Malawi (Hansard, 7 July 1976)

§ 7. Mr. McCrindle
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will pay an official visit to Malawi.

§ Mr. Luard
My right hon. Friend has at present no plans to do so.

§ Mr. McCrindle
If and when a Minister goes to Malawi, will he seek to discuss with the authorities there the reports which have been received recently of the persecution of members of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious sect? While in no way wishing to interfere with the internal affairs of Malawi, may I ask him to draw to the attention of the authorities there the concern of many people in this country about that persecution, which appears to be taking place for no better reason than that those concerned are members of that sect?

§ Mr. Luard
As I said, no Minister has at present any plans to go to Malawi, but, as I also said earlier, we deplore any violation of human rights in any part of the world. I have no doubt that the Government in Malawi will take note of what the hon. Gentleman has said and of what is widely felt in the House and the country.

§ Mr. Whitehead
When there are official contacts with Malawi, will my hon. Friend 1353 make it clear to President Banda that, although many of us hope that he was misled by various toadies in his own Administration in his reaction to the Goan community in that country and the expulsion of some of them, there is a correlation which many of us would draw here between aid given to Malawi and civil rights in that country, particularly of those who have been expelled?

§ Mr. Luard
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Overseas Development said in a recent answer in the House that questions of human rights are taken into account in the administration of our aid policy. As my hon. Friend probably knows, I asked to see the High Commissioner for Malawi several weeks ago, when I pointed out the deep concern in the House and elsewhere about human rights questions in Malawi and said that it would perhaps be difficult for us as a Government not to take some account of those feelings in relation to aid policy.

§ Mr. Lane
Will the hon. Gentleman confirm that any United Kingdom passport holders in Malawi who are forced to seek refuge in this country should be made just as welcome as any of our passport holders in Rhodesia who may wish to come here if the situation there deteriorates further?

§ Mr. Luard
I entirely agree with the hon. Gentleman, but we have no evidence whatsoever to suggest that there are likely to be more United Kingdom passport holders in Malawi who are to be expelled from Malawi.