SIR – The recent gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in India has rightly caused international outrage and protests regarding women’s rights in that country and turned a spotlight on India’s human rights record. Women’s rights are consistently ignored in many other Asian countries.

Human rights should be a key concern to this Government in view of the vast amounts of international aid we have sent to these countries. Freedom of worship is also a fundamental human right which is also ignored by India and other recipients of aid.

Christians are persecuted worldwide with some horrendous persecutions in Nigeria, China and Pakistan to name but three.

India, which is a predominantly Hindu country, also has a poor reputation in this regard, particularly when law enforcement agencies turn a blind eye and legislators introduce anti-conversion laws aimed at Christian minorities.

Now that the issue of women’s rights is on the agenda, the Government should grasp the opportunity to address this other human rights issue.

After all, isn’t that part of this Government’s raison d’etre and aren’t we still fundamentally a Christian country with human rights values that supposedly respect all religious rights?

Les Vasey, Temple Rhydding Drive, Baildon