Kashmir (Hansard, 10 July 1996)

§ 4. Mr. Heppell
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent elections in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [35164]

§ Mr. Rifkind
The complex conditions in the Kashmir valley make it impossible to give a clear-cut view.

§ Mr. Heppell
As the Minister has learnt from a report by a British official at the Delhi high commission of the intimidation and coercion that is taking place in Kashmir, does he think that we should send a clear message to the Indian Government that we will not accept as free and fair an election that is conducted at the point of a gun?

§ Mr. Rifkind
We believe that, in Kashmir, proper free and fair elections can play a part in leading the way from violence toward dialogue and a political settlement of these difficult problems. Elections must be free and fair if they are to carry the authority that we should all like.

§ Mr. Waller
In view of the many well-documented allegations that have thrown doubt on the outcome of the elections recently held in Jammu and Kashmir, will my right hon. and learned Friend urge the Government of India to admit international observers to the territory for the forthcoming elections that they plan to hold for an assembly in Jammu and Kashmir, so that an impartial assessment can be made then as to whether they are free and fair?

§ Mr. Rifkind
Permitting observers from other countries to attend is always a valuable way of satisfying the international community of the freedom and fairness of elections. That will be a matter for the Indian Government to decide, but of course it would make an important and significant contribution to the credibility of any electoral process in such a sensitive area.

§ Mr. Madden
Why is the Foreign Secretary taking this view of the recent elections? It flies in the face of numerous reports by the international media, including The Guardian and The Independent, which reported enormous intimidation and coercion by the 700,000-strong Indian forces in Kashmir of the people of Kashmir. Why on earth is he refusing to publish the report of the British official at the Delhi high commission, who is paid by British taxpayers? British taxpayers are entitled to know whether, in the view of that official, the recent elections were free and fair.

§ Mr. Rifkind
We are well aware of the reports of undue pressure in the elections, and we are certainly not in a position to dismiss them as unfounded. This is a complex and difficult issue, but I freely agree with the hon. Gentleman and others who have expressed concern about whether the elections can be seen as acceptable by the normal standards that would be applied in such circumstances.