Blog

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of (a) disqualifications of parliamentary candidates, (b) disenfranchisement of ethnic groups and (c) inaccuracy and omissions from the voter lists in elections in Burma in November 2015.

Mr Hugo Swire

The British Govenment was concerned by the disqualification of parliamentary candidates, which disproportionately affected Muslim nominees. Of the 6,074 candidates who registered, 99 nominations were rejected, of which 22 were Muslim. Of these, 67 appealed, and 24 decisions were overturned of which 11 were Muslim. The EU Election Observation Mission’s (EOM) preliminary statement of 10 November stated that since the rejections predominantly focused on the strict application of the citizenship requirement, this impacted particularly heavily on Muslim candidates. The EU EOM estimated that only 28 Muslim candidates stood in total. The UK has regularly expressed its deep disappointment with the decision to revoke Temporary Residence Cards (‘White Cards’) which effectively disenfranchised the Rohingya community from the vote, as well as some other minorities. The EU EOM noted that, as a result, universal suffrage was not properly provided for, and the elections were not fully inclusive. Improving the conditions for the Rohingya remains a top priority for the UK. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) said in his statement of 10 November: ‘The UK stands ready to support the people of Burma as they continue to work towards a more democratic and accountable government, including those unable to vote in this election.’ Ahead of polling day there were widespread concerns about the accuracy of the voter lists. However, on the day, the EU EOM noted that: ‘Most voters, in polling stations visited, found their names on the voter list, but in 7% of polling stations visited some absences on the list were observed.’

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by (a) his Department and (b) the Burmese government to prevent sexual violence in conflict in Burma.

Mr Hugo Swire

Sexual violence in conflict remains a significant problem in Burma and we are focused on practical action to tackle it. There have been some signs of improvement since the Burmese government endorsed the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, at the London Global Summit in June 2014, but we continue to press for more.

During my visit to Burma in July 2015, I pressed the Burmese government at senior ministerial level on the issue and launched the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence. The UK was also instrumental in facilitating the visit to Burma this summer of the Special Envoy of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Angelina Jolie Pitt. We continue to push the agenda in international fora, including through UN resolutions on Burma at the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, which we co-sponsor. At Burma’s 6 November Universal Periodic Review at the UN in Geneva, ending sexual violence and improving the rights of women and girls was a focus of our recommendations.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the freedom of elections in Burma in November 2015 and the fairness of the outcome of that election as reflected in the distribution of seats in that country’s parliament.

Mr Hugo Swire

It is for the people of Burma, and their political representatives, to decide whether they are satisfied with the outcome of the elections. Preliminary reports from international observers, including the EU, note that while there were shortcomings, the elections in Burma on 8 November were largely peaceful, orderly and well-run. Although the final results have not yet been officially announced, the National League for Democracy has already achieved enough votes to have won a mandate to form the next government, and the government has said it will accept the result. The UK stands ready to support the people of Burma, including those who were unable to vote, as the country moves to the next stage of its transition.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of steps taken by (a) his Department and (b) the Burmese government to stop the use of child soldiers in that country.

Mr Hugo Swire

We welcomed the commitment the Burmese government made to ending the recruitment of child soldiers in signing the UN’s Action Plan in 2012. Since then Burma has made some progress, including the release of over 600 child soldiers and, in September, signing the Optional Protocol to the Convention on Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict. However, we are clear that more still needs to be done. Access to military units and non-state armed groups continues to be restricted, release of child soldiers has been limited, and while recruitment of children has slowed, it has not ceased entirely. We are also aware of reports that children continue to be arrested for “desertion”. I raised this issue with Minister of the President’s Office, U Aung Min, when I visited Burma in July and we will continue to do so with the Burmese authorities, including to press for swift implementation of the Optional Protocol.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Imran Hussain on 2015-11-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to facilitate a transition in Burma from dictatorship to democracy.

Mr Hugo Swire

The United Kingdom has supported Burma’s reform process which started in 2011 and led to the parliamentary elections on 8 November. We have allocated around £25m over five years to strengthen democratic governance in Burma. This included support to the elections through the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and monitoring and observation of the electoral process. While the elections were not perfect, they were largely peaceful, orderly and well–run on the day. We are monitoring closely the tabulation of the voting and the formation of the next government which will follow. We hope to continue our policy of engagement with the next Burmese government to continue to encourage Burma along its journey of democratic reform.