John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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1169. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if he will place on the record the Government's welcome for the Russian Federation's release of political prisoners Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev last year; if he will urge the Russian Federation to also immediately and unconditionally release all remaining political prisoners; and his views on the imprisonment for more than 11 years of Alexey Pichugin as he marks his 52nd birthday on July 25. [33090/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The release from prison of Mikhail Khodorkovsky in December 2013, followed a month later by the release of his business partner Platon Lebedev, was welcomed by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the Union at the time. The Government fully shares this position. I would also recall that over the last 10 years, the EU had continuously expressed its concerns about alleged violations in their trials and had raised their cases with Russian interlocutors on a number of occasions, including at the regular EU-Russia Human Rights Consultations. The EU has consistently called on Russia to pursue its reforms towards establishing a transparent, independent and reliable judicial system and to uphold its commitments to human rights, the rule of law and non-discrimination, ensuring the respect for the freedom of assembly, association and expression. I support fully these calls. Alexey Pichugin is currently serving life imprisonment in the Russian Federation for a number of serious crimes. In 2003, Mr. Pichugin made an application to the European Court of Human Rights disputing the basis for his detention, trial and imprisonment. In its judgment of 18 March 2013, the Court found that Mr. Pichugin's rights under the European Convention on Human Rights to liberty and fair trial had been violated.

I understand that Mr Pichugin’s case is currently before the Committee of Ministers, which is responsible for the execution of the Court's judgments, for supervision. Our Permanent Representation to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg will follow developments in this case closely. Ireland plays an active role at Committee of Ministers human rights meetings, and has called on Russia to implement in good time particular judgments of the Courts. Together with other like-minded countries, we are also working to improve supervision of execution of judgments, in the context of ongoing reform of the European Court of Human Rights.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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1170. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps his Department is, or has taken, to highlight the situation of the Rohingya people in Burma; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33091/14]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Embassy in Vietnam, which is accredited to Myanmar/Burma, closely monitors this issue, and, in September 2013, Ambassador Damien Cole travelled to Rakhine state to assess the situation on the ground. Most recently, the Ambassador visited Naypyidaw on 23 May 2014 and met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. At that meeting he expressed Ireland’s concerns about the situation of the Rohingya people in Rakhine state and humanitarian access to the region.

Ireland is committed to the pursuit of progress on human rights in Myanmar/Burma. Towards this end, Ireland will support, this autumn, at the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly Third Committee, a resolution raising concerns about the human rights situation in Myanmar/Burma.

The Government continues to closely follow the situation of the Rohingya people in Myanmar/Burma and has called on the Government of Myanmar/Burma to address the underlying causes of ethnic tensions in Rakhine State - between the ethnically distinct Muslim Rohingya population and the Buddhist Rakhine population - and guarantee respect for human rights and the rule of law for all people in Myanmar/Burma.

Ireland calls for more investment in early recovery and support for livelihood opportunities for both communities. Economic integration and interdependency can be a vehicle for cooperation and peace between the communities. A longer-term Government strategy for rehabilitation and reconciliation is required.

At the Foreign Affairs Council on 12 May 2014, EU Foreign Ministers approved the establishment of a formal EU-Myanmar Human Rights Dialogue. The first such Dialogue took place in Myanmar/Burma on 20 May. Discussions there touched on most topics of concern, in particular discrimination, hate speech and inter-communal violence against the Rohingyas in Rakhine, and in other parts of Myanmar. It also focused on political prisoners, land and labour rights, freedom of expression, and cooperation with international Human Rights mechanisms and in multilateral fora.

At the dialogue, the EU stressed that continued efforts to achieve ethnic peace and to end discrimination and violence in Rakhine State were absolutely key for the success of Myanmar/Burma’s continued transition to democracy. The EU encouraged the Myanmar/Burma government to address the underlying causes of inter-communal violence, including the status and welfare of the Rohingya and expressed regret that Rohingya could not self identify during the recent census. The EU also expressed readiness to cooperate with Myanmar/Burma on initiatives which promote inter-communal understanding.

In March 2014, the UN Human Rights Council, of which Ireland is currently a member, adopted an EU-led resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar/Burma, and urged the Government of Myanmar/Burma to step up its efforts to put an end to such remaining human rights violations and abuses. The resolution reiterated the Council’s serious concern about the situation of the Rohingya and other minorities in Rakhine State.

Previously, at the 23rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in May/June of 2013, Ireland urged the government there to grant full citizenship rights to the Rohingya in Rakhine, and review the 1982 citizenship law.

In relation to the UNHCR’s call for temporary arrangements to be made for the Rohingya until the situation stabilises in Rakhine, in 2009, 82 members of the Rohingya community were settled in Carlow and 5 others were settled in Dublin. The Rohingya has had only limited access to education in refugee and transit camps before arrival in Ireland and are reported to have settled well.

Currently, the EU is providing around 70 million Euro to the people of Rakhine State, most of which is used to meet the humanitarian needs of the people of the region. The EU will provide 688 million Euro in development aid to Myanmar/Burma over the period 2014-2020. The EU will also provide over 46 million Euro in funding to neighbouring states that have received Rohingya people fleeing from Rakhine due to inter-ethnic violence.

Since 2007, over 7 million Euro has been provided by Irish Aid to NGOs and Irish missionaries for both long term development and emergency and recovery responses in Myanmar/Burma. In December 2013, Ireland announced an additional programme of funding worth 500,000 Euro for a bilateral development assistance programme in 2013. The same level of funding has also been agreed for 2014. Trocaire have also received 425,825 Euro in funding in 2014 from Irish Aid under the Humanitarian Programme Plan for Food Security, Livelihood and Protection assistance programme in Laiza, Kachin State in Myanmar/Burma.