Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the situation of the Rohingya; and if he will make a statement.

UK officials frequently visit Rakhine State and receive regular reports about the situation of the Rohingya, which remains of grave concern. The Rohingya continue to suffer from severe restrictions on their freedom of movement, on their access to livelihoods, schools, healthcare and places of worship. Burma’s refusal to ensure humanitarian access or recognise citizenship claims of the Rohingya has compounded the denial of the most basic rights. We continue to urge the Burmese authorities to work towards a long-term solution that brings peace and reconciliation and ensures the civil and human rights of all communities within Rakhine State, including full citizenship for the Rohingya.

The UK has been concerned by the dramatic rise in the number of people taking boats from the Bay of Bengal to the wider region this year. We were deeply concerned by the discovery of mass graves in Thailand and, more recently, in Malaysia. Tackling this issue requires a coordinated regional response and we welcome the Government of Thailand’s decision to hold the 29 May regional meeting to discuss solutions.

It is vital to address the scourge of human trafficking. The desperate living conditions faced by the Rohingya in particular, and their lack of basic rights, are driving many of these people to make the dangerous journey to other countries in the region. We will maintain our own humanitarian commitment in Rakhine State; DFID has provided over £18million in humanitarian support since 2012. We urge Burma, in turn, to address the dire situation of the Rohingya community there.