Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken in response to the Burmese government's refusal to investigate possible violations of international law in relation to the Rohingya in Burma.

We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Rakhine State. Our approach is to seek an end to all human rights violations by encouraging a resolution of the underlying tensions. We have also made clear to the government of Burma that allegations of human rights abuses must be dealt with through a clear, independent and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards. This call was repeated in a UK co-sponsored Resolution in the UN General Assembly in November 2014. We have also put on record our view that an independent investigation, supported by appropriate technical assistance, would make a significant contribution to accountability and reconciliation.

We worked with international partners to develop a strong country resolution on Burma at the UN Human Rights Council in March last year, which calls on the Burmese government to tackle the situation in Rakhine and renewed the mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Burma. We welcome her recent report and its constructive recommendations on Rakhine.