Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they have taken to ensure the investigation of the allegations of the use of rape and sexual violence by the Burmese army against women in Burma.

We regularly raise our serious concerns about the use of rape and sexual violence in conflict with the Burmese government, and emphasise the requirement to investigate allegations. The then Minister of State at the Home Office, the Rt Hon Lynne Featherstone, in her role as UK Champion for Tackling Violence Against Women, discussed these issues with senior members of the Burmese government in January, including with Ministers of the President’s Office, U Soe Thane and U Aung Min, and also with Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw.