US embassy cable - 04MANAMA312

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000312 
 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS FOR U/S GROSSMAN 
DEPARTMENT FOR NEA FO: PDAS LAROCCO AND DAS DIBBLE, 
NEA/ARP, NEA/PI, AND NEA/RA 
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/04/2014 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, KDEM, KMPI, BA 
SUBJECT: NGO REPRESENTATIVES DISCUSS REFORM WITH U/S 
GROSSMAN 
 
REF: A. MANAMA 291 
 
     B. MANAMA 283 
 
Classified By: CDA Robert S. Ford for reasons 1.4 (b)&(d). 
 
1.(C)  SUMMARY.  Bahraini NGO representatives welcomed on 
March 3 any initiatives that would implement real democratic 
reforms in Bahrain, stated that we need to reach a common 
definition of democratic and human rights goals, and briefed 
U/S Grossman on several persistent problems.  They praised 
the 2003 Human Rights Report, but asked for more from the 
U.S. on human rights than reports.  They noted that Bahrain 
could improve its record on discrimination, poverty, 
education, freedom of expression, independence of NGOs, and 
the right to change Bahrain's government.  Failure to address 
these problems could lead to new instability and unrest, they 
said.  The NGO leaders voiced distrust of U.S. democracy 
initiatives because of U.S. support for Israel and public USG 
support for what they perceive as inadequate GOB reforms to 
date.  U/S Grossman stressed that our public support does not 
mean Bahrain's society should remain static, rather, the USG 
seeks to assist the people and governments of the region that 
wish to implement change.  Emphasizing that the USG has no 
blueprint for particular reforms countries must adopt, U/S 
Grossman encouraged active participation from civil society 
groups, believing that the best ideas for human rights reform 
come from the people.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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NGOs ACKNOWLDEGE PROGRESS, CITE PERSISTENT PROBLEMS 
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2.(C)    Bahrain Centre for Human Rights (BCHR) Vice 
President and former political exile Abdulhadi Al Khawaja 
agreed that we shared the same objective - promotion of human 
rights and democracy.  We share a vision that Bahrain should 
become a model for the region.  Al-Khawaja praised the 2003 
Report on Human Rights Practices in Bahrain, but said that 
the human rights community in Bahrain is looking for more 
from the U.S. than reports.  Al-Khawaja asserted that there 
are three main problems affecting daily life of Bahrainis -- 
poverty deriving from unemployment and discrimination (Al 
Khawaja said that 160,000 Bahrainis live in poverty), 
marginalization of opposition political groups (especially 
Shi'a political leaders), and lack of an elected premier.  He 
complained that the same people have been running the country 
since independence in 1970.  Shura Council member and labor 
activist Faisal Fulad noted that existing labor laws do not 
meet International Labor Organization standards on 
discrimination and protection of foreign labor.  Bahrain 
Society for Public Freedoms and Democracy Watch Founder Nizar 
Al Qari (a former exilee and torture victim) added that 
President Bush mentioned Bahrain in several speeches, giving 
the GOB credit for promoting democracy, but NGOs on the 
ground can tell you that there has been no recent progress. 
Al-Khawaja warned that the unrest and instability experienced 
in the 90's could return if these problems remain 
unaddressed. 
 
3.(C) Bahrain Women's Society (BWS) and International Visitor 
Program alumnus Wajeeha al-Baharna stated that Bahrain had 
witnessed a surge of NGO formation in response to reform, but 
NGOs remain under the thumb of the Labor Ministry.  For 
instance NGOs must report to the ministry any member's 
participation in international NGO events.  Newly elected BWS 
president and IV program alumnus Dr. Soroor Qarooni, M.D., 
said the GOB does not take NGOs seriously, and complained 
that religious conservatives in the government use their 
influence to block licenses for and activities of NGOs. 
 
4.(C) Agreeing with Shura Council member Fulad, Wajeeha 
Al-Baharna stated that there is serious need to reform the 
education system which she asserted is in "the Middle Ages." 
She charged that the schools do not teach the fundamentals, 
that students graduating from secondary school know nothing, 
and the introduction of new subjects is lacking.  Responding 
to NEA A/DAS Alina Romanowski's question, Al-Baharna 
complained that the Ministry of Education refuses to involve 
NGOs or parents in shaping education curricula and charged 
that the ministry pressures schools not to allow NGOs to help. 
 
5.(C)  Youth activist and former member of the University of 
Bahrain (UOB) Student Council Dua' Al Masae'd claimed that 
the UOB is not interested in hearing student views.  The UOB 
demanded a public apology from her when she dared to inquire 
about the selection terms for graduate school scholarships. 
Following promulgation of Bahrain's new constitution, Dua' 
tried to organize a seminar for law students to discuss the 
constitution's legal implications.  She said UOB officials 
prevented its convening on campus and she charged that UOB 
administration delayed her graduation for trying to hold the 
seminar off campus. 
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USG FOREIGN POLICY - THE "DOUBLE STANDARD" PREVENTS TRUST 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
6.  (C)  BCHR VP Al Khawaja responded to U/S Grossman's 
briefing on GME that it is time for the US to renew its 
foreign policy.  He calmly and firmly suggested that the US 
should not be calling on Bahrain to increase human rights and 
democracy when it supports a violator of human rights - 
Israel.  This double standard makes the US agenda in the 
region unclear and in no way fosters trust, he claimed. 
 
7.(C) In response, U/S Grossman said that the President has 
cited Bahrain as an example of a country where there have 
been some reforms.  This support does not mean that we think 
Bahrain's society can or should remain static.  No society in 
the world, including the U.S., can remain static.  The US is 
not interested in designing a mechanism for NGOs to implement 
and has no blueprint on how to accomplish democratic reforms, 
said U/S Grossman. Initiatives like GME and MEPI are vehicles 
to support to local voices for change.  NGOs, he said, fill a 
vital space between the people and the government.  BCHR 
President Nabeel Rajab said that NGOs welcome real human 
rights projects here in Bahrain.  However, we need to come up 
with a common definition of democracy and human rights goals. 
 
8.(U) U/S Grossman cleared this cable. 
FORD