Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that UK military goods exported to Pakistan are not used (a) in military operations in Balochistan, Federally Administered Tribal Areas or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and (b) by internal security forces or the intelligence services to monitor the activities of (i) political activists, (ii) human rights defenders and (iii) peaceful civilians in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We assess all arms export licence applications for Pakistan, like other countries, against the Consolidated EU & National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. These provide a thorough risk assessment framework. We will not grant a licence if to do so would be inconsistent with these Criteria, for example where there is a clear risk that the items might be used for internal repression or in the commission of a serious violation of international humanitarian law. We also consider if there is a risk that the items will be diverted to an undesirable end-user or for an undesirable end-use. We keep the situation under constant review. Extant licences can be revoked at any time if the situation changes and those licences are no longer assessed as being consistent with the licensing criteria.
Pakistan is one of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's ‘human rights priority countries’. We are active in promoting respect for the rule of law, including through projects financed by the Conflict, Stability & Security Fund.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Government of Pakistan in tackling cases of enforced disappearances in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression, including the detention of human rights defenders, journalists and others, in Pakistan. The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We are also concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.
We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan, including on the freedom of expression and of belief. The Prime Minister spoke to the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on 17 August 2018 and highlighted the importance of Pakistan delivering on its commitments to strengthen institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law, and to advance the rights of minorities. My colleague, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed human rights in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018. I raised these concerns with the government during my visit to Pakistan in November 2017. The British Government continues to urge Pakistan to honour in full its human rights obligations.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the validity of reports of continued enforced disappearances of minorities, dissidents and others in Pakistan.
Answered by Mark Field
We are concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression, including the detention of human rights defenders, journalists and others, in Pakistan. The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We are also concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The British Government strongly condemns the persecution of all minorities, including the targeting of innocent people based on their beliefs.
We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan, including on the freedom of expression and of belief. The Prime Minister spoke to the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on 17 August 2018 and highlighted the importance of Pakistan delivering on its commitments to strengthen institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law, and to advance the rights of minorities. My colleague, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed human rights in Pakistan with the Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari, in September 2018. I raised these concerns with the government during my visit to Pakistan in November 2017. The British Government continues to urge Pakistan to honour in full its human rights obligations.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 counterpart in Colombia on the recent disappearance of four Afro-Colombian leaders from communities along the Naya River in Colombia and ongoing threats to and displacements of communities in that area.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office understands that 4 local leaders from communities along the Naya river were kidnapped, three in April and one in May. The criminal group responsible has reportedly issued a video claiming the victims have been killed.
I am concerned about reports of increasing violence against human rights defenders and social activists in Colombia. Illegal armed groups are responsible for the majority of these attacks. The Naya region has seen an increase in fighting in recent weeks between illegal armed groups, including dissident former members of the FARC. It is vital that the security and protection of civilians is ensured and the British Ambassador in Bogota raised these concerns with the Colombian Defence Minister on 11 May.
The UK also raised concerns about violence against human rights defenders during the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia's human rights on 10 May in Geneva. During the review, Colombia also accepted UK recommendations to improve protective measures for human rights defenders.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
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 counterpart in Guatemala on the killing of human rights defenders and community leaders Luis Marroquin, Jose Can Xol and Mateo Chaman Paau this month.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government unequivocally condemns attacks on human rights defenders. Our Embassy in Guatemala City monitors the human rights situation in Guatemala closely and embassy staff regularly engage with human rights defenders. Officials participate in the EU's informal human rights monitoring mechanism, the Filter Group, which reviews threats and attacks against human rights defenders and raises concerns with the Guatemalan authorities collectively. They will discuss these cases at the next opportunity.