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.