Sikh Lobby & Candlelit Vigil - Houses Of Parliament, London

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

Sikhs take step closer in securing the banning of KPS Gill from Europe

At the Sikh lobby in the UK Parliament on Tuesday Sikhs came one step closer in securing the banning of KPS Gill from Europe. Bhai Amrik Singh, Chair of the Sikh Federation (UK), said ‘he is at the top of the twenty most wanted for crimes of torture, genocide and other human rights violations’. Others believed to be in the top twenty of Indian politicians, police officers, army personnel and police ‘cats’ that have committed crimes against Sikhs are the Congress MP Jagdish Tytler, SSP Swaran ‘Ghotna’ and Mohammed Izhar Alam.

Brad Adams, the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, speaking at the All Party Parliamentary Group for UK Sikhs meeting in Parliament suggested there was considerable stigma attached with being excluded from travelling to a country like the UK, other EU countries, the US or Canada. For example, he suggested to politicians present that it would be a positive development if the UK Government and others in Europe were to tell India that the likes of KPS Gill, the former police chief in Punjab, that he would no longer be allowed to visit any of the 27 EU countries.

At the Sikh lobby it was disclosed that on 8 October and again on 23 October Lord West of Spithead, the Home Office Minister responsible for Security and Counter-terrorism, wrote to say ‘the Government is fully committed to meetings its obligations under international law and continues to support strongly international efforts to bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.’

The Home Office Minister confirmed the ‘Jurisdiction to prosecute offences of torture exists under Section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988. Where allegations are made against individuals visiting or resident in the UK, the police and immigration authorities will take all possible steps to investigate those matters and, where appropriate, refer a case for prosecution or removal from the UK. It is the Government’s policy that the United Kingdom should not provide safe haven to anyone found responsible for major human rights abuses or serious crimes abroad.’

A Sikh Federation (UK) spokesman said: ‘We want to make sure EU countries do not allow those that have the blood of Sikhs on their hands to be allowed to leave the relative safety of India.’

See last half of article at:

http://www.sikhsangat.org/news/publish/eur..._In_India.shtml

[JagtarSinghKhalsa]

JUST REALISED HAVE NOT POSTED ANY PICTURES OF THE CANDLELIT VIGIL . . .

[Harmeet1]

SikhRoots.com updated will the pictures from the Event.