Tag: Lord Harries of Pentregarth

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Georgia about its actions towards the independent tv station Rustavi 2.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

In response to developments in the legal case concerning the Rustavi 2 TV station, the UK and other EU Member States’ Missions released a joint written statement on 6 November with the Embassy of the United States of America in Georgia, which said:

"The Delegation of the European Union, in agreement with the Heads of Mission of the EU Member States in Georgia, and the Embassy of the United States of America express our concern related to the appointment of a new management to the Rustavi 2 TV company.

In light of the recent interim decision of the Constitutional Court and considering that the substantial judgment of the first instance court in the Rustavi 2 case does not envisage immediate enforcement, the preventive measures adopted on 5 November raise serious questions about the independence of the judiciary and the actual degree of freedom of the media in Georgia.

As our respective Missions have publicly stated many times, freedom of media and independence of the judiciary are essential foundations of a democracy, and diverse opinions should be encouraged in democratic societies. We call on all political actors to refrain from any step or statement that could prevent the Georgian judiciary from ruling dispassionately on this case.

The government and judicial institutions need to uphold the principles of media freedom and political pluralism that are an integral part of Georgia’s declared aspirations.

We will continue to monitor developments closely and raise concerns with all relevant parties as appropriate.”

Our Ambassador in Tbilisi has also held discussions with senior members of the Georgian government and will continue to engage on this issue, bilaterally as well as with EU and other concerned partners.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth on 2015-11-09.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether reporters are now allowed to enter West Papua; and if not, what representations they are making to the government of Indonesia to allow access to the press.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome the Indonesian government’s commitment to improving the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. This includes President Joko Widodo’s visit in May, when he granted clemency to a number of prisoners and announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists. Since May, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from Papua and West Papua.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Harries of Pentregarth on 2015-11-19.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will press the government of Indonesia to implement the recommendations of the Human Rights Watch report Something to Hide? Indonesia’s Restrictions on Media Freedom and Rights Monitoring in Papua; and in particular whether they plan to ask the government of Indonesia to (1) issue a specific written directive instructing all relevant ministries and security forces to (a) comply with the decision in May to lift restrictions on foreign media access to Papua and West Papua, and (b) stop restricting the operations of international NGOs and the movement of their staff in Papua and West Papua; (2) instruct the National Police to stop requiring accredited Indonesia-based foreign correspondents to apply for travel permits to report from Papua and West Papua; and (3) instruct the National Police, the Armed Forces and the State Intelligence Agency to (a) investigate fully incidents in which their staff do not comply with the lifting of restrictions on foreign media and international NGOs’ personnel, or impede, obstruct, harass or arbitrarily detain them, and (b) prevent the surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of, and violence against, Indonesian journalists in Papua and investigate incidents in which such abuses allegedly occurred.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns

We welcome the Indonesian government’s commitment to improving the situation in the Indonesian provinces of Papua and West Papua. This includes President Joko Widodo’s visit in May, when he granted clemency to a number of prisoners and announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists. Since May, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from the region. Staff from our Embassy in Jakarta visit Indonesia’s provinces regularly, discussing our concerns with relevant authorities. Our Ambassador visited Papua in May, where he discussed ways to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the provinces with members of the police, and religious and community leaders. We will continue to raise concerns where we have them with the appropriate authorities across Indonesia.