Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the humanitarian situation for the Rohingya in Rakhine State, Burma.

We remain deeply concerned by the humanitarian and human rights situation in Rakhine. We are particularly concerned by reports from a range of human rights organisations of human rights violations by the security forces following the attack on border posts on 9 October, and the subsequent security response to these attacks. We are also concerned about the humanitarian impact if aid is not resumed quickly, particularly impacting those already affected by malnutrition. We have made numerous representations to the government of Burma and called for humanitarian access both through our Ambassador and also through Ministerial contacts. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns visited Burma from 9-12 November 2016 and urged Burmese Government Ministers to ensure the full resumption of humanitarian aid; and to set up an independent investigation into allegations of human rights violations. I also raised this in person with the Burmese Minister for Construction when he visited London on 29 November. In addition, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Boris Johnson) visited Burma from 20-21 January 2017 and discussed with the appointed Home Minister, who is heavily involved in the security response, the need for a restrained security approach, full humanitarian access and the importance of ending discrimination against the Rohingya. He also raised these issues with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and the new National Security Advisor, U Thaung Tun.