Inter-parliamentary Union: Human Rights

(asked on 13th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to uphold the human and political rights of parliamentarians in (1) Myanmar, (2) Turkey, (3) Venezuela, and (4) other member countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.


Answered by
 Portrait
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 27th April 2021

The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights internationally and defending democratic freedoms is fundamental to our foreign policy. On Myanmar, we have used our presidencies of both the G7 and the UN Security Council to secure strong statements to uphold the human and political rights of parliamentarians. The Minister for Asia formally summoned the Myanmar Ambassador twice and stressed that State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and others who had been arbitrarily detained should be released. In Turkey, we continue to make clear that we expect the government to undertake any legal processes or actions against opposition MPs fairly, transparently and with full respect for their human rights and the rule of law. In Venezuela, we are concerned at reports of the detention of opposition MPs and continue to call on all Venezuela's leaders to support the restoration of democracy. We will continue to support democracy and the work of parliamentarians worldwide.

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