Press release: UK Government calls for more international support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Minister Mark Field and Joanna Roper have held talks with senior ministers in Dhaka and have called for greater humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugee community, particularly to help support the provision of education for refugees and host communities.

Over 706,364 people have fled from their homes in Burma’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh since August 2017, joining around 340,000 Rohingya who had previously fled.

In a visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where over a million refugees are living in crowded and unsafe refugee camps, Minister Field and Joanna Roper met refugee families and community leaders to learn about the persecution they suffered in Rakhine, and to hear about the challenges that life in the camps presents. They saw first-hand the damage caused by recent monsoon rains, and the work of the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies to protect the refugees.

They visited a UNICEF child-friendly site where they saw the efforts being made to keep young people safe and heard about efforts to provide education for refugee children. They also visited community and health centres, and met with a site management team to hear about the UK’s contribution to monsoon preparedness. Joanna Roper was invited to see a safe space for women at the camp, and heard about their experiences of displacement.

Tomorrow (1st July) in Dhaka, Minister Field and Joanna Roper will hold talks with senior ministers on the Rohingya crisis, and the wider situation in Bangladesh. They will hear how Bangladesh is making strong inroads into providing twelve years of quality education for women and girls, and visit a factory where they will speak to the female workforce about labour rights.

Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field MP said:

What I witnessed today was truly heartbreaking, and only redoubles my determination to support the refugees and keep up the pressure on the Burmese authorities.

I call on the international community to work with Bangladesh to step up support for the refugees, both during this monsoon season and in the longer term through the provision of education and livelihoods.

The UK remains a leading donor to the crisis, committing £129m since September last year to support the refugees and vulnerable host communities.

We will continue to use international pressure and dialogue with the Burmese authorities to make progress, including through our support for the EU sanctions measures announced on 25 June.

UK Special Envoy for Gender Equality Joanna Roper said:

The stories we heard in the camps of violence against the Rohingya in Burma are deeply disturbing, but I was moved by the efforts being made to provide support to women and girls in the camps, as well as the learning centres for Rohingya children, displaying a thirst for education despite all that they have endured at such a young age.

Girls’ education is the right thing to do: women and girls have the right to be educated, equal, empowered and safe. As the Foreign Secretary said at the UN Human Rights Council on 18 June, we must leave no girl behind and enable all girls to receive 12 years of quality education. That message is equally important for Rohingya girls to hear.

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News story: Tenth Annual Armed Forces Day celebrated across the country

Men and women from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, both Regulars and Reserves, are being recognised alongside the wider defence family including cadets and veterans.

The National Event is taking place in Llandudno, North Wales, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne The Princess Royal, representing the Queen and the Royal Family. Prime Minister Theresa May and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson are also attending the event, alongside the thousands of attendees who will gather to watch parades, displays and a record number of flypasts.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Today we mark the tenth Armed Forces Day and it remains a valuable opportunity to honour our troops who work so hard to keep us safe. Our servicemen and women are on hand every hour of every day to protect us from the threats we face and today I encourage people across the UK to come together and salute them for their tireless commitment.

I commend Llandudno for an outstanding event and thank organisers across the country for their efforts to mark Armed Forces Day.

The Armed Forces have had a busy year at home, including helping those struggling in heavy snowfall and providing emergency assistance in the aftermath of the Salisbury attack.

They are currently working in more than 25 countries and are ready to respond whenever they’re required. This year we saw over 2,000 personnel deployed to the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, on operations in Iraq and Syria as part of the fight against Daesh, and continue to reassure NATO allies in Europe.



Press release: Armed Forces Day 2019 to be held in Salisbury

The announcement will come as over 300 events are set to be held today to mark this year’s Armed Forces Day, from the national event in Llandudno to street parties and military parades across the country to say thank you to our sailors, soldiers and airmen and women.

Following the nerve agent attack, military teams worked tirelessly, alongside the emergency services, to help ensure the city is safe and can return to normal for visitors, businesses and everyone to enjoy. Their work to safely remove contaminated vehicles, testing the nerve agent and their ongoing efforts supporting the recovery, has enabled the city to return to the vibrant and welcoming place it is.

As well as this heroic response, Salisbury is a city steeped in military history, home to many Army bases including Bulford Camp and Tidworth Camp. While Salisbury Plain, one of the UK’s biggest military training areas, has been used for more than a century.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to say:

Armed Forces Day is a way to thank our incredible servicemen and women for their dedication, for the many sacrifices they make and for their extraordinary service and courage. I can think of no more suitable a place than Salisbury to show our gratitude next year.

The military response to the nerve agent attack here has been remarkable. In the days immediately following the attack, expert military teams helped to safely move contaminated vehicles, the Defence Science and Technology Library at Porton Down then expertly tested the nerve agent and today around 200 specialist military personnel from the Army and RAF continue to support the recovery.

By holding Armed Forces Day here next year, we are also celebrating the tremendous resilience and great spirit of Salisbury and showing clearly it is open for business. It’s a great city, enriched by military history and a wonderful place to visit.

It is expected hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the city for the day, supported by a £25,000 grant from the Ministry of Defence to host the event. This is on top of the £2.5m given to support businesses, assist with tourism and meet unexpected costs involved in the recovery effort in Salisbury.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to say:

Salisbury was a natural choice to host Armed Forces Day in 2019.

The city has a historic link with our Armed Forces and our troops demonstrated once again their bravery, dedication and skill during the central role they played following the reckless nerve agent attack here this year.

Our extraordinary service men and women continue to help Salisbury and the people of this beautiful cathedral city through the clear up and investigation, and it’s extremely fitting that next year the city and the entire nation will be able to thank them here for their commitment and unwavering service to protecting our nation from the deadliest of threats.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, leader of Wiltshire Council, is due to say:

I am absolutely delighted that Salisbury has been selected to host the Armed Forces Day national event next year. Wiltshire is proud to be a military county and the armed forces and their families make up a significant proportion of Wiltshire’s population. This is a fantastic opportunity, on behalf of the whole country, to recognise and celebrate what they do.

It will also be an opportunity to all say thank you for the work they have undertaken in Salisbury to ensure that the city is safe and can return to normal.

The event is the national focal point for celebrations and recognises the hard work and sacrifice of those that serve this country.

During recent months in Salisbury, we have seen how strong the links are between the city and our armed forces community. To be selected to host the national event in 2019 is a wonderful way to thank our service men and women for their contribution and for the job they do to keep us all safe.



Press release: British athletic games launched for wounded Armed Forces

Organised in partnership with Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion, this will see over 400 British veterans and personnel participate, helping those with injury or illness overcome mental and physical hurdles.

Participants will be able to take part in sports including athletics, wheelchair basketball, powerlifting, swimming and sitting volleyball.

The Prime Minister will make the announcement while attending Armed Forces Day, held in Llandudno this year. At the event, she will meet with men and women from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, both regulars and reserves and cadets and veterans.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to say:

I am proud to be in Llandudno for Armed Forces Day, celebrating our brilliant servicemen and women. Speaking on behalf of the nation, I want to thank them for their dedication, for the many sacrifices they make and for their extraordinary service and courage.

As our brave armed forces face dangers on our behalf, it is only right that we do everything we can to help their recovery when they suffer injuries or illness during combat or training.

Through these new British athletic games and the rehabilitative power of sport, we can help those who have sacrificed so much for our country to lead full and rewarding lives.

Now in its 10th year, this year’s Armed Forces Day will see a record number of flypasts and displays. The crowds will enjoy air shows from the Red Arrows and the Typhoons, while HMS Somerset will be docked in Llandudno Bay and Challenger battle tanks and Warrior armoured vehicles will be displayed in the military village.

The event in Llandudno is just one of over 300 events across the country to mark Armed Forces Day. From street parties to military parades, these events will say thank you to our sailors, soldiers and airmen and women.

At sea, on land and in the air, at home and around the globe, there are over 5,000 members of the British armed forces deployed currently in over 20 operations in 30 countries. From fighting against terrorism in the Middle East to providing peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance in Africa and the Caribbean while also being ready to defend our homeland in the event of a crisis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.



News story: Welsh Secretary marks tenth annual Armed Forces Day in Llandudno

Hundreds of events are being held today across the country to mark the tenth annual Armed Forces Day.

Men and women from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, both Regulars and Reserves, are being recognised alongside the wider defence family including cadets and veterans.

The National Event is taking place in Llandudno, North Wales, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne The Princess Royal, representing the Queen and the Royal Family. Prime Minister Theresa May, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns and Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson are also attending the event, alongside the thousands of attendees who will gather to watch parades, displays and a record number of flypasts

The event comes a month on from the Secretary of State for Wales’ visit to Afghanistan to see the 260 soldiers of the Welsh Guards based in the Afghan capital Kabul.

Mr Cairns sat down with soldiers to learn more about their role in providing security and mentoring help to Afghan officials as the country’s Government continues its work of reconstruction. He also met senior British army commanders for an update on the troops’ peace-keeping mission.

All three regular regiments are currently deployed on operations: 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh and 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards are deployed to reinforce NATOs eastern frontiers in Estonia and Poland whilst 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards serve in Afghanistan. Each is actively contributing to the security of the United Kingdom and global peace and stability.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Armed Forces Day is a unique moment in the year when we can all pause to mark the sacrifice and commitment of our serving men and women, past and present.

While Armed Forces Day of course recognises the major conflicts of the 20st century, it also brings us right up to date with the reminder that Welsh men and women are serving across the world today. And there was no prouder moment for me than when exactly one month ago, I had the honour of visiting the Welsh Guards in Afghanistan.

The sight of Llandudno promenade as the setting for a military march featuring old soldiers and young cadets will stick long in the memories of the thousands of people here today. I am proud to be a part of it, standing side by side with members of our Armed Forces who represent the very best of what this country stands for.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Today we mark the tenth Armed Forces Day and it remains a valuable opportunity to honour our troops who work so hard to keep us safe. Our servicemen and women are on hand every hour of every day to protect us from the threats we face and today I encourage people across the UK to come together and salute them for their tireless commitment.

I commend Llandudno for an outstanding event and thank organisers across the country for their efforts to mark Armed Forces Day.

The Armed Forces have had a busy year at home, including helping those struggling in heavy snowfall providing emergency assistance in the aftermath of the Salisbury attack.

They are currently working in more than 25 countries and are ready to respond whenever they’re required. This year we saw over 2,000 personnel deployed to the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, on operations in Iraq and Syria as part of the fight against Daesh, and continue to reassure NATO allies in Europe.