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Chile

Volume 115: debated on Thursday 30 April 1987

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asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he is continuing to monitor the situation regarding Oscar Rojas Cuellar, who disappeared on his return to Chile from the United Kingdom in 1981.

Yes; but neither Her Majesty's embassy in Santiago nor the Chilean Vicaria de la Solidaridad human rights group has any fresh evidence about Senor Rojas' case.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Chilean Government on the case of Ledy Castro Urra, formerly employed at Exeter university and now detained without trial in Chile.

We have no formal standing to intervene with the Chilean Government on behald of Senora Castro. However, we monitor her case closely and make clear to the Chilean authorities our concerns about continuing violations of human rights, as for example on 12 March when we supported a consensus resolution at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his reply to the hon. Member for Houghton and Washington (Mr. Boyes) of 21 January, Official Report, column 592, if he will now list the visits made by British diplomats to human rights organisations in Chile in 1986 and 1987.

No central record of such visits is available. Her Majesty's embassy staff have frequent and varied contact with human rights organisations in Chile through visits and meetings, social encounters and telephone conversations.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make it his policy to seek assurances from the Chilean Government that exiles returning from the United Kingdom will not be subject to intimidation, imprisonment, torture or murder;(2) if his Department intends to monitor the situation of exiles from Chile who have been resident in United Kingdom now returning to Chile.

Her Majesty's embassy in Santiago has already sought such assurances from the Chilean authorities. We shall monitor closely the experience of returning exiles, following the welcome removal of most names from the list of those officially banished. We shall also continue to press the Chilean Government for the full restoration of fundamental human rights.

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department has been approached over the past three months for advice from Chilean exiles resident in the United Kingdom who are considering returning to Chile.