Asked by: Fiona O'Donnell (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his priorities are for the UK's relationship with Sri Lanka.
Answered by Lord Swire
The UK will work to reinvigorate its relationship with the people of Sri Lanka and President Sirisena’s government. We already have strong links in trade, education, tourism and between our people. The President’s election is a new opportunity for Sri Lanka to build a stable, prosperous and inclusive future for all Sri Lankans. President Sirisena’s early visit to the UK from 7-11 March clearly expressed a renewed friendship between our two countries. The UK has offered support to the newly elected President and Prime Minister as they seek to implement their ambitious reform programme and take steps to reconcile all Sri Lankan people. However, we have been clear we want to see Sri Lanka deliver on its commitments to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights by September.Asked by: Fiona O'Donnell (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure a comprehensive arms and ammunition embargo is imposed on all parties in South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Swire
An EU arms embargo is already in place in South Sudan. This is supported by a targeted EU sanctions regime of restrictive measures against specific individuals, adopted in July 2014 with strong UK support. We also believe that discussions on the content of a potential UN Security Council sanctions resolution should begin in New York soon and we are engaging closely with key partners to that end.
Asked by: Fiona O'Donnell (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what work has been done by experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative on the reported use of sexual violence by the military in Burma.
Answered by Lord Swire
We have not deployed a Team of Experts (ToE) to Burma to date, but are currently considering ways in which a ToE or other international or local actors might best assist in the delivery of PSVI objectives in Burma. We continue to lobby the Burmese Government on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, and to support projects in Burma to that end. Most recently in June, I discussed this issue with Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.
Asked by: Fiona O'Donnell (Labour - East Lothian)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative have been sent to Burma to investigate the attempted rape of an ethnic Chin woman by a soldier from the Burmese Army.
Answered by Lord Swire
We have not deployed a Team of Experts (ToE) to Burma to date, but are currently considering ways in which a ToE or other international or local actors might best assist in the delivery of PSVI objectives in Burma. We continue to lobby the Burmese Government on the prevention of sexual violence in conflict, and to support projects in Burma to that end. Most recently in June, I discussed this issue with Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.