§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has on the torture of prisoners in Drapchi prison, Tibet; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GoodladTwo members of the British embassy in Peking visited Drapchi prison in July 1991, but were denied access to any prisoners. We cannot, therefore, corroborate allegations of torture there. Regrettably, reports of torture and physical abuse in Tibet are not uncommon. We deplore human rights abuses in Tibet and, indeed, throughout China. We take every opportunity to make our concern over such issues known to the Chinese authorities.