PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Burma: Violence (8 January 2018)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to make an assessment within the framework of international humanitarian law of the nature of the violence which is taking place in Burma.

Asked by:
Sarah Champion (Labour)

​International humanitarian law applies in situations of armed conflict. No determination has been made that the situation in Rakhine State meets this definition. We are pressing for full accountability under international criminal law for all those responsible for the atrocities. As the Foreign Secretary said on 21 November, it is vital that any evidence or testimony gathered is collated in the proper way, so relevant judicial authorities can determine whether or not the actions amount to atrocity crimes under international law.

The UK has raised concerns, most recently at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in September 2017, about the ongoing conflicts elsewhere in Burma, notably in Shan and Kachin states, and continues to call on the military to end hostilities and ensure aid reaches those in need in these states.

Answered by:
Mark Field (Conservative)
16 January 2018