THE SENTENCING OF LENA HENDRY AND THE CHANNEL 4 DOCUMENTARY THE KILLING FIELDS OF SRI LANKA

Early day motion 1049, tabled 13 March 2017 by Siobhain McDonagh (Labour). Signed by 25 members.

That this House notes that Lena Hendry, a human rights activist in Malaysia, faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to £5,500 for screening No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka, an Emmy-nominated Channel 4 documentary, extracts of which have been screened in the House and in the UN, which exposes the shocking war crimes committed at the end of the war in Sri Lanka; further notes that in February 2017, Lena Hendry was found guilty of screening the film in Kuala Lumpur in 2013, allegedly in breach of Malaysia's censorship laws, and is due to be sentenced on 22 March 2017; notes with concern that the Malaysian authorities raided the screening in 2013 and arrested Ms Hendry after coming under pressure from the then Sri Lankan Government under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has since been voted out; and calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to make representations to the Malaysian Government to intervene in sentencing and reverse Ms Hendry's conviction.

Signatures by party: Scottish National Party 12, Labour 5, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Independent 2, Conservative 1, DUP 1, Plaid Cymru 1.