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867234

registered interest
date	19/03/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on religious minorities in Pakistan of the ruling by the Islamabad High Court on 9 March that requires citizens to take a religious oath upon joining the civil service, armed forces, or judiciary.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL6441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2018 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in Pakistan. The Islamabad High Court ruling of 9 March, if applied, would be a further negative development which risks discriminating against a number of groups in Pakistan. It is vital that Pakistan upholds and protects the rights of all its citizens regardless of their faith, gender or ethnicity. We routinely raise the issues of freedom of religion and belief and the protection of minority religious communities, with the Pakistan government at a senior level.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/04/2018 14:23:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

867235

registered interest
date	19/03/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma: Civil Liberties
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Myanmar regarding the proposed amendments to the 2011 Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law which might restrict the right of freedom of expression and assembly in Myanmar.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL6442
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2018 answer text <p>The UK has been a consistent, vocal advocate of democratic freedoms in Burma, including freedom of expression, through our discussions with the Burmese Government and parliamentarians. We have not made specific representations on proposed amendments to the Peaceful Assembly and Procession Law but are monitoring the discussion.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/04/2018 14:22:58 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

860829

registered interest
date	12/03/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to safeguard religious pluralism and to defend and promote freedom of religion or belief in Sri Lanka.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL6228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2018 answer text <p>​We are currently funding a range of projects through a multi-year Conflict Stability and Security Fund programme to promote inter-faith and inter-communal dialogue and dispute resolution at local level in eastern Sri Lanka, one of the most diverse regions. Our High Commission regularly raise issues of concern with their Sri Lankan counterparts.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 26/03/2018 13:41:41 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

860830

registered interest
date	12/03/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that (1) a thorough investigation is conducted into the recent communal violence between Buddhist nationalists and the Muslim community in Digana and Teldeniya, in Kandy administrative district, Sri Lanka, and (2) the perpetrators are bought to justice.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL6229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2018 answer text <p>​I am concerned by the recent inter-communal violence in Sri Lanka and the Minister for Asia and the Pacific, the Rt Hon Mark Field MP, wrote to his counter-part Foreign Minister Marapana on 7 March setting out UK views. We support the Government of Sri Lanka's action in swiftly bringing the violence to an end and urge it to hold the perpetrators to account. It is vital that all leaders in Sri Lanka condemn violence and hate, and make every effort to promote harmony.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 26/03/2018 13:51:09 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

845403

registered interest
date	20/02/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when their strategy covering freedom of religion or belief will be published.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL5603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2018 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) freedom of religion or belief work plan is for internal use only. However, the FCO's &quot;toolkit&quot; for use by UK diplomats in promoting and defending the right to FoRB and setting out our policy has been published and can be seen at the gov.uk website.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/03/2018 17:01:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

845404

registered interest
date	20/02/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the details of the £600,000 worth of projects funded by the Magna Carta Fund in 2016–17 which the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated have directly led to positive freedom of religion or belief outcomes in 20 countries; and what are those outcomes.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL5604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2018 answer text <p>Several projects were funded by the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy in 2016-17, including:</p><ul><li>Hardwired Inc is running a project which promotes tolerance in secondary school curricula in 50 schools in Iraq, Morocco and Lebanon.</li><li>Christian Solidarity Worldwide is running a project to support human rights defenders in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. This project raises awareness at the national, regional and international level of the unique challenges human rights defenders campaigning for FoRB face in South Asia and Central Asia. It also raises their security awareness and their advocacy capability.</li><li>The Salzburg Global Seminar brings together experts and educational practitioners from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to explore approaches for combating extremism, preventing genocide and promoting tolerance. There is a particular emphasis on Rwanda, South Africa and Cambodia.</li><li>In Malaysia, we supported a project implemented by Article 19 which aimed to strengthen the ability of Malaysia's national human rights institution to advance the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of religious belief. The project engaged a range of influential religious groups, with the view to widening the space for constructive debate in the public sphere and encouraging greater tolerance in the socio-political discourse.</li><li>Article 19 run a project in Tunisia and Egypt, to strengthen civil society to build consensus on institutional, legislative and policy change, engage with international human rights mechanisms and prevent intolerance and hate speech.</li><li>The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, in Tajikistan and Turkmenistan run a project, which contributes to social stability and security in Central Asia through building the capacity of key state and non-state stakeholders to advance FoRB for all.</li><li>Cumberland Lodge is running a project to promote understanding among overseas students studying in the UK of the right to FoRB. The students will be better sensitised to FoRB issues before returning to their native countries where we hope that they will act as informal advocates for human rights, including FoRB.</li></ul> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/03/2018 17:03:18 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

825268

registered interest
date	17/01/2018
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma: Rohingya
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) China, (2) Laos, (3) the Philippines, (4) Russia, and (5) Vietnam, regarding the announcement on 16 January that Bangladesh and Myanmar have agreed to repatriate Rohingya people; and what was the outcome of those discussions.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL4801
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2018 answer text <p>Since 16 January we have not discussed the issue of Rohingya returns with the named countries. Bilateral discussions on this issue are important but the UK is clear that there needs to be international, independent monitoring of any returns process. UNHCR is best placed to do this, and on 12 January FCO-DFID Minister Alastair Burt discussed this with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. We have been clear that any returns should be voluntary, safe and dignified. We will be reiterating this message with international partners through our overseas network and Ministerial interactions in the coming weeks.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 31/01/2018 17:14:33 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

795016

registered interest
date	24/11/2017
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	China: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the revisions to the regulations on religious affairs in China, and of their potential impact on freedom of religion or belief in that country.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL3566
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2017 answer text <p>We remain concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China and are concerned that new draft guidelines on religion in China may restrict lawful and peaceful observance of religion.</p><p>We raised these matters directly with the Chinese authorities at the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing on 27 June. We also issued an item IV statement at the 35th UN Human Rights Council in June reiterating our concerns.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/12/2017 16:45:53 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

795017

registered interest
date	24/11/2017
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Gao Zhisheng
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China about the disappearance and current situation of Chinese lawyer Gao Zhiseng, who went missing in August.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL3567
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2017 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned about the case of Gao Zhisheng, particularly after his reported disappearance in August. We are continuing to work with international partners and others to seek further information about his whereabouts and his condition and to highlight our concerns about his case.</p><p>We raised Mr Gao's case with the Chinese authorities in a list of 'cases of concern' ahead of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue in Beijing in June 2017.</p><p>FCO officials met Gao Zhisheng's daughter, Grace Gao, and representatives of a UK NGO on 16 October to discuss his case and obtain more information.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/12/2017 16:50:46 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

795018

registered interest
date	24/11/2017
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	China: Buddhism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of China concerning restrictions on freedom of religion or belief for Tibetan Buddhists in China, including the detention of religious leaders and the demolition of places of worship.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL3568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/12/2017 answer text <p>We pay close attention to the human rights position including restrictions on religion or belief, and the wider political situation in Tibet.</p><p>We set out our human rights concerns about China, and specifically the Tibet Autonomous Region, in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office annual report on Human Rights and Democracy, which was issued on 20 July 2017 (available on gov.uk).</p><p>We raised these concerns about Tibet, a number of individual cases of concern, and our concerns about demolitions of the Larung Gar monasteries at the latest round of the UK/China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Beijing on 27 June 2017. We also made an item IV statement at the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2017 where we reiterated our concerns over restrictions on civil and political freedoms, particularly minority rights, and freedom of religion in China.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/12/2017 16:50:26 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry