Oral Answers to Questions

Rushanara Ali Excerpts

Tuesday 4th September 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mr Hunt]

I am very happy to do that. It is extremely important that there is a clear red line: the use of chemical weapons, of which nerve agents are one, is totally unacceptable. The price will always be too high. The EU has already agreed to a chemical weapons sanctions regime, and we will press it to implement that regime as soon as possible.

[Rushanara Ali (Bethnal Green and Bow) (Lab)]

T5. The recent UN independent fact-finding mission on Myanmar called for the country’s top general, Min Aung Hlaing, to be investigated and prosecuted for crimes against humanity and genocide in northern Rakhine. Other Members have already referred to the situation there. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that if the UK does not use its leadership role as the UN Security Council’s official penholder, there is a real risk that those Rohingya people who remain in Myanmar will face the same consequences as others have and that the genocide will continue? We have warned the Government about this issue, and action needs to be taken now.

[Mr Hunt]

I do agree with the hon. Lady. A referral to the International Criminal Court would need Security Council consensus, and we need to discuss with our Security Council colleagues whether that is achievable. We will not stop making sure that justice is done in this situation.