§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, following the attack on the village of Kilken in northern Iraq at 05.00 on 16th June by the armed forces of Massoud Barzani's Kurdish Democratic Party, they will propose to the United Nations Security-General that an investigation be conducted by the Special Rapporteur on Iraq, Mr. Max van der Stoel, or by the UN Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, M. Bacre Waly Ndiaye; and that those responsible for this atrocity be charged with murder before an appropriate court.
§ The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Chalker of Wallasey)It is up to the Special Rapporteurs themselves to decide which incidents to investigate. We deplore the attack and have called for those responsible to be brought to account.
§ Lord Aveburyasked Her Majesty's Government:
What reports they have received about the arrest of Mulla Anwar Hamad Amin on 26th June, following his discussions with the joint United Nations/International Committee of the Red Cross team which visited Kilken to make preliminary inquiries about the massacre of 16th June; whether they will place a copy of any report that has been issued by this team in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament; and whether they will offer protection to witnesses of the massacre, if necessary by making accommodation available to them in Arbil.
§ Baroness Chalker of WallaseyWe have reports that Mulla Anwar Hamad Amin was released on 28th June. We understand that the ICRC visited the area to pursue their usual humanitarian work. We do not expect to receive a report. We also understand that United Nations personnel visited the area to consider the implications for the security of the UN humanitarian programme. We are not able to offer individual protection to residents of northern Iraq. But we have written to local leaders urging them to prevent further violence.