UK Parliament and Rohingya
Questions asked by Baroness Goudie at the House of Lords on 5th of April 2011
o ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings United Kingdom government officials have had with representatives of the Rohingya ethnic minority in Burma.[HL8101]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government are deeply concerned about the situation facing the Rohingya people. Foreign and Commonwealth officials in London often meet with the Burmese Rohingya Organisation and the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation-most recently on 10 March 2011. Our embassy in Rangoon meets on a regular basis with a wide range of ethnic groups. The Government remain committed to advocating fundamental freedoms and greater respect for human rights for all ethnic groups in Burma including the Rohingya.
o ask Her Majesty’s Government what meetings United Kingdom government officials have had with representatives of the Rohingya ethnic minority in Burma.[HL8101]
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): The Government are deeply concerned about the situation facing the Rohingya people. Foreign and Commonwealth officials in London often meet with the Burmese Rohingya Organisation and the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation-most recently on 10 March 2011. Our embassy in Rangoon meets on a regular basis with a wide range of ethnic groups. The Government remain committed to advocating fundamental freedoms and greater respect for human rights for all ethnic groups in Burma including the Rohingya.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the United Nations Department of Political Affairs to ensure that United Nations envoys to Burma meet and consult with ethnic Rohingya representatives.[HL8102]
Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Mission to the United Nations (UN) in New York most recently raised Burma with the UN Department of Political Affairs on 7 March 2011. The UK regularly speaks with the UN about the importance of national reconciliation across all ethnic groups in Burma and the need to address human rights abuses. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma travelled to Rakhine state, where many Rohingya live, in February 2010. He has subsequently made specific references to the human right abuses the Rohingya have suffered in his three human rights reports. The UN special envoy to Burma met with several ethnic political parties, including the Rakhine political party in November 2010, and has discussed wider ethnic issues with our officials in New York. The Government are deeply concerned over the treatment of the Rohingya and other ethnic groups in Burma and continue to raise their situation in the UN and with international partners.
Lord Howell of Guildford: The UK Mission to the United Nations (UN) in New York most recently raised Burma with the UN Department of Political Affairs on 7 March 2011. The UK regularly speaks with the UN about the importance of national reconciliation across all ethnic groups in Burma and the need to address human rights abuses. The UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma travelled to Rakhine state, where many Rohingya live, in February 2010. He has subsequently made specific references to the human right abuses the Rohingya have suffered in his three human rights reports. The UN special envoy to Burma met with several ethnic political parties, including the Rakhine political party in November 2010, and has discussed wider ethnic issues with our officials in New York. The Government are deeply concerned over the treatment of the Rohingya and other ethnic groups in Burma and continue to raise their situation in the UN and with international partners.
Asked by Baroness Goudie
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times in 2009 and 2010 the Burmese ambassador to the United Kingdom has met with officials and Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss human rights.[HL8104]
Lord Howell of Guildford: Our officials and Ministers regularly meet the Burmese ambassador at Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) London Committee meetings. According to our records, the Burmese ambassador or the charges d’affaires attended seven ASEAN London Committee meetings between March 2009 and February 2011. During these meetings, the Government raised concerns over a number of
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human rights issues: the detention of political prisoners, the suppression of the democratic and ethnic-based opposition and the lack of fundamental freedoms. The Government continue to make these points directly to the Burmese ambassador, with officials in Burma and with other ASEAN member states who have influence with the Burmese regime.
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Who is Baroness Mary Goudie
Baroness Goudie has been a Member of the House of Lords since 1998 when she was appointed a life peer. She has held senior positions in the Parliamentary Labour Party in the House of Lords and is a senior member of the British/Irish Inter-Parliamentary Committee in the House of Lords and a former member of the Communications Committee, the Procedures Committee and the European Committee on Law and the Constitution. At present she is a member of the Tax Law Rewrite Committee and member of the Committee of Selection. The Baroness is Vice Chair of All-Party Identity Fraud Committee and led the campaign for ratification of the United Nations’ Treaty on Human Trafficking and a subsequent Treaty of the Council of Europe on Human Trafficking.She is Chair of the Women Leaders’ Council to Fight Human Trafficking at UN.Gift. She launched the global initiative to fight human trafficking in March 2007 and continues to lead this campaign. Baroness Goudie is involved with the G8 and G20 promoting the role of women and children in the global economy.
She has continued to work tirelessly on legislation in the House of Lords and is currently pushing through one of the government’s major reforms, The Equality Bill.
Since 2000, she has been a patron of the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland which benefits numerous charities, especially those focused on assisting women and children. She led the campaign to increase the endowment fund with funding from the British government, foundations and individuals. In 2007 she launched the Patrons fund to ensure sustainability and continues to lead this campaign.
In Scotland, Baroness Goudie has served on the governing Board of Napier University where she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate degree in 1999 and was a member of the Board of the Prince & Princess of Wales Hospice in Glasgow. She has been included in the “List of Most influential Women in Scotland” published by leading Scottish newspapers.
In 1971, Baroness Goudie became the youngest woman to be elected to the London Borough of Brent Council. During her time on the Borough Council she worked to advance the Campaign for a Housing Aid Centre and a Law Centre and helped found a Housing Association for the Borough.
Outside of government, she has a consultancy practice which has provided strategic counselling to more than 25 large companies, organizations and professional services firms and has directed a wide range of public affairs assignments.
She is also actively engaged in numerous philanthropic organizations including her role as a member of the Executive and Board of Directors of Vital Voices Global Partnership. In this role she has been involved in training community and business leaders and parliamentarians. In addition she has been very active in raising funds for Vital Voices’ projects. She is also a trustee of Piggybankkids and a trustee for Share Gift.
Baroness Mary Goudie has been described as possessing a powerful combination of qualities: She has earned an enviable and impressive reputation for advancing a variety of Parliamentary and Constitutional issues while being an enthusiastic and energetic networker who has amassed an enviable collection of influential contacts around the globe who regard her as a valued and trusted friend.
She is married with two sons and resides in London, Glasgow and Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
Link : http://www.baronessgoudie.com/about/
