Andrew Sparkes

Andrew Sparkes CMG (born 4 July 1959) is a former British diplomat who was ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo and Nepal.

[1] In 2014 Sparkes caused a diplomatic row after he sent an open letter to Constituent Assembly members on the occasion of Human Rights Day, at a time when the new Constitution of Nepal was being debated.

His letter included the phrase "We encourage you to ensure that the right to change religion is protected ..."[2] Hindu conservatives seized on it as "evidence of a Western conspiracy to spread Christianity in Nepal.

"[3] Nepal's Foreign Minister, Pradip Kumar Gyawali however said, “We have proof that the relief package given to earthquake victims by some donors and NGOs also carried Bible and related literature,” in relation to humanitarian aid provided to the country in the aftermath of the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.

[4] Since 2016 he has been a senior fellow (teacher) at Winchester College and a member of council of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs.