Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the security situation in Myanmar following the arrest of protestors on 10 March 2015; and if he will make a statement.

We are concerned by the violence which took place in Letpadan Burma, on 10 March. This follows the use of force, and the use of irregular security groups, to break up a peaceful protest in Rangoon on 5 March. These events have overshadowed the long period of disciplined policing in relation to these protests.

The exact circumstances leading to these clashes remain unclear, and the UK supports the EU’s call for a formal investigation to be initiated swiftly. The government of Burma has announced an investigation into the events of 5 March.

The development of a professional police force that respects and upholds human rights and the rule of law is fundamental to Burma’s transition to full democracy.