Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his foreign counterparts in the Kashmir region on stability in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
I am concerned about reports of ongoing unrest and violence in India-administered Kashmir. The FCO continues to closely monitor the situation. The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation in Myanmar since publication on 3 February 2017 of a report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the rights of the Rohingya.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are deeply concerned by recent reports detailing human rights violations against the Rohingya in Rakhine State of Burma. These include reports by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma and by a range of international human rights organisations. We are also concerned by the humanitarian situation facing the people in Rakhine with up to 70,000 refugees fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.
With our international partners, we are currently negotiating a Resolution at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where we are advocating for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma. We are also seeking to establish a mechanism which has the support of both the Burmese authorities and the international community to establish the facts and help deliver accountability for violations.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with counterparts in other countries, excluding those in Myanmar, on the human rights situation in Myanmar since the publication on 3 February 2017 of a report by the UN High Commissioner on the Rohingya.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are deeply concerned by recent reports detailing human rights violations against the Rohingya in Rakhine State of Burma. These include reports by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma and by a range of international human rights organisations. We are also concerned by the humanitarian situation facing the people in Rakhine with up to 70,000 refugees fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.
I discussed these issues with the government of Bangladesh when I visited Dhaka from 2 to 4 March. In my meetings, I welcomed the humanitarian assistance provided by Bangladesh to the Rohingya people and discussed ways in which the UK and Bangladesh could work together to encourage a durable solution for the Rohingya people in Burma.
With our international partners, we are currently negotiating a Resolution at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where we are advocating for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma. We are also seeking to establish a mechanism which has the support of both the Burmese authorities and the international community to establish the facts and help deliver accountability for violations.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in Myanmar since the publication of the report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Rohingya on 3 February 2017.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
We are deeply concerned by recent reports detailing human rights violations against the Rohingya in Rakhine State of Burma. These include reports by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Burma and by a range of international human rights organisations. We are also concerned by the humanitarian situation facing the people in Rakhine with up to 70,000 refugees fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.
I met the Burmese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, U Kyaw Tin, on 27 February at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. In the context of the report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, I stressed the need for humanitarian access and a credible investigation into reports of violations. During his recent visit to Burma in January, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised similar concerns with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as military-appointed government ministers. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns did likewise when she visited Burma last November.
I also discussed these issues with the Government of Bangladesh when I visited Dhaka from 2 to 4 March. In my meetings, I welcomed the humanitarian assistance provided by Bangladesh to the Rohingya people and discussed ways in which the UK and Bangladesh could work together to encourage a durable solution for the Rohingya people in Burma.
With our international partners, we are currently negotiating a Resolution at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where we are advocating for the renewal of the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Burma. We are also seeking to establish a mechanism which has the support of both the Burmese authorities and the international community to establish the facts and help deliver accountability for violations.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 November 2016 to Question 52554, who his Department's regional partners are in the facilitation of humanitarian access for aid agencies in South Sudan.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We work with a wide range of partners including other countries in the region and regional institutions to try to improve humanitarian access for all aid agencies in South Sudan.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to ensure the safety of refugees in shelters in South Sudan and neighbouring countries.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
There are currently more than 200,000 Internally Displaced People being protected at UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Protection of Civilians sites across South Sudan. Through our deployment to UNMISS UK troops will provide expertise, particularly in engineering, that will help make those Protection of Civilian sites more secure. Through DFID, we are also providing more than £20 million this financial year to the neighbouring countries of Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya to help support the more than one million South Sudanese refugees who are seeking refuge there.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with which non-governmental organisations (NGO) and NGO forums in South Sudan his Department has links.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We recognise the critical role civil society organisations play in South Sudan, both in providing basic support to the population and in developing local level peace-building initiatives which are essential to addressing the longer term impact of the conflict. We work closely with many of these NGOs, sharing information and analysis, and providing support where appropriate.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in South Sudan on that country's restriction of employment of non-South Sudanese nationals by non-governmental organisations and other organisations.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are playing a vital part in providing lifesaving humanitarian support in South Sudan. The Department for International Development Director for East Africa met with the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs on 22 October to discuss the South Sudanese NGO Bill and to ensure that its implementation was not hindering NGOs in providing vital services. We are watching this situation closely, and are in dialogue with NGO forums and the partners that we fund directly.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in South Sudan on stopping armed forces destroying food reserves and restricting access to food for civilians in that country.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We continually make clear to both the government of South Sudan and the Opposition that disrupting the efforts of humanitarian agencies to provide food for civilians in desperate need of assistance is absolutely unacceptable. In particular, the government must fulfil its commitment to improve access for humanitarian personnel to those who need our support. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Africa Director raised this issue with the First Vice President on 23 November. We also raise humanitarian issues alongside other donors with representatives of the Government in the context of discussions about the peace process, organised by the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Committee in Juba, most recently on 22 November.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he or the UK representative to the UN have made to other UN Security Council member states on the extension of the UN mission in South Sudan.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The mandate for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) was extended for four months on 12 August, following extensive discussions in the UN Security Council. The effectiveness of the mission is reviewed monthly by Security Council members during consultations, which involve extensive discussions with all other members of the Council, and the mandate is due for renewal on 15 December. The UK Permanent Representative to the UN represents the UK Government during these discussions.