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<p>We are deeply concerned about the crisis in the Bay of Bengal, and particularly
for the thousands of people adrift in the Andaman Sea and Malacca Straits. <br><br>It
is vital that Burma addresses the longer-term issues which lie at the root of the
problem - namely the desperate conditions in which Rohingya communities are living
in Rakhine State. I asked the Burmese Ambassador in London to the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office on 18 May to express our concern at the situation, and press Burma to take
urgent steps to deal with the humanitarian implications of the crisis, as well as
the underlying causes in Rakhine. I also met the Bangladeshi Foreign Secretary on
20 May and raised the need for Bangladesh to work within the region to address people
trafficking and irregular migration. <br><br>It is clear that this is an issue that
requires a comprehensive regional response, and as such we welcomed the Thai authorities’
decision to call a regional summit on 29 May to tackle the broader issues. Our Ambassador
in Bangkok attended this summit as an observer. We also very much welcome the 20 May
decision, from the Foreign Ministers of Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, to provide
humanitarian assitance those stranded at sea. <br><br>As I made clear in a Parliamentary
debate in January, we have long encouraged a wider UN leadership role to help bring
about a long term solution to bring peace and reconciliation to all communities in
Rakhine State. UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon called Burmese President Thein Sein
on 20 May to discuss this issue. It was also discussed at the UN Security Council
on 28 May. <br><br>The UK is playing its part to resolve the dire situation in Rakhine.
Since 2012, the UK has been one of the largest bilateral humanitarian donors in Rakhine
State. We have invested over £18m in humanitarian support there, which helps to provide
shelter; water sanitation and hygiene; nutrition and protection activities; and non-food
items for over 122,000 people. We also strongly support the UN’s coordination of the
international humanitarian response.</p>
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