Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 27 November 2012.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to verify reports of rape of ethnic Rohingya women and girls by Burmese Government security and military personnel.
We have received many reports of human rights abuses in Rakhine state since the outbreak of violence in June, including reports that allege the involvement of Government security forces in the rape of Rohingya women and girls. I am travelling to Rakhine state in December to see the situation for myself.
Following our calls for an investigation into allegations of abuse in Rakhine state, calls echoed by the wider international community and in particular by the UN Special Rapporteur Tomas Ojea Quintana, the Burmese Government set up an independent investigative commission to probe the causes of the violence. We welcomed this development but made clear that for the commission to be credible it needed to involve a consultative process with all the affected communities, including the Rohingya. I will again raise these concerns with the Burmese Government during my forthcoming visit to the country.
The publication of the commission's final report has been delayed so that it can incorporate its findings on the violence of late October. It will be important for investigations into alleged atrocities, including rape, to be transparent and thorough, ensuring that those who have committed crimes are held to account for their actions.
Yes3 people think so
No2 people think not
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