Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the extent to which a UN Commission of Inquiry into the situation in Rakhine State, Burma, would help to establish the facts about what is taking place in the State, and make recommendations to help to improve the situation.

The UK Government supports the Rakhine Advisory Commission led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, which has the support of Burma's democratically elected government and the international community. The Commission's interim recommendations are expected in the spring and its final recommendations in the summer.

A separate UN Commission of Inquiry could be authorised by the Security Council, the Human Rights Council or the UN Secretary General personally. We assess it is unlikely there would be sufficient international support for such a commission on the situation in Rakhine at this time. There are a number of countries that routinely oppose such commissions as a matter of principle, and have done so in the past. We consider the Annan Commission currently represents the most realistic way forward.