Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Burma on tackling sexual violence in that country.

I raised this issue directly with the Commander in Chief of the Burmese military and the Northern Commander during my most recent visit to Burma in January. In October, the Minister of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest West (Mr Swayne), also raised the issue with Burma’s Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

Burma has endorsed the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict. This is a positive step. The Burmese authorities now need to demonstrate that they are committed to honouring the commitments contained in the Declaration, including reforming military doctrine and ending the culture of impunity for acts of conflict-related sexual violence. We will continue to press the Burmese military and government to hold perpetrators to account.