Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Government is deeply concerned about the situation in Rakhine State, in particular the ongoing violence which has been taking place following the attacks which were undertaken by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army militants on 25 August. The excessive response by the security forces in response to these attacks is deeply troubling. It is critical that an immediate end should be brought to the violence in Rakhine State. It has led to a severe humanitarian crisis both within Myanmar, and across the border in Bangladesh, which is seeking to manage the humanitarian needs of well over 400,000 refugees.

My colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Simon Coveney, issued a statement on 15 September in which he called on the security forces to de-escalate the situation, to respect international human rights law, and to ensure the protection of all civilians in the affected area. Along with other EU member states, Ireland has consistently urged the Government of Myanmar to restore access to Rakhine State by humanitarian actors and media organisations. We have also called on the Government of Myanmar to allow access to the UN fact-finding mission to the country.

Going beyond this immediate crisis, it is clear that there is a need to comprehensively tackle the long-standing drivers of the tensions which have existed in Rakhine State against the Rohingya community. In this context, Ireland urges the Government of Myanmar to take forward the recommendations which have been set out by the Kofi Annan-led Advisory Commission on Rakhine State as soon as possible. These measures provide the strongest path forward for the long-term peace and development for all communities in the region.

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