Vol. 408 No. 7
36 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will outline the steps he has taken on behalf of the Palestinians suffering oppression in Kuwait; if he will further outline his concerns in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The Government have been deeply concerned about the reports of the illtreatment of Palestinians following the liberation of Kuwait. It seems clear that there was a backlash from some Kuwaitis not only against suspected collaborators but against Palestinians in Kuwait in general. While I can understand the anger which the well-documented brutality of the seven month Iraqi occupation provoked I cannot accept that this justifies acts of violence against innocent people. I deplore utterly these acts of violence.
Together with our partners in the Twelve we have had contacts with the Kuwaiti authorities to make them aware of our concerns and to urge them to do everything possible to protect the Palestinians. One important step was access to Palestinians in prison by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
I have, however, been disturbed by recent media reports from Kuwait regarding the trials of those accused of collaboration with Iraq and other offences. Together with our partners in the Twelve we are currently seeking to verify the accuracy of these reports with a view to determining what further action would be appropriate.
