Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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57.To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade to make a statement on the crisis in Myanmar; to list the meeting he had which addressed the matter and what actions Ireland can take to help restore democracy in the country [25150/24]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I remain deeply concerned by the situation in Myanmar. Since the illegal coup in February 2021, violent conflict has escalated across the country, while the humanitarian and human rights situations continue to deteriorate.

The latest United Nations reporting advises that 18.6 million people, a third of the population, are in need of humanitarian assistance across Myanmar. There are 2.7 million people internally displaced, while large numbers have also fled to neighbouring countries. The Rohingya people remain at risk with reports of continued violations against them by a variety of actors.

Since October 2023, military operations by anti-junta groups have challenged regime control in some parts of the country. The intervening months have also seen increasingly brutal attacks by the junta, including indiscriminate air strikes on civilian targets. In response to growing military pressure, on 10 February the junta mandated conscription for the first time since the People’s Military Service Law was passed in 2010.

Ireland remains actively engaged on the crisis in Myanmar through multilateral fora, including the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. In these fora, Ireland highlights the dire human rights situation; calls for the military to ensure humanitarian access and the safety of humanitarian workers; and expresses support for relevant accountability mechanisms including the International Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar. Ireland welcomes the appointment of the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Myanmar, Julie Bishop, in April 2024.

Ireland supported the renewal of the EU’s restrictive measures on Myanmar in April 2024. Ireland fully supports action against perpetrators of the coup as well as those who sustain them, and welcomes consideration of further measures that would be effective in working to restore the democratic path.

Ireland engages with partners in South East Asia to seek their views on the crisis in Myanmar. In February, I discussed the issue with the Foreign Minister of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Bui Thanh Son, during his visit to Dublin. My colleague, Minister of State Fleming, attended the EU-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in February this year, where the situation in Myanmar was also discussed.

Ireland continues to provide humanitarian funding to Myanmar, including through increased sums of €1 million to the UN Myanmar Humanitarian Fund and €1.5 million to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Through Ireland’s Civil Society Partnership (ICSP) Chronic Humanitarian Funding Crises Stream 2, almost €790,000 will be provided to Trócaire and Christian Aid Ireland for their humanitarian programmes in Myanmar in 2024.