§ Mr. NellistTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Indian Government concerning human rights violations in the Punjab; what information his Department has as to the number of people arrested, injured or killed by security forces in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.
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§ Mr. Lennox-BoydWe support the Indian Government in their efforts to deal with a serious challenge from terrorist violence in the Punjab. We have regularly encouraged the use of maximum restraint and the need to respect human rights, most recently on 11 December.
Up-to-date official figures for deaths and detentions are not available. Estimates vary. We believe some 1,218 people have been killed by the security forces between January and November this year, and some 3,520 by terrorists.