Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the Myanmar military to allow the safe, monitored and dignified return of the Rohingya people.

The Foreign Secretary met Burmese State Counsellor Aung Sun Suu Kyi on 12 February and made clear that the Burmese authorities, including the military, must allow Rohingya refugees to return to their homes in Rakhine voluntarily, in safety and with dignity. The UK Ambassador to Burma met Minister for the Office of State Counsellor U Kyaw Tint Swe on 5 April and called on Burma to agree a Memorandum of Understanding that allows the UN High Commissioner for Refugees to monitor the returns process to ensure it meets international standards. The UK will use the UN Security Council’s visit to Burma and Bangladesh at the end of April to ensure the Burmese military recognises the international demand for safe, monitored and dignified refugee returns.