Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason the Government decided to host a Myanmar Trade and Investment Conference in London; and what account was taken of human rights violations by the Government of Myanmar before the decision was made to host that conference.
Answered by Mark Field
Burma is emerging from decades of military rule and starting on the road to democracy. If the economy collapses, if people have no jobs, or cannot afford to feed themselves then this will damage the democratisation process and set back human rights. The conference enables us to work with UK businesses, investing responsibly, to play a role in the wider economic growth agenda in Burma. The British Government is clear that the Burmese military is responsible for a range of human rights violations in Rakhine and other ethnic states. We have led international calls for accountability to ensure that grave human rights violations do not go unpunished. A full EU arms embargo, which the UK has supported, remains in place against the Burmese military. Her Majesty's Government will seek to ensure that our work does not support military owned or backed businesses, and in the longer term, aim to level the playing field to promote inclusive growth.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Bangladeshi counterpart on the plight of Rohingya refugees; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Momen on 22 January, when he re-emphasised the importance he places on the Government of Bangladesh's stated commitment to voluntary, safe and dignified return for the Rohingya to their homeland in Burma. He also emphasised the importance of planning for a longer term and more sustainable response to the Rohingya crisis. I wrote to my counterpart Shahriar Alam on 10 January to pass on the same messages.
We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The access in Burma required for independent monitoring by UN agencies is also not in place. We will continue to make representations to the governments of both Bangladesh and Burma not to commence returns while conditions in northern Rakhine remain as they are.
I welcome the great generosity Bangladesh has shown in providing refuge for Rohingya who have fled terrible violence in Burma's Rakhine State. The UK is one of the largest donors to the refugee crisis in Bangladesh, providing £129 million in funding since August 2017. We have led the international response, including using our role as pen holder at the UN Security Council.
We are committed to supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, and expect to remain a leading donor to the humanitarian Joint Response Plan. We are actively engaged in conversations with the international community to ensure that the future response meets the needs of the refugees.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to protect women Rohingya refugees that are repatriated from gender-based violence; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK is deeply concerned at Bangladesh and Burma's announcement that the repatriation of refugees will begin in mid-November. I have registered our concerns with ministers from both governments, and issued a statement expressing concerns on 14 November. The UK shares the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' assessment that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The UK supports the UN High Commissioner's call for his agency to be given unfettered access to northern Rakhine, which would enable it to monitor the safety, including from gender-based violence, of any refugees that do return.
Asked by: Helen Jones (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made tho his Bangladeshi counterpart on the proposed forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees from that country.
Answered by Mark Field
On 14 November I released a public statement expressing deep concern at reports that returns of Rohingya refugees to Burma were imminent. I called on Bangladesh and Burma not to return any refugees until the conditions were in place for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns that uphold human rights. I am pleased that no repatriations began on 15 November, but I remain concerned that such repatriations might commence before appropriate conditions are in place. I agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. Neither is the access in Burma required for necessary independent monitoring by UN agencies in place.
I contacted Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Ali on 15 November to welcome the fact that repatriations had not taken place and received his assurance that the Government of Bangladesh remained committed to the principle of voluntary returns with UNHCR monitoring.
Previously, I spoke to Bangladesh Minister of State Shahriar Alam and Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November and stressed the UK's assessment that conditions in Rakhine State were not currently suitable for refugee returns.