Hope For Su Family

Hope is growing brighter for the Su's, the family from Dukinfield in Greater Manchester. The deportation threat has been temporarily lifted, following a removal date set for 13 September 2000. The family of five - who escaped their native China following involvement with Tianamen Square students in 1992 - have been granted further temporary admission until 13 December 2000.

The Home Office letter states: "..... the Immigration Service and the Asylum Directorate are aware of the wide support that the Su family have amongst their local community in Manchester. The family's case will now be reviewed, to decide in the light of all the circumstances, whether the family's removal back to China should proceed."

The children had very little understanding of English when they arrived in July 2000. Zhaohong, Miaohong and Jinghong have worked hard at school. All three are now exemplary pupils, to deport the family would be a travesty of justice.

Victory for Paramjit & Mukhtiar

On 31st July the Special Immigration Appeals Commission at the Old Bailey ruled that, under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, there is a risk of torture to Paramjit Singh and Mukhtiar Singh if deported to India.

Hundreds of Sikhs, including Mukhtiar Singh's family, had travelled to London for the ruling; when it was announced many of those present cried with joy. Even though the Indian Government had given an assurance to the British Government the court felt that this did not guarantee the safety of these two men if returned to India. This landmark decision will have an impact on the cases of all Sikh activists who face deportation to India and is a blow to the British Government which has maintained that India is a safe country.

As Paramjit and Mukhtiar left the court they were greeted with bouquets of flowers and slogans of 'Khalistan Zindabad' (long live Khalistan). They then travelled to Guru Tegh Bahadur Gurdwara in Leicester where a special programme had been arranged. Both said prayers and thanked the community for their support. Both men stated that they would continue to campaign for an independent Sikh state by peaceful means as they had been doing when they were detained by the British authorities. They were profoundly distressed that they had been labelled as terrorists without any evidence disclosed to them or their legal team. Furthermore Mr Justice Potts stated that 'In future cases we would earnestly urge the Secretary of State to consider whether the type of material he relied upon in these appeals is sufficient to do justice to the case.' This statement is clear and shows that the Home Office case against these two men was seriously flawed. In the court’s view, had the Home Office removed them to India there was a substantial risk they would be tortured.

A big thank you from Paramjit Singh and Mukhtiar Singh to all those who supported the campaign and in particular to their solicitor David Burgess, and their barristers Stephanie Harrison and Duran Seddon for their hard work and dedication.

Sikh Refugee Support Group (SRSG)

74 Dudley Road, West, Tividale,

West Midlands, UK

Email: sikhrefugee@yahoo.com