Marise Payne (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Smith for his supplementary question. We have raised our concerns about human rights issue in Rakhine and the plight of the Rohingya directly with the Myanmar government. Both the former Prime Minister Mr Turnbull and the former foreign minister Julie Bishop raised the matter directly with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi during the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. I have also discussed the issues with my international counterparts in my former role and in my current role, including at the Australia-US ministerial consultations in July and the Australia-United Kingdom ministerial meeting also in July.

As I said, I will discuss those matters further with international counterparts next week. We have supported resolutions at the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly, condemning the reported abuses, calling for accountability for humanitarian access to Rakhine state and calling for, once conditions allow, the safe, sustainable, voluntary and dignified return of displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar. Our national statement to the Human Rights Council yesterday reinforced that. (Time expired)