Valerie raises Burma at Foreign Office questions

On Tuesday 22 July 2014, Valerie asked the Minister of State for the Foreign Office, Rt. Hon. Hugo Swire MP, for an update on Burma.

Valerie said:

“Could the Minister update the house on the violence in Mandalay, Burma earlier this month and the fact that the religious affairs minister is now in custody?”

The Minister replied:

“The Hon. Lady knows better, probably than anyone in this house, that the situation in Burma remains extremely difficult. I think she would know about the extraordinary work and support we are putting in to try to ensure a transition from one form of government to a democracy in Burma with all the religious and ethnic divides there are. We continue to lobby, I had the Burmese ambassador in recently to raise my concerns – that was particularly about the consensus – but religious tolerance as well with the Rohingya. If she wishes to come and see me at any time, I am always happy as she knows to discuss the situation in Burma. We are the first government to actually have produced a cross-Burma strategy showing all the work we are doing there.”