works with partners and other community leaders to improve religious tolerance and social cohesion through facilitating a greater understanding of religious and cultural differences, and promoting dialogue between different communities across Myanmar.
We continue to raise our concern, including at the UN Human Rights Council, at the Race and Religion Laws and the 1982 Citizenship Law which have been used to discriminate against non-Buddhists.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support dialogue and a peaceful transfer of power to the democratically elected government in Myanmar.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK is clear that the military must respect the results of the November 2020 general election and accept the expressed wishes of the people of Myanmar. We will continue to put pressure on them to that end. The UK is working with partners across the region and the international community who share our ambitions and aims for a democratic Myanmar.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of political prisoners in Myanmar and (b) the number of peaceful protestors killed in Myanmar since the coup in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The reports of the arbitrary detention of thousands of people, as well as credible reports of torture are deeply concerning. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners estimates that 3,000 people have been detained and over 700 killed since the start of the coup. The UK is appalled at the actions of the military in killing its own people. The killing of children, many in their own homes, is particularly abhorrent. The violent crackdown on peaceful protestors is completely unacceptable and requires a strong message from the international community. It is essential that all those arbitrarily detained, are released. We condemn the politically motivated charges against those who are protesting the coup.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Myanmar military on the torture of political prisoners in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The arbitrary detention of thousands of people, as well as credible reports of torture are deeply concerning. It is essential that all those arbitrarily detained, are released. We condemn the politically motivated charges against those who are protesting against the coup. The people's right to a peaceful protest should be respected. We urge the military to exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law.
We continue to shine a spotlight on the actions of the military on the international stage, including through the UN Security Council and the G7. On 10 March, the UK secured a Presidential Statement at the UN Security Council condemning violence and calling on the military to respect human rights and democracy.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK Government is taking to promote adherence to international human rights law and electoral transparency in Uganda with regard to the Presidential elections in that country in 2021.
Answered by James Duddridge
GROUPED WITH PQS 145811 & 145812.
I [Minister Duddridge] spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister, Sam Kutesa, on 26 November 2020 to express concern about the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi and the violence that followed. I [Minister Duddridge] sought reassurances that Ugandan security forces would show restraint and raised the importance of the rights of Ugandans to freely express their views. Ahead of the elections of 14 January, I [Minister Duddridge] raised the importance of British officials observing the vote in further calls with Foreign Minister Kutesa and with the Ugandan High Commissioner. The UK deployed 51 Election Observers across 120 polling stations in Uganda on election day.
I [Minister Duddridge] also publicly expressed my disappointment about the internet shutdown on 14 January and my concerns at reduced transparency of the elections. I have since set out our concerns, in a statement of 17 January, about the overall political climate surrounding the elections and have urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. I [Minister Duddridge] welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January 2021 lifting restrictions on Robert Kyagulanyi, and that the British High Commissioner was able to meet with him on 27 January 2021. As a long-standing partner to Uganda, the UK will continue to follow post-election developments closely, and engage with the Ugandan Government and Ugandans to advocate for democracy.
Asked by: Carol Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Ugandan counterparts on reports of human rights violations during the recent Presidential elections in that country.
Answered by James Duddridge
GROUPED WITH PQS 145811 & 145812.
I [Minister Duddridge] spoke to the Ugandan Foreign Minister, Sam Kutesa, on 26 November 2020 to express concern about the arrest of Robert Kyagulanyi and the violence that followed. I [Minister Duddridge] sought reassurances that Ugandan security forces would show restraint and raised the importance of the rights of Ugandans to freely express their views. Ahead of the elections of 14 January, I [Minister Duddridge] raised the importance of British officials observing the vote in further calls with Foreign Minister Kutesa and with the Ugandan High Commissioner. The UK deployed 51 Election Observers across 120 polling stations in Uganda on election day.
I [Minister Duddridge] also publicly expressed my disappointment about the internet shutdown on 14 January and my concerns at reduced transparency of the elections. I have since set out our concerns, in a statement of 17 January, about the overall political climate surrounding the elections and have urged the Government of Uganda to meet its international human rights commitments. I [Minister Duddridge] welcome the High Court of Uganda's decision of 25 January 2021 lifting restrictions on Robert Kyagulanyi, and that the British High Commissioner was able to meet with him on 27 January 2021. As a long-standing partner to Uganda, the UK will continue to follow post-election developments closely, and engage with the Ugandan Government and Ugandans to advocate for democracy.