Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to help support women protestors in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Mahsa Amini's death was a shocking reminder of the repression faced by women in Iran. On 14 November, the UK sanctioned 24 leading political and security officials in Iran for their role in the brutal crackdown on protests. These sanctions send a clear message that the UK will hold Iran to account for its repression of women and girls. At a Special Session of the Human Rights Council on 24 November, the UK and our partners secured the establishment of an investigative mechanism into the regime's response to protests - an important step towards accountability. The UK will continue to work with our partners to ensure this delivers for the people of Iran, not least the women and girls bravely protesting for their freedom.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of conflict in Kashmir on people in that region.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
India and Pakistan are long-standing, important friends of UK and we encourage both to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability. We recognise that there are human rights concerns in both India-administered Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The UK Government encourages all states to ensure their domestic laws are in line with international standards. It is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of Kashmiri people. We continue to encourage both to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to help protect (a) the Hazara community and (b) other minorities in Afghanistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans and to protect minority groups, including Hazaras, from terrorist attacks. We are working closely with international partners to ensure credible monitoring and accountability mechanisms are in place. In March 2022, we worked through the UN Security Council to strengthen human rights monitoring, including of risks to Hazara and other minorities, in the UN Assistance Mission to Afghanistan mandate. We also supported a UN Human Rights Council resolution that led to the appointment of Richard Bennett as Special Rapporteur. His recent report to the Human Rights Council included an assessment of the situation for the Hazara and other minorities: we are working with the international community on how best to respond to his recommendations. We are also carefully reviewing the findings of the recent Hazara Inquiry report.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the treatment of minorities in India.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government is committed to defending the rights of minorities, including Freedom of Religion or Belief for all, and promoting respect and tolerance between different communities. This includes hosting a recent international Ministerial Conference on 5 and 6 July which brought together governments, parliamentarians, faith and belief representatives, and civil society to strengthen international efforts to ensure freedom of religion or belief for everyone. India, like the UK, has a long democratic tradition of inclusive governance. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and oppose discrimination against minorities. Where we have them and when appropriate to do so, we raise concerns directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level, while recognising that reports of discrimination against minorities are a matter for the Indian police and local legal system. The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions follow these reports closely.
Our network of High Commissions regularly engage with minority groups, meet representatives from minority communities and run projects supporting minority rights. Our project work primarily tackles the drivers of human rights violations, working with minority communities to encourage empowerment. We promote women's rights, promote the LGBT+ community in India and demonstrate our support. We also meet with religious representatives and, over the last three years in India, we have worked with local non-governmental organisations to bring together young people of diverse faith backgrounds to work together on social action projects in their local communities and build positive relationships between them.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with its international counterparts to help resolve conflict in Kashmir.
Answered by Graham Stuart
The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting, political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions, but the pace and scope is for them to determine.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the treatment of (a) Jimmy Lai, (b) Hang Tung Chow and (c) other people arrested for taking part in June Fourth anniversary commemorations in Hong Kong meets international standards on the treatment of prisoners, including The Nelson Mandela Rules.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Whilst I cannot comment on individual cases, I can confirm that we continue to make clear to mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities our strong opposition to the National Security Law. It is clear that this legislation is being used to curtail freedoms, punish dissent and shrink the space for opposition, free press and civil society. We remain concerned about the targeting of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, and are following the situation carefully.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the accuracy of reports that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government breached its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as a result of arresting participants in vigils in memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to Hong Kong's way of life, and guaranteed in both the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, we will continue to stand up for the people of Hong Kong, to call out the violation of their rights and freedoms, and to urge China to uphold the rights set out in the Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including freedoms of speech, the press and assembly.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's objectives are for the upcoming Ministerial Conference on International Freedom of Religion or Belief.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK-hosted International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in July 2022 will drive forward international efforts to defend FoRB for all. Our objectives are: to raise awareness of FoRB issues; to use UK human rights experience and leadership to improve FoRB for all; to galvanise partner countries and stakeholders to work more closely together; to encourage collective action by partner countries and FoRB stakeholders; and to strengthen the voices and capacity of defenders of FoRB.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international counterparts to help tackle forced conversions in India.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of Freedom of Religion or Belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Our network in India will continue to monitor developments, including legislation, related to religious conversions.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. Over the last three years in India, the FCDO has worked with local Non-Governmental Organisations to bring together young people of diverse faith backgrounds to work together on social action projects in their local communities and build positive relationships between them. We have supported a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme, creating an opportunity to exchange UK-India experiences on leading modern, inclusive communities. We engage leaders of all faiths in India to understand their perspectives, using important milestones, alongside the wider international community.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representation she has made to her Indian counterpart on the protection of religious minorities.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. The Foreign Secretary engages regularly with her Indian counterpart, Minister for External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to discuss important global issues, including most recently during her March 2022 visit to Delhi. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, also regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India, and Freedom of Religion or Belief forms part of that dialogue.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. We work with the UN, G7, and other multilateral fora to promote Freedom of Religion or Belief. On 5-6 July 2022, we will host an international Ministerial conference in London, driving forward international efforts on Freedom of Religion or Belief and demonstrating our leading role in supporting freedom and openness.