US embassy cable - 04ABUDHABI4332

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 ABU DHABI 004332 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, INL, DRL, NEA/RA, AND NEA/ARPI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PINR, PREL, SA, TC 
SUBJECT: ABU DHABI POLICE COLLEGE HOSTS HUMAN RIGHTS 
TRAINING SYMPOSIUM 
 
REF: (A) ABU DHABI 1832 (B) ABU DHABI 1589 (C) ABU 
     DHABI 4237 (D) ABU DHABI 3937 (E) ABU DHABI 
     3742 (F) ABU DHABI 3209 (G) ABU DHABI 3094 
 
1. Summary: The Abu Dhabi Police Officers, Training 
Institute, in coordination with the Police Research and 
Studies Center and the Ministry of Interior (MOI), held a 
training symposium entitled &Police and Human Rights8 
November 27-28.  Seven speakers from different branches of 
the MOI, Interpol, Amnesty International, and the U.S. and 
French governments, spoke to approximately 100 UAE law 
enforcement officers, jurists, MOI officials, NGO 
representatives, and others.  Presenters discussed how the 
UAE constitution and laws protect human rights, provided an 
Islamic perspective on human rights, and addressed the 
delicate balance of maintaining effective law enforcement 
while protecting the basic rights of those accused.  Both 
print and broadcast media covered the event each day, and 
English-language newspaper Khaleej Times ran a detailed 
review of the USG speaker,s comments.  Though somewhat short 
on substance, the symposium was an important indication of 
police interest in addressing human rights issues.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  The director of the Police College told Poloff that this 
gathering, like the May Anti-Trafficking in Persons Symposium 
(ref. A), was part of a plan to provide ongoing training on 
all aspects of human rights protection to officers enrolled 
in the four-year police training program. 
 
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PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS WHILE UPHOLDING THE LAW 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
3. Most presenters focused on striking the right balance 
between maintaining law and order while protecting society 
from crime.  Law enforcement officers from the UAE and France 
compared their respective countries, best practices in 
maintaining this balance, while Dr. Omer Mohammed Salim from 
the Abu Dhabi Police College discussed how the UAE favorably 
compares with a number of international norms, such as length 
of pre-trial detention, search warrant procedures, necessary 
vs. excessive use of force, and the right to an attorney 
during questioning.  Dr. Mohammed Yassin Al Rifae from the 
Abu Dhabi Police discussed human rights and law enforcement 
from an Islamic perspective, emphasizing the Quran,s 
promotion of the respect of human rights, especially the 
rights of women, children, the elderly, and the disabled. 
 
4. Legal consultant and retired Sharjah police officer Dr. 
Muhammed Khalifa Al Mooala discussed victims rights under the 
U.N.,s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and how the 
UAE constitution adheres to many of those rights.  He 
admitted to seeing some incidents of police abuse in his 
30-year career as a cop, but emphasized that police are human 
too, and make &mistakes8 like everyone else.  Despite any 
&mistakes8 he witnessed, he said the UAE,s human rights 
record is much better than many other countries, and he 
encouraged further progress until no abuses occur. 
 
5. Julie Eadeh, AmEmbassy Riyadh Political Officer and former 
DRL senior editor for country reports from the Middle East 
and North Africa, explained how and why the State Department 
compiles information included in the annual Human Rights 
Report.  She linked the report to international norms and 
principles as defined in the U.N.,s Universal Declaration of 
Human Rights, and broke the report down section by section to 
explain what reporting officers look for, and what they 
don,t include in their reports.  Her comments, particularly 
those explaining why the U.S. does not compile a report on 
its own record of human rights abuses, were covered in depth 
in one local English daily newspaper, Khaleej Times.  (Note: 
The fact that Eadeh delivered the speech in Arabic impressed 
the audience considerably, and earned her kudos from a large 
number of presenters and participants who were surprised and 
pleased to hear an American speaking their language.  End 
note.) 
 
6. The Regional Office Director of Amnesty International,s 
(AI) Middle East and North Africa division, Dr. Ahmed Karoud, 
said that the UAE constitution and laws, particularly those 
in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, come close to meeting all 10 of AI,s 
criteria for upholding human rights standards in law 
enforcement.  He particularly complimented the UAE for 
tracking down, arresting, and prosecuting traffickers, even 
those outside UAE borders.  He pointed out that AI does not 
call for leniency against criminals or forgiveness of their 
crimes.  Rather, it works to protect the basic rights of all 
individuals, criminal or not. 
 
--------------------------------- 
IF ONLY THEY HAD THE AUTHORITY... 
--------------------------------- 
7. Major General Saif Abdullah Al Shaafar, MOI Assistant U/S 
for Security Affairs, caught the attention of the media and 
participants by expressing his support for allowing the 
establishment of human rights NGOs by any group that wished 
to do so and followed appropriate application procedures. 
Brigadier Zayed Bin Saqr Al Falahi, Director of the MOI 
Preventive Security Department, seconded his philosophy. 
Neither was aware that a group of human rights activists had 
applied to open such an organization in July 2004, and had 
not yet received approval from the Ministry of Labor and 
Social Affairs (MOL). (ref. B)  (Note:  UAE law stipulates 
that the MOL must approve or refuse an NGO application within 
30 days of filing.  End note.)  The media widely reported on 
the group,s efforts over the summer, and headlines the 
morning following Al Shaafar,s and Al Falahi,s statements 
said that the UAE would now allow the creation of human 
rights organizations.  Later that morning, the MOL quietly 
told Embassy staff that the group,s application had not yet 
been approved, and it would not commit to speeding up the 
process in light of the MOI officials, statements.  One of 
the hopeful NGO,s members confirmed that he had heard 
nothing from the MOL, and NGO efforts to meet with officials 
to move the process forward have gone unanswered. 
 
------------------------------ 
NOT ALL WERE EQUALLY IMPRESSED 
------------------------------ 
 
8. Also in attendance, at the invitation of the UAEG, were 
Ansar and Shaheen Burney, founders of the Pakistan-based 
human rights NGO Ansar Burney International Welfare Trust 
(refs. C-G).  While the Burneys told Poloff that they were 
pleased that the symposium was taking place, they were not 
impressed that their requests to pose questions during the Q 
& A sessions were ignored.  Offended by the repeated snubs, 
the Burneys left halfway through the second day of the 
conference.  (Note:  While the Burneys are known throughout 
the South Asian and Middle Eastern regions to be vocal human 
rights activists, their efforts to expose the abuse of 
underage foreign camel jockeys, primarily in the UAE but also 
in other Gulf countries, make them particularly controversial 
figures here.  End note.) 
 
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SYMPOSIUM RECOMMENDATIONS 
------------------------- 
 
9. Organizers ended the symposium with the issuance of three 
official recommendations: 
 
-- Establish an independent human rights protection 
department at the MOI, with smaller administrative affiliates 
nationwide; 
 
-- Raise awareness of human rights among police by 
introducing the subject in training curriculum, seminars, and 
direct communication with the public; 
 
-- Publish a guide of police ethics. 
 
10. Several speakers also made recommendations during their 
presentations.  Lt. Col. Dr. Muhammed Abdullah Al Murr, 
Director of the Dubai Police Human Rights Care Department, 
recommended that police detain suspects after arrest for only 
24 hours, instead of the 48 hour period allowed under UAE 
law, before being charged and referred to public prosecution. 
 He also said that a suspect should be allowed an attorney 
during questioning, so long as it did not interfere with the 
investigation.  Dr. Taha Moutawali of the Abu Dhabi Police 
agreed with both of these points, and further recommended the 
establishment of an inspection and control department tasked 
with making surprise visits to police stations, passport 
counters, airports and seaports, and investigating public 
complaints against police officers.  Colonel Bernard 
Vingtdeux, the Regional Police Attach at the Embassy of 
France, disagreed with reducing the detention period, stating 
that more complex cases, such as narcotics offenses, required 
more time.  Karoud from AI asked the UAE to join all human 
rights conventions and conform to all internationally 
respected norms, and to properly educate law enforcement 
officers to ensure that police standards meet these norms. 
Al Rifae from the Abu Dhabi Police encouraged hiring more 
female police officers, focusing on rehabilitating prisoners, 
and using religion as a deterrent to crime. 
 
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COMMENT 
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11. While it was important that the MOI and Police College 
sponsored this human rights symposium, it was clear to those 
who follow the subject closely that the issues remain too new 
and sensitive to explore deeply at this time.  The organizers 
asked speakers to give broad overviews rather than detailed 
reports on specific topics pertinent to the UAE.  Neither 
presenters nor audience members spoke critically of the 
UAE,s human rights record.  On the contrary, the UAEG was 
repeatedly held up as a model for the region.  Although 
somewhat light on substance, the symposium provided a useful 
forum for discussions about human rights priorities in the 
UAE. 
SISON