Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to the International Olympic Committee regarding the upholding of Article 50 of the Olympic Charter in response to a Beijing Games spokesperson’s remarks at a press conference stating that reports of forced labour in Xinjiang were lies made up by deliberate groups.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government supports the International Olympic Committee in its development and application of the Olympic Charter, including Article 50. The Government will not stand for forced labour, wherever it takes place, and has taken measures to help ensure that no British organisations are profiting from or contributing to human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2022 to Question 112594 on Xinjiang: Genocide, whether staff in her Department have been tasked with producing a risk assessment of the Xinjiang region in line with that debate's motion agreed by the House.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in our response to question 112594, the FCDO continues to monitor the human rights situation in Xinjiang closely. The available evidence is used to inform FCDO and broader HMG policy in relation to Xinjiang, and to underpin our robust diplomatic action and domestic policy response. However, it remains the long-standing policy of the British Government not to make determinations in relation to genocide. We keep judgments of competent tribunals and courts on genocide under close review.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2022 to Question 112594 on Xinjiang: Genocide, whether her Department has seen and examined the evidence used by the (a) American Government, (b) Canadian Parliament, (c) Lithuanian Parliament and (d) Dutch Parliament to declare that genocide is taking place in Xinjiang.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The FCDO continues to monitor the situation in Xinjiang closely. This includes regular discussion and sharing of analysis with our international partners, in addition to our own monitoring of open source research, extensive commissioning and funding of research from relevant international experts, and diplomatic reporting from our Embassy in Beijing and the wider FCDO network. This evidence and analysis underpins our robust diplomatic action and domestic policy response.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 January 2022 to Question 112594 on Xinjiang: Genocide, whether the Government has taken steps to begin producing a risk assessment of the Xinjiang region in line with that debate's motion agreed by the House.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As set out in our response to question 112594, the FCDO continues to monitor the human rights situation in Xinjiang closely. The available evidence is used to inform FCDO and broader HMG policy in relation to Xinjiang, and to underpin our robust diplomatic action and domestic policy response. However, it remains the long-standing policy of the British Government not to make determinations in relation to genocide. We keep judgments of competent tribunals and courts on genocide under close review.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the debate of 20 January 2022 on Judgment of the Uyghur Tribunal, whether the Government is taking steps to produce a risk assessment of the Xianjiang region in line with that debate's motion agreed by the House.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The FCDO continues to monitor the human rights situation in Xinjiang closely. This includes regular discussion and sharing of information with international partners, close monitoring of open source research, extensive commissioning and funding of research from relevant international experts on issues of concern and diplomatic reporting and analysis from our Embassy in Beijing and the wider FCDO network. This growing body of evidence and analysis will continue to inform FCDO and broader HMG policy in relation to Xinjiang, and underpin our robust diplomatic action and domestic policy response.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Minister for Asia has met with representatives of the World Uyghur Congress.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As referenced in my response to written questions 100589 and 100590, FCDO Ministers and officials regularly meet members of the Uyghur diaspora and maintain a dialogue with leading human rights Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) about the situation in Xinjiang. Most recently, in December, I hosted a roundtable for human rights NGOs attended by a representative of the World Uyghur Congress.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the UK Government has made an assessment under the Genocide Convention of (a) whether genocide is taking place and (b) the level of risk of genocide in Xinjiang.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This does not prevent us from taking robust action to address serious violations of human rights, as we are doing in the case of Xinjiang.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has met with representatives of the World Uyghur Congress.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As referenced in my response to written questions 100589 and 100590, FCDO Ministers and officials regularly meet members of the Uyghur diaspora and maintain a dialogue with leading human rights Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) about the situation in Xinjiang. Most recently, in December, I hosted a roundtable for human rights NGOs attended by a representative of the World Uyghur Congress.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of potential risk of genocide regarding treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in the Uyghur region of China, in response to the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Bosnia & Herzegovina v Serbia & Montenegro, 2007.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This does not prevent us from taking robust action to address serious violations of human rights, as we are doing in the case of Xinjiang.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Minister for Asia has met people involved in the Uyghur Tribunal (a) before and (b) after that tribunal's verdict of Uyghur genocide in Xinjiang.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
FCDO Ministers and senior officials have engaged extensively with the Chair of the Uyghur Tribunal, Sir Geoffrey Nice, over the last year to discuss the Tribunal's work. We recognise and welcome the Tribunal's contribution to building international awareness and understanding of the human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang.