Following the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Ivan Lewis MP’s visit to Burma, Rushanara Ali MP, has urged the UK Government to take further steps towards ending violence in Burma. 

Rushanara Ali said:

"I am deeply concerned about continued reports of ethnic violence in the Kachin and Arakin states. The United Nations has described the Rohingya as one of the most persecuted minorities in the world and recent reports revealed that 500,000 people have been displaced because of local conflicts.

“Ivan Lewis’ visit to the country underscores the need for renewed efforts and immediate action to end the violence and address the mounting humanitarian and refugee crisis in the area. I urge the Foreign Office to continue to apply the strongest pressure on the Burmese authorities to take action to prevent these human rights violations and move forward on reconciliation efforts within the community.”

Ivan Lewis MP and Shadow Secretary for International Development, visited Burma with Burma Campaign UK, a leading UK campaign organisation, to assess the impact of the political and economic changes taking place. During his trip, he met with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, members of the National League of Democracy, the Kachin Peace Network and Rohingya community organisations.

Rushanara Ali’s calls for increased action from the international community echoes the Shadow Secretary’s own calls for peace. Ivan Lewis said:

“Of immediate concern is that the international community applies pressure regarding the treatment of Rohingyas and ongoing violence in Kachin state. Ceasefires need to be accompanied by a roadmap to political reform. Constitutional reform pre-2015 election is essential to stability and democracy.”