Earl of Courtown
Main Page: Earl of Courtown (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
The Earl of Courtown (Con)
My Lords, I join other noble Lords in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, on securing this timely debate. In our increasingly unstable world, the incidence of atrocities has grown in recent years, as mentioned by all noble Lords. The noble Lord has long been an effective champion for the victims of crimes against humanity and genocide. In particular, he has consistently stood up for the Uyghurs, who have suffered so much at the hands of the Chinese Government.
The regimes and organisations that commit atrocities invariably seek to hide their crimes through information blackouts and suppression of freedom of speech. Photographic evidence is particularly powerful, and that is why those who perpetrate these crimes seek to suppress images. The importance of image-based evidence was demonstrated in the case of the massacres in Sudan, where the evidence could be seen from space using satellite imaging.
None of us will forget the harrowing images we have seen from Ukraine; and in Iran, despite the regime’s internet blackout, the evidence of murder of protesters is irrefutable. On the situation in Iran, as highlighted by the right reverend Prelate, the Times reported this weekend that as many as 16,500 protesters may have been killed by the Iranian regime. Has the Minister been able to verify any of these reports, and what steps are Ministers taking in response to them?
The systematic mass murder of civilians on this scale must be met with the harshest condemnation. We have debated the plight of the Uyghurs on many previous occasions. Can the Minister please set out what work the Government are doing to verify and monitor reports of abuses by the Chinese Government? When was the last time Ministers in her department raised this issue, and their concerns, with the Chinese Government?
The noble Lord, Lord Alton of Liverpool, is completely right to have triggered this important debate. We do need to monitor risks and rapidly developing situations where atrocity crimes are likely. I look forward to the Minister’s response.