Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of whether the actions and policies of the government of Burma are consistent with the commitments that government made when it signed the declarations on ending sexual violence in conflict.

We welcome the Burmese government’s endorsement of the Declaration of Commitment and attendance at the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June 2014. There have been some positive signs that the Burmese authorities are taking seriously the commitments contained in the Declaration. In his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2014, Burmese Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin reaffirmed the Government of Burma’s “zero tolerance” policy towards the use of rape and sexual violence in the military. In September, a civilian court in Shan State heard a case involving the alleged rape of a minor by a Burmese soldier. While much more must be done to hold perpetrators of sexual violence to account, this was a step towards accountability for survivors of sexual violence. We continue to encourage the Burmese government to take concrete action, including by strengthening legislation and improving access to justice for survivors. I urged the Burmese government swiftly to create a credible action plan to tackle sexual violence when I met Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw on 13 June. The UK also funds projects to provide women with basic legal skills so they can advise survivors of sexual violence, and workshops to help community leaders and local government staff prevent sexual violence in their communities.