HL Deb 25 February 1982 vol 427 cc1012-4

3.15 p.m.

Lord Brockway

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government how the United Kingdom representative voted in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the motion calling for an official inquiry into abuses of human rights in Turkey and for the restoration of political freedom, and which nations voted for and against and which abstained.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, there is no single United Kingdom representative to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. There is a United Kingdom delegation consisting of parliamentarians from both Houses of Parliament, who vote in accordance with their own wishes.

Lord Brockway

My Lords, can the Government say what their attitude is on this problem, and would it not be very inconsistent if they did not support an inquiry in view of their rightly aggressive attitude to what is happening in Poland? May I ask him this particularly: Is the inquiry to be made by the Human Rights Commission? If so, could the Government use their influence to speed up their processes because when they inquired into the military coup in Greece they took two years before they reported?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the United Kingdom's policy on Turkey so far as the Council of Europe is concerned is that we are in favour of Turkey staying in the Council of Europe. A suspension of Turkey's relations with the Council would not contribute towards the return to democracy. I think it is unwise to draw comparisons between the situation in Turkey and the situation in Poland. The armed forces inter- vened in Turkey in a bloodless coup at a time when mounting political violence was already claiming over 20 lives a day. Political violence has since declined dramatically and the Turkish authorities have now set a timetable for a referendum on a new constitution before the end of November, and parliamentary elections in the autumn of next year or the spring of 1984. I see no such parallel developments in Poland.

Lord Elwyn-Jones

My Lords, did the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe approve a motion calling for an official inquiry into abuses of human rights in Turkey? If so, what would flow from that? Would that mean that the Human Rights Commission would examine the matter? There is a great deal of concern about the allegations of torture and killings of people after interrogation or during interrogation in prison, and particularly the widespread arrest and forthcoming trials of a large number of trade unionists facing capital charges.

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, the resolution which was passed in the Council of Europe is a very long and complex one, and I must say that it is not very clear in some of its aspects. Perhaps I will let the noble and learned Lord have a copy and he can determine for himself whether he thinks it calls for an inquiry or not.

Lord Gladwyn

My Lords, have the Government any idea—and if not, could they find out?—in how many states of members of the United Nations human rights are being either violated or not fully carried out?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, it is unhappily the case that there are a number of countries in the world where human rights are not properly observed. We make our views known at appropriate moments.

Lord Morris

My Lords, following on the question of the noble and learned Lord opposite, may I ask my noble friend this question: Which way did the United Kingdom delegates at the Council of Europe vote on this issue?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, as I said in the original Answer, the delegates to the Council of Europe are drawn from all political parties and they do not all vote in the same way.

Lord Jenkins of Putney

My Lords, what answer does the Government have to the charge that they have double standards in this matter, and that they bring, quite properly, a rigorous concern about abuses of human rights in Communist countries, but take very little notice and appear to be blind to abuses which take place in other parts of the world?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, we of course reject the charge because we condemn abuses of human rights wherever they may occur.

Lord Brockway

My Lords, may I ask the Minister this question, reverting to his earlier reply to me: Would he deny that it is the case that in Turkey people are being imprisoned merely for the expression of their views, that trade union leaders are being arrested and imprisoned? Would he reply to this? When he says that the Government have agreed to a referendum in November and an election next year, what value would they be if freedom of expression to the people is not allowed?

Lord Trefgarne

My Lords, we accept the undertakings of the Turkish authorities that they intend to return to democracy, and of course democracy includes the right of all those who seek to take part in elections to express their views freely during the conduct of those elections and indeed at other times. As for the trial to which the noble Lord referred—as did the noble and learned Lord opposite—we certainly share concern at the plight of the DISK trade union. We also have concern for their leaders, who are currently being tried, and indeed for the 52 of them for whom the death sentence has been requested. It does not follow, of course, that death sentences will be pronounced by the court even if the accused are found guilty, but we are nevertheless watching developments.

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