CHINESE officials have been barred from entering Westminster Hall ahead of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth, following a letter of protest signed by Scottish peer Helena Kennedy.
The KC is one of seven politicians sanctioned by China after speaking out about human rights abuses in the country, particularly the treatment of the Uyghur minority.
They have now protested over the invitation extended to China to attend the funeral.
“Given that the United Kingdom Parliament has voted to recognise the genocide committed by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people, it is extraordinary that the architects of that genocide should be treated in any more favourable way than those countries who have been barred,” the letter said.
The Chinese government has been invited to the funeral in Westminster Abbey but now may be banned from attending the lying in state at Westminster Hall before the service – indicating a rift between the Palace and the parliamentary authorities.
Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle has reportedly told MPs of the ban, after the letter of protest was sent to him and the speaker of the House of Lords, John McFall.
Signatories of the letter also included senior Tory MPs Iain Duncan Smith and Tim Loughton who said it was “extraordinary” that any invitation had been extended to China.
“We are greatly concerned to hear that the Government of China has been invited to attend the state funeral next week, despite other countries Russia, Belarus and Myanmar being excluded,” the letter said.
“It is also particularly inappropriate given that seven parliamentarians including ourselves remain sanctioned by the Chinese government and you along with the Lords Speaker have quite rightly barred the Chinese ambassador from attending the Palace of Westminster whilst these unjustified sanctions remain in place.
“It may well be as part of the arrangements for foreign dignitaries attending the state funeral that facilities at the Palace of Westminster will be made available to them before or after attending the service at Westminster Abbey.
“I am sure you will agree that it would be wholly inappropriate that any representative of the Chinese government should be able to come to the Palace of Westminster and that you can give us your assurance that this will not happen.”
Baroness Kennedy has said there should be “no let up in shaming China” over its human rights record.
She has spoken out frequently about the abuse of the Uyghur which she believes amounts to genocide.
“On the egregious crimes against the Uyghur, I have heard directly the testimonies of those who have suffered, especially exiled women who have been sexually abused and raped, sterilised or forced to terminate pregnancies,” said Baroness Kennedy.
“Some have been separated from children, who are sent to remand homes to be deracinated – denied their religion and culture.
“I have seen the aerial photographs showing the destruction of mosques and burial grounds.
“I have heard from well-connected academics of forced labour, of the large numbers held in re-education camps and the coerced movement of villagers to work in other parts of China.”
She said international lawyers were currently debating whether the available evidence amounts to genocide.
“But to my mind the evidential pointers are clear: a genocide is indeed in progress,” Kennedy said.
“The genocide convention requires signatory nations in order to prevent genocide, not to merely wring our hands about it when it is over.”
