Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the televised public confession of Kai Zhang prior to formal arrest, indictment or trial; what assessment they have made of what legal assistance he is receiving and what contact he has been permitted to have with his family; what contact the UK authorities have had with him; and what representations they have made to the government of China on his behalf.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
We remain concerned that a number of Chinese lawyers and human rights defenders, such as Zhang Kai, have been arrested, detained, or have simply disappeared since last July. We have raised the cases regularly with the Chinese authorities. In January, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised our concerns directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. We supported a public statement by the Delegation of the EU in Beijing on 29 January, expressing concerns about the human rights situation in China, which included the detention of lawyers.
We urge the Chinese authorities to release the detained lawyers, including Zhang Kai, and ensure all detainees have access to legal counsel of their choice.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of China on the alleged harvesting of organs from Falun Gong prisoners held in China.
Answered by Lord Swire
I remain concerned by reports of organ harvesting, which we have raised on numerous occasions, including at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year.
The Chinese government has repeatedly denied allegations that organs are forcibly removed from detainees. We are aware that organs removed from executed prisoners have been used for human transplantation purposes in China; Chinese law requires that prisoners give prior consent that their organs be used in this way.
We welcome steps taken by the Chinese government in recent years to improve the regulation of organ transplantation, for example the reports that suggest China would stop using organs harvested from executed prisoners from January of this year. Implementation of this policy is an important step.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the human rights situation in that country.
Answered by Lord Swire
We remain concerned by the human rights situation in China, particularly in relation to civil and political rights. As noted in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy (www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk), the climate for human rights defenders and civil society is very difficult in China, and restrictions to ethnic minority rights continue. We are concerned that individuals continue to be detained for the peaceful expression of their views, and that some detainees are not permitted adequate medical care.
We consistently raise our concerns with the Chinese authorities, not least through the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue, last held in April. I raised a number of my concerns with Ambassador Liu Xiaoming earlier this month, and publicly highlighted the range of my concerns on the situation in Tibet during a Westminster Hall Debate on 18 June. We also continue to make representations in international fora such as the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: William Bain (Labour - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made in the last 12 months to the government of the People's Republic of China on organ harvesting practices in that country.
Answered by Lord Swire
We are aware that organs removed from executed prisoners are used for human transplantation purposes in China. Chinese law requires that prisoners give prior consent for their organs to be used in this way.
In March 2012, the Chinese government announced plans to phase out the use of organs from executed prisoners for transplant and to create a national organ donation system. We continue to encourage China to make further progress in this respect, including by sharing best practice.
We most recently raised allegations of forced organ removal and the treatment of detainees in China at the UK China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014. We also highlight our concerns publicly in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy (www.hrdreport.fco.gov.uk).
Asked by: Andrew Bingham (Conservative - High Peak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Chinese counterpart on the health and whereabouts of human rights' lawyer Mr Gao Zhisheng following his further detention by Chinese authorities.
Answered by Lord Swire
We remain concerned about human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, who has been imprisoned in Xinjiang since 2011. We raised his case directly with Chinese officials during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 19-20 May, and urged the Chinese authorities to respect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of all detainees, including access to family, lawyers and adequate medical care.
We understand that Gao’s prison term is due to end soon, and we urge the Chinese authorities to ensure that his rights to freedom of movement and communication are duly protected on his release.