Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
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 tackle the persecution of Christians in North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
We are deeply concerned by reports of widespread and systematic state sanctioned human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), particularly by the reports of the persecution of Christians detailed by the UN Commission of Inquiry and elsewhere. We have called on the DPRK to respect the provision in its constitution guaranteeing “freedom of belief in religion”. Our belief is that if the DPRK will not hold human rights violators to account, the international community must be ready to do so. We worked with likeminded partners to ensure the resolutions adopted at the Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly included strong language to make clear there can be no impunity for human rights violations and to call for appropriate action to ensure accountability.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will provide support to civilians in the Kashmir region affected by the recent violence between Pakistani and Indian troops.
Answered by Lord Swire
We are concerned about the incidents that have taken place in recent weeks on both sides of the Line of Control and the International Border in Kashmir. We encourage both sides to take steps to reduce tensions.
We are monitoring the situation. We have not received a request from either government for assistance.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the families of people who died in the recent AirAsia plane crash.
Answered by Lord Swire
Following confirmation that a British national was aboard flight QZ8501, consular staff from the British Embassy in Indonesia and British High Commission in Singapore, together with consular and press office staff from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London, have been working together to ensure that the family receive all the support they need during this difficult time. Staff met family members in Singapore and accompanied them during meetings with the airline and authorities in Surabaya, Indonesia. Consular staff remain in close contact and continue to offer our full support.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take in response to the shooting of the Northern Irish missionary, Ms Maud Kells OBE, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Lord Swire
We were very concerned to hear about the shooting of a British national in the Democratic Republic of Congo. FCO officials in London and the Democratic Republic of Congo are providing consular assistance. The Government will continue to provide assistance and seek updates from the local authorities who are investigating.Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Government is taking to promote religious respect and the safety of Christians in the Central African Republic.
Answered by James Duddridge
Addressing religious tensions in the Central African Republic (CAR) is an important part of supporting international efforts to protect the population from ongoing violence. The Inter-Religious platform in CAR is made up of Muslim and Christian leaders and has been at the forefront of peace-building and reconciliation efforts, engaging with communities that have been directly affected by sectarian violence in CAR. We welcome their efforts to promote dialogue, and have called for similar actions from CAR's transitional government. As my hon friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tobias Ellwood) said in Westminster Hall on 19 November, without justice, peace and reconciliation, there can be no future for the CAR.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to address the persecution of Christians in the Sudan region.
Answered by James Duddridge
We raise our concerns about freedom of religion with the Government of Sudan as part of our regular engagement on human rights issues. Most recently our Embassy in Khartoum raised this issue with the External Affairs Secretariat of the National Congress Party (the ruling political party) and Sudan’s National Human Rights Commission. Additionally, our Embassy regularly engages with Christian groups based in Sudan, and where possible, follows up on specific cases. We also highlight our concerns in the Department’s ‘Human Rights Country of Concern’ quarterly update for Sudan.