Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan in connection with recent attacks on Christians, including the burning of eight churches in the Jaranwala area of Faisalabad.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns violence against Christians in Pakistan. Protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), including for minority communities, remains central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. On 21 August I wrote to Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, urging the government to ensure the safety of the Christian community following the attacks in Jaranwala. This was a point I also raised directly with Mr Jilani during our meeting in London on 13th September. I also welcome the recent public statements in Pakistan by political and religious leaders that perpetrators of these shocking attacks against Pakistan's religious minorities must be held to account and the need for all places of worship to be protected. Caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani publicly called for those responsible to be brought to justice and reiterated the UK's commitment to freedom of religion or belief for all.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Pakistan regarding the death sentences given to Qaiser and Amoon Ayub.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle, and have made that clear to the Government of Pakistan. We are deeply concerned at the misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan. We continue to press for speedy and fair trials for those accused of blasphemy, including cases such as Qaiser and Amoon Ayub, and urge the authorities to ensure the safety of those charged and those later released.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Indonesia regarding the statement by UN special rapporteurs on 1 March detailing human rights abuses in West Papua; and in particular, the findings of (1) extrajudicial killings, including of young children, (2) enforced disappearances, torture and displacement of Papuans by Indonesian security forces, and (3) the obstruction of humanitarian aid to the displaced.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK fully respects the territorial integrity of Indonesia, which includes the provinces of Papua and West Papua. We regularly discuss Papua with our Indonesian counterparts and a team from the British Embassy Jakarta visited Papua in March 2022 where they met with government officials, law enforcement representatives, local businesses, young entrepreneurs, educators and religious leaders to discuss a wide range of issues including the security situation and economic development in the province.
The UK Government continues to support the efforts of the Indonesian authorities and civil society to address the needs and aspirations of the Papuan people, including strengthening human rights protections, providing humanitarian assistance and ensuring that all Papuans benefit from the sustainable and equitable development of their province. We support Indonesia's engagement with the UN, including the proposed visit on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Papua and encourage both sides to agree on dates.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Georgia regarding the continued imprisonment of the former President of that country, Mikheil Saakashvili.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are following former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili's arrest and imprisonment closely. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Georgia discussed Mr Saakashvili's detention with the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament on 15 October, and our Deputy Head of Mission highlighted our concerns with the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs on 11 November. Senior Officials further raised Mr Saakashvili's treatment with the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 1 December in Tbilisi. We were pleased that Mr Saakashvili ended his hunger strike on 20 November and agreed to receive medical treatment at a military hospital. It is important that Mr Saakashvili receives treatment in line with international human rights standards, and that any further hearings are in line with the rule of law and due process.
We will continue to monitor developments around Mr Saakashvili closely in the future.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of India about its decision to freeze the bank accounts of Amnesty International in that country; and what assessment they have made of the actions by that government against non-governmental organisations, in particular, human rights groups.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I have raised our concerns on this matter with the Indian High Commissioner, most recently on 1 October. Our Acting High Commissioner in New Delhi has also raised this with the Indian Prime Minister's Office, most recently on 29 September. We have requested Amnesty's accounts be unfrozen while the investigation is ongoing. In our contacts with the Government of India, we have noted the important role of organisations like Amnesty in a democracy.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office remains in contact with Amnesty International on this matter. We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of India, where we have them.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Sugg on 28 September (HL8057), what plans they have to accelerate their assessment of the government of Georgia's amendment to their communications law following the expropriation of telecoms provider Caucasus Online; and whether they plan to raise concerns with the government of Georgia about the reasons for that government's takeover of a privately-owned internet provider shortly before parliamentary elections.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Our Embassy in Tbilisi have reviewed the amendments to the Law on Electronic Communications, and discussed with other Embassies and NGOs in Georgia. The UK's view, and that of the stakeholders we have consulted, is that these amendments seek to address national security concerns, and have been put in place to protect Georgia's critical digital national infrastructure.
The case involving Caucasus Online is currently under arbitration, and therefore it is inappropriate for the UK Government to comment at this time. We will continue to monitor developments in this case closely.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) changes to the law in Georgia which discriminate against foreign investors in that country's digital telecommunications network, (2) reports that such changes were due to pressure from the government of Russia, and (3) the impact of any such changes on Georgia's membership of international bodies.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are aware of the concerns raised by some local telecoms companies and civil society organisations regarding the Georgian Parliament's recent amendment to the electronic communications law, giving more authority to the communications regulator, on Georgia's media and telecommunications sector. Through our Embassy in Tbilisi we are carrying out a full assessment of the amendment, including its implications for foreign investors. The UK and other international partners work to promote continued democratic and economic reforms in Georgia that support strong governance, media freedom and an open business environment.
As we are still assessing the amendment, it would not be appropriate for us to comment on reports speculating about its origins. Similarly on Georgia's membership of international bodies, it would be for the relevant organisations to review these developments in line with their membership rules.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, or intend to make, to the newly elected president of Indonesia, when the result is announced, regarding access to West Papua for journalists and non-governmental organisations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government regularly raises the situation in Papua with the Indonesian authorities and presses them to address the legitimate concerns regarding access. In January 2018, I raised my concern about this issue with the Indonesian ambassador to London, and our officials in Indonesia also raised this when they visited Papua in February this year. The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific acknowledged at a Westminster Hall Debate on 8 May that transparency and media access are important. We continue to encourage Indonesian journalists to write openly and frankly about Papua to ensure that local perspectives are properly heard and are part of any debate, and will do so with the next President and their team when the election results are announced in due course.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of India about the arrest on 28 August of five Indian Dalit human rights activists during simultaneous police raids conducted in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Faridabad, Pune, Ranchi, and Goa.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Any allegation of human rights abuse is of conern and the FCO believe must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. The Government remains committed to promoting and defending human rights and we expect all countries to comply with their international legal obligations in this regard.
We have not raised this particular case with the Government of India, but we do raise concerns more broadly where necessary. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions continue to monitor the human rights situation in India and work with civil society on projects that protect and promote human rights. For example, our officials in India helped create the first ever network of Dalit Women Human Rights Defenders trained as paralegals.
Asked by: Lord Harries of Pentregarth (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that mining companies listed on the London Stock Exchange are engaging in illegal land grabs in protected tribal lands in India.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCO has not made an assessment. Nor has the FCO received any recent representation on this issue. The Government expects multinational enterprises to operate responsibly abroad, and encourages them to do so, in line with the domestic laws of the countries in which they operate, in the spirit of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and international standards including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.