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 potential consequences of the proposed religious conversion bill in Burma and the situation for religious minorities in that country.

We have voiced our strong concerns over proposed legislation on inter-faith marriage and religious conversion to members of the Burmese government and parliamentarians. If enacted, these laws would harm religious tolerance and respect for diversity in Burma, and contravene international standards and treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to which Burma is a signatory. During my visit to Burma in January, I delivered a speech which called for greater religious tolerance and interfaith dialogue, and we continue to make clear that respect for freedom of religion and belief must be guaranteed.