Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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150. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the situation in Myanmar; the efforts being made to address the humanitarian crisis and human rights violations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30809/18]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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151. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made by the EU and the international community to ensure that international and national humanitarian staff and organisations have full unimpeded access to affected populations in Myanmar; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30810/18]

Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the efforts being made to ensure that those guilty of human rights violations in Myanmar are brought to justice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30811/18]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 150 to 152, inclusive, together.

Since the most recent escalation of violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar, in August 2017, approximately 700,000 members of the Rohingya community have fled across the border to Bangladesh where they now reside in precarious conditions in refugee camps. Conditions are likely to deteriorate over the coming months as the monsoon season progresses.

This exodus of refugees has been accompanied by credible claims of serious human rights violations by the Myanmar Security Forces. These include reports of widespread killing of civilians, sexual and gender based violence, arbitrary arrests, and the burning of Rohingya villages.

Efforts by the international community to address this crisis have focused on responding to the humanitarian crisis, promoting a political solution and pressing for accountability for crimes and other violations of human rights abuses that have occurred.

While efforts aimed at achieving accountability and a political solution to the crisis are vitally important, there is an immediate need for a coherent humanitarian response to the extremely difficult conditions faced by the huge numbers of displaced members of the Rohingya community now mainly in Bangladesh. To this end, Ireland has actively supported the international humanitarian response to the refugee crisis and we provided direct funding of €1 million in 2017 with an additional €1 million allocated for 2018. Our support has focused on food, shelter, water and sanitation. Through the Irish Aid Rapid Response facility, we have provided 37 tonnes of hygiene, sanitation and shelter kits and deployed experts in water and sanitation and humanitarian coordination on the ground. In addition, as the 6th largest donor to the UN-administered Central Emergency Response Fund, Ireland's estimated contribution through UN pooled funding amounted to a further €1 million to deliver life-saving support.

In Northern Rakhine, Ireland provided funding to the Red Cross at the end of 2017 to provide cash transfers to 10,000 households and food and non-food items to 20,000 households; first health and assisted childbirth services; access to sanitation for 5,000 households; and reunification of separated families in Rakhine State.

Elsewhere in Myanmar, over the course of 2017-18, Ireland is providing over €3.5 million to humanitarian and development NGOs, primarily to Trócaire for its work on gender equality, resource rights and humanitarian assistance to conflict affected communities.

Humanitarian access in Northern Rakhine has been extremely limited since the start of this crisis. Only the Red Cross Movement and to a lesser extent the World Food Programme have access. As a result it has not been possible to provide adequate lifesaving assistance to the estimated 100,000-150,000 Rohingya that remain in Rakhine, or to other affected persons in that region.

Ireland has strongly and consistently pressed for humanitarian access to Myanmar and has added its voice to that of the international community in pushing for this crucial first step in addressing the humanitarian crisis. I repeat that call here and for the full implementation of the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State. The report of the Commission urges the Government of Myanmar to ensure full and unimpeded humanitarian access – for both national and international staff – at all times and to all communities in Rakhine State.

An intensive political response by the international community continues to be pursued and on 6 June, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been agreed between the Myanmar government, the UN High Commission for Refugees and the UN Development Programme, to establish a framework for cooperation between the parties aimed at creating conducive conditions for the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable repatriation of these refugees from Bangladesh to their places of origin. The MoU also aims to help create improved and resilient livelihoods for all communities living in Rakhine State.

Ireland continues to actively engage with our international partners in supporting these efforts through bilateral contacts in Myanmar and via participation in the EU and UN responses including at the recent 38th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Ireland has consistently called for an independent and impartial investigation into the serious and credible allegations of human rights violations by the Myanmar security forces. In that regard, we have strongly supported the extension of the mandates of the UN Fact Finding Mission and UN Special Rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee, and have asked the Government of Myanmar to cooperate with them and allow them access to the country. Their work in investigating allegations, recording victim testimony and gathering other evidence, so that it can be preserved for further criminal proceedings, is crucial to ensuring full accountability.

Ireland has also actively engaged in the formation of the EU’s position including in the most recent EU Foreign Affairs Council’s Council Conclusions on Myanmar, which were adopted on 26 February last. These conclusions condemn the human rights violations in Myanmar, support the mandates of the Fact Finding Mission and Special Rapporteur and provide for targeted restrictive measures against senior military officers of the Myanmar armed forces responsible for these acts. Targeted sanctions have since been put in place.

My Department will continue to liaise closely with EU and other international partners to press for progress in resolving this crisis including through our Embassies in Thailand and in Hanoi who are closely monitoring the situation.