News story: Foreign Secretary call with Aung San Suu Kyi

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I reiterated my deep and continuing concern about the situation facing Burma’s Rohingya people to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and encouraged her to show the leadership needed to bring together the communities of Rakhine State.

I welcomed Burma’s agreement of a Memorandum of Understanding allowing UN oversight of the refugee returns process in Rakhine, and her Government’s announcement of the establishment of a Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations in Rakhine. I underlined the need for swift implementation of both, to support the creation of conditions to allow the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees and ensure those responsible for human rights violations in Rakhine are held to account.

Recent fighting in Kachin and Shan States is also deeply troubling and I stressed the need for the Burmese military to exercise restraint and ensure humanitarian access to those people forced to flee from their homes by the violence.

We also discussed the passing of Burma’s Wildlife Act, which is welcome and lays down some of the toughest punishments in South East Asia for illegal wildlife trade crimes.

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