UK Parliamentarians Issue Statement on Selective Lifting of CCP Sanctions

Members of the House of Lords and House of Commons criticize the UK government’s partial easing of CCP sanctions, urging consistency in addressing human rights violations.

The full statement:

STATEMENT FROM PARLIAMENTARIANS @UKHouseofLords & @HouseofCommons ON THE SELECTIVE LIFTING OF CCP SANCTIONS

We have learned through media reporting that the People’s Republic of China has lifted the sanctions imposed on us in 2021 for raising concerns in Parliament about human rights abuses in China.

We were not contacted by anyone in government prior to this decision being made public, and we expect clear assurances that UK sanctions against the four Chinese government officials responsible for genocide remain firmly in place.

It appears that sanctions have not been lifted on former MP Tim Loughton, nor on Essex Court Chambers, Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, the Uyghur Tribunal, the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, or Dr Joanne Smith Finley. We also remain unclear as to whether sanctions on our family members are still in force.

The selective lifting of sanctions solely on sitting parliamentarians is wrong. Parliament exists to represent and defend the people of the United Kingdom. Seeking or accepting preferential treatment for current MPs and Peers sends a damaging signal that some are more deserving of protection than others.

While British citizen Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned, and Uyghurs continue to suffer atrocity crimes, we take no comfort in this decision and will not be silenced. We look forward to receiving urgent assurances from the government regarding those who were placed under sanction together with us, and take this opportunity to express our ongoing solidarity with the Uyghur people, whose cause we will not drop.

We hope that the Prime Minister will meet all of those sanctioned, not just sitting Parliamentarians, upon his return.

Lord Alton of Liverpool @DavidAltonHL 

Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws @HelenaKennedyKC 

Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP @MPIainDS 

Nusrat Ghani MP @Nus_Ghani 

Tom Tugendhat MP @TomTugendhat 

Neil O’Brien MP @NeilDotObrien 

Tim Loughton, former MP @timloughton  

@LordSpeaker @CommonsSpeaker 

@ipacglobal @caoilfhionnanna @MahmutRahima 

@Chloe_chc_25 

@HumanRightsCtte