Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the alleged human rights abuses carried out by members of the military in Myanmar following the Military coup; and what steps his Department is taking to ensure that these allegations are investigated and sanctions brought against those found responsible.

The UK is deeply concerned by ongoing human rights violations in Myanmar. We have been clear that the state of emergency, and all restrictions on rights and freedoms, should be lifted immediately. The people's right to peaceful protest should be respected. The coup must end. We urge the military to exercise utmost restraint and respect human rights and international law. The military must be held accountable for their actions.

I formally summoned the Myanmar Ambassador twice to register the UK's extreme concern regarding the alleged human rights abuses and stressed that the security forces must exercise restraint and not use deadly violence against peaceful protestors.

The UK continues to lead international efforts in pursuing those responsible for the serious human rights violations in Myanmar. Working with partners, including the US and Canada, we have sanctioned 9 military officers, including the Commander-in-Chief, for their role in the coup. This includes cabinet ministers and members of the State Administration Council, established to run the functions of state following the coup. We are exploring options for further sanctions and are working with partners to ensure any sanctions are sufficiently targeted and do not impact the wider population.