Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to (a) hold fair and open elections in 2019 and (b) ensure Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal investigates impartially the 1971 War of Independence.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The United Kingdom will continue to engage constructively with all political parties in Bangladesh and with international partners, to strengthen democratic accountability and build the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections. Peaceful, credible elections are the true mark of a mature functioning democracy, and all political parties share a responsibility for delivering them. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office named Bangladesh as one of its 30 Human Rights Priority Countries in its 2015 report. The report cited the confrontational actions of the two main political parties as one of the areas of particular concern.
The Government has made clear its support for Bangladesh’s efforts to bring to justice those accused of atrocities committed during the 1971 War of Independence. However, this must be done in a way that meets appropriate international legal standards. NGOs continue to raise concerns about the process and we urged the Bangladesh government to ensure compliance with these standards during Bangladesh’s second Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2013. We continue to emphasise these points in our discussions with the Bangladeshi authorities.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent contact the Government has had with the Free Syrian Army.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
On 4 November, the Foreign Secretary and I met Khaled Khoja, President of the Syrian National Coalition, and Osama Abu Zayd, Spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army. The meeting was an opportunity to hear firsthand about the situation on the ground inside Syria, as well as to underline to President Khoja and his delegation the British Government’s commitment to supporting the moderate Syrian opposition in pursuit of a political solution to the conflict in Syria.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether attacks by ISIL against Iraqi Yazidis constitute to genocide.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Government believes that recognition of genocides should be a matter for international courts. It should be a legal, rather than political determination, decided by international judges after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible international judicial process. I deplore the targeting and persecution of Yezidis and other minorities by the so called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. We continue to urge the Government of Iraq to do all it can to ensure the security and rights of all minority communities in Iraq, including the Yezidi. We are working in Iraq to build consensus around the importance of freedom of religion or belief; and supporting practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups. The UK is supporting the international humanitarian relief effort in Iraq by providing £79.5m to help the 3.2 million internally displaced Iraqis, including many who have fled their homes on account of ISIL’s persecution on the grounds of religion. The money is providing clean water, sanitation, essential medicines, and funding for NGOs and charities, some of which is specifically designed to protect women and children.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the Burmese Rohinga people.
Answered by Lord Swire
I visited Rakhine State for the second time in July, during my visit to Burma. While there, I met representatives of both Rakhine and Rohingya communities, visited camps for the internally displaced, viewed projects we are supporting, and raised our serious concerns about the treatment of the Rohingya at senior level, with both local and central Burmese government.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government considers that Burma's Rohinga minority are subject to genocide.
Answered by Lord Swire
It is clear that the Rohingya are being persecuted and denied the most basic rights in Rakhine. Any judgment on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for international judicial decision, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies.
Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, irrespective of whether they fit the definition of specific international crimes. I and other Government Ministers take every appropriate opportunity, both publicly and in private, to press the Burmese authorities to take urgent steps to address the situation of the Rohingya.
Asked by: Graham P Jones (Labour - Hyndburn)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what precautions his Department is taking to protect its staff based in West Africa from the Ebola virus.
Answered by Lord Hammond of Runnymede
We have withdrawn UK-based family members from Freetown, as well as those staff whose underlying medical conditions may make them more likely to require medical attention locally. We have reviewed working practices to avoid staff being exposed to the Ebola virus and issued guidance to all staff and their families in the region on how best to protect themselves against the virus.