(Lab)
[V]:...Why are not British sanctions also being applied to the
Gupta brothers over their role in a massive corruption and money
laundering operation linked to the former South African President,
Jacob Zuma, which robbed taxpayers of over £500 million—billions
were robbed? What have the British Government done about my letter
to the Chancellor on 11 October 2019, in which I gave
identification details of Rajesh, Atul and Ajay Gupta, who escaped
South Africa to live freely in both Dubai and
India? They used a corrupt network of their own
companies, buttressed by shadowy shell companies. Surely, just as
the United States Treasury sanctions forbid US entities from doing
business with this Gupta family or handling their assets, so all UK
entities should face the same ban, including London-based banks
such as HSBC, Standard Chartered and the Bank of Baroda, which in
recent years facilitated money laundering by the Gupta brothers on
a grand scale...
(LD) [V]: My Lords, I support this SI and draw your
Lordships’ attention to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office report
of July 2020, Human Rights and Democracy. It mentions countries
about which there are concerns over human rights abuses, such as
Bahrain, the Maldives, Sudan, Egypt and many more. For them to be
on this list, I am sure that there are genuine causes of concern
regarding human rights. However, I was surprised to note that the
FCO failed to include India in the list, due to
its record of human rights violations in Kashmir.
In Kashmir, more than 100,000 people have lost
their lives in only the last few decades.
Kashmir has become an open prison, with tens of
thousands of people, including prominent political leaders such
as Shabir Shah, Yasin Malik, Asiya Andrabi, Masarat Alam and
Ashraf Sehrai, illegally detained for many years. According to
many renowned international human rights organisations, such as
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the United Nations
Human Rights Council, Indian security forces are
involved in extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, torture,
and the inhuman and degrading treatment of civilians, with rape
being used as a weapon of war. Many rape victims, including the
Kunan Poshpora gang-rape victims, are still waiting for justice.
In its reports of 2018 and 2019, the UN asked for free access to
Kashmir to investigate these reports of human rights abuses. In
the latest report, of June 2020, the UN chief urged the
Indian Government to end torture and the
arbitrary arrest of minors, expressing concern that 68 children
in the region have been detained by Indian
security forces. The report also verified the killing of eight
children and the maiming of seven by or during joint operations
of the Indian security forces. Earlier in March,
the UN had also called for a global ceasefire in view of the
current pandemic crisis, but Indian-administered
Kashmir has seen a high number of casualties due
to violence rather than because of the pandemic.
I am sure that the British Government are aware of those
reports—hence, I have two questions for the Minister. First,
comparing the situation in Kashmir with those in
some of the countries highlighted in the recent FCO report, why
does India not qualify to be on this list?
Secondly, what can the Government do to support the UN to get
access to Kashmir to investigate these reports
of human rights abuses?
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and
Department for International Development () (Con):...The noble Lord, , asked
specifically about Kashmir and India. I assure
him that I raise these issues consistently. Indeed, I was on a
virtual visit to India yesterday. During various
conversations I raised this specific issue.
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