On 8th March 2021 the Bishop of Worcester received a written answer to a question on targeted sanctions against the Myanmar regime:
The Lord Bishop of Worcester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to imposing targeted sanctions against those responsible for the military coup in Myanmar. [HL13549]
On 27th October 2020 the Bishop of Coventry received written answers to questions on refugees from Myanmar and support for Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia:
The Lord Bishop of Coventry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to provide (1) funding for, and (2) technical assistance, to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Trust Fund for Humanitarian Relief Efforts to promote regional cooperation for states addressing irregular migration from Myanmar. [HL9119]
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government does not provide direct support to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) Trust Fund for Humanitarian Relief Efforts. We do however provide broader technical assistance to the ASEAN humanitarian co-ordination centre to increase humanitarian capacity and co-ordination across ASEAN member states. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry asks about refugees from Myanmar and support for Rohingya communities in Southeast Asia”
On 5th October 2020 the Bishop of St Albans received a written answer to a question on Myanmar:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the UN Human Rights Council Report of the independent international fact-finding mission on Myanmar, published in September 2018, and in particular the recommendation that senior generals of the Myanmar military be investigated and prosecuted for genocide; and what support they plan to provide to the case brought by the government of The Gambia against the government of Myanmar currently before the International Court of Justice. [HL8425] Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks about prosecutions for genocide against Myanmar generals”
On 4th November 2019 the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, received written answers from the Government, in reply to two questions about persecuted people in Myanmar:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: (i) HL530 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the Rohingya people’s civil and human rights are being upheld in Myanmar.
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: (ii) HL532 To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of reports of attacks against Chin people in Myanmar.
On 12th June 2018 Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty’s Government “what assessment they have made of recent reports of the Burmese military attacking Christians in Kachin, and other ethnic minorities in Burma; what representations they have made to the government of Burma about these reports; and what consideration they have given to the case for referring the government of Burma to the International Criminal Court.” The Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, asked a follow-up question:
The Lord Bishop of St Albans: My Lords, the reported atrocities against the Rohingya have been described as crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and genocide. What assessment have Her Majesty’s Government made as to whether the human rights violations in Kachin and Shan states meet the criteria of at least crimes against humanity and war crimes? Continue reading “Bishop of St Albans asks Government about crimes against minorities in Myanmar”
On the 10th May 2018 the Bishop of St Albans, the Rt Revd Alan Smith spoke in Baroness Anelay’s debate about recent developments in Myanmar. Bishop Alan spoke about the continued hostilities against minority communities in Myanmar and highlighted the importance of reconciliation work with young people to create a mutual commitment to peace and the cessation of violence. Lord Ahmad responded to the debate for the Government and his comments can be seen below.
On 31st January 2018 the Bishop of Coventry, Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth, received a written answer from Government about the Rohingya people in Burma:
On the 26th October the House of Lords debated a motion from Baroness Helic, “To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken to support the Rohingya refugees currently displaced in Bangladesh.” The Bishop of Coventry, the Rt Revd Christopher Cocksworth took part in the debate highlighting the need for a greater action by the international community to support agents of compassion and to address the underlying causes of the crisis. Continue reading “Bishop of Coventry questions Government about support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh”
On 5th September 2017, the Bishop of St Albans, Rt Revd Alan Smith, tabled an urgent question, to ask Her Majesty’s Government “what it is doing to respond to the crisis facing the Rohingya people in Myanmar.” Below is the Minister’s response and a subsequent question asked by the Bishop.
Baroness Goldie (Con): My Lords, Her Majesty’s Government are deeply concerned by the situation in Rakhine and the plight of the Rohingya. We immediately raised the situation in the United Nations Security Council on 30 August, where we urged a restrained security response and that all sides de-escalate tensions. Our priority now is ensuring that urgent food and medical assistance can be provided to displaced civilians. Our heads of mission in Rangoon and Dhaka have been discussing the situation in Rakhine with their respective host Governments, including enabling humanitarian aid to reach where the need is greatest.
