Written question asked by Jeremy Corbyn (Labour) on Tuesday, 6 March 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 9 March 2001. It was answered by Brian Wilson (Labour) on Friday, 9 March 2001 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received regarding threats and attacks against human rights activists working to protect and release bonded labourers in India and Pakistan.

Answer: Mr. Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received regarding threats and attacks against human rights activists working to protect and release bonded labourers in India and Pakistan. [153120] Mr. Wilson: We are aware of reports of harassment of the bonded labour activist and General Secretary of Volunteers for Social Justice, Jai Singh, in Punjab, India. Officials in our High Commission in New Delhi are looking into this incident. We are not aware of similar incidents in Pakistan. The Indian authorities are well aware of our commitment to human rights and the importance of investigating abuses. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Secondary information