Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
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 help promote the right to freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Mark Field
The UK is committed to supporting government and civil society efforts to improve human rights, including freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka. We fund a range of projects in support of this through £8.3 million of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund funding. This includes projects that promote interfaith dialogue and increase awareness; encourage greater public debate and advocacy on issues concerning Freedom of Religion or Belief in Sri Lanka; and that counter youth radicalisation in areas prone to inter-religious conflict. Tackling inter-communal tensions will continue to remain among our priorities this year.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan on ensuring the security and protection of (a) lawyers and judges in Pakistan who are involved in blasphemy cases and (b) (i) Asia Bibi's lawyer Saiful Malook and (ii) the three Supreme Court judges involved in Asia Bibi’s case.
Answered by Mark Field
In August, the Prime Minister raised with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan the importance of Pakistan delivering on its commitments to strengthen institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law. As the Prime Minister recognised in Parliament on 14 November, Imran Khan has publicly supported the Supreme Court and promised to uphold the rule of law, while providing continued protection for Asia Bibi.
The UK is helping improve the justice system in Pakistan. Our Rule of Law programme aims to strengthen the formal criminal justice system through more effective investigations and prosecutions of crime.
Asked by: Siobhain McDonagh (Labour - Mitcham and Morden)
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 Thai counterpart on the arrest of 113 Ahmadi Muslims in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
We are following closely the recent detention in Thailand of approximately 100 people, mainly from Pakistan, whom the Thai authorities consider illegal immigrants. This follows arrests of Cambodian and Vietnamese nationals at the end of August. We understand approximately 200 people who claim refugee and asylum status are currently in immigration detention, and that some of these are registered with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We believe that the recent orders are not aimed at any specific group or groups but apply to anyone whom the Thai authorities deem an illegal visa over-stayer, as part of a general tightening of immigration enforcement. In September a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office raised our concerns about the treatment of those in immigration detention with the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Our Embassy in Bangkok repeated the UK’s concerns on the matter with the Thai National Security Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister on 18 October. We are also working with the Thai authorities to improve conditions of detention.