Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of training of military and security forces in Myanmar by the UK on the promotion of (a) human rights, (b) democracy and (c) the rule of law.

The Ministry of Defence does not provide combat training to the Burmese military, but has been delivering educational training since 2014. This training, which focuses on ethics and governance as well as human rights; democracy and the rule of law, is on a small scale and meaningful change will take time. The UK is committed to supporting the democratic transition, which means exposing the military to how modern militaries operate in a democracy. These courses are a step in that long term objective.