§ Mr. Tony LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that no training will be offered by the United Kingdom to Guatemalan police officers until the peace process has been fully implemented in Guatemala. [4520]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorNo. Our limited assistance to the Guatemalan police is designed to encourage high standards, including proper respect for human rights.
§ Mr. LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Guatemalan Government about the human rights situation in Guatemala with particular reference to340W the latest report of the United Nations human rights verification mission, MINUGUA. [4521]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorAs I informed the House on 19 October,Official Report, columns 305–306, the British ambassador in Guatemala takes every appropriate opportunity to express to the authorities our concerns about human rights abuses, including problems identified in MINUGUA's third report to the UN Secretary-General.
§ Mr. LloydTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Guatemalan Government to ensure that the trial of the Guatemalan soldiers accused of the massacre of former refugees in Xaman on 5 October is carried out in a fair and proper judicial manner. [4522]
§ Sir Nicholas BonsorIn its statement on 12 October the European Union called for the punishment of those guilty of the massacre and expressed support for the measures announced by President de Leon Carpio to deal with the incident. The Guatemalan authorities are well aware of the need for a proper trial of those accused.