US embassy cable - 05MANAMA169

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MANAMA 000169 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, ELAB, KDEM, KSEP, PGOV, PREL, BA 
SUBJECT: BAHRAIN'S SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY 
REPORT: 2004-2005 EDITION 
 
REF: STATE 267453 
 
1.  (U) In 2002, Bahrain became a monarchy and adopted a 
constitution which reinstated a legislative body.  The upper 
house of parliament (Shura Council) is appointed by the King, 
and the lower house (Council of Representatives) is elected 
by the people.  All men and women citizens age 21 and above 
have the right to vote.  Parliament has the authority to 
present and review legislation, but the King, as head of the 
legislative (and executive and judicial) branch, holds most 
of the legislative authority.  Both Shia and Sunnis are well 
represented in the government, though the minority Sunni 
population plays a dominant role in both politics and the 
economy.  Women ran for office in the 2002 elections, but 
none were elected.  16 percent of Shura Council members are 
women, and 2 of 23 government ministers are women.  The 
government's respect for human rights improved in some areas 
during the year; judiciary procedures became more 
transparent, police received human rights training, efforts 
to combat corruption achieved some success, and parliament 
worked with civil society organizations to advance reforms. 
However, problems remained.  A leading human rights 
organization was dissolved by the government, and 
discrimination against the Shia population, women, and third 
country nationals continued.  The government infringed on 
citizens' privacy rights and in some cases restricted freedom 
of speech and assembly. 
 
2.  (U) Advancing human rights and democracy in Bahrain is a 
key priority of the U.S. government.  U.S. policy supports 
the rule of law, political participation, freedom of the 
press, judicial reform, civil society development, labor 
rights, and the protection of foreign workers.  The U.S. 
advances its policy through diplomatic engagement and 
practical programming. U.S. officials regularly meet with the 
government and advocate a pro-active approach to 
democratization and respect for human rights.  President Bush 
met with King Hamad in November 2004 and reiterated U.S. 
support for Bahrain's political and economic development. 
U.S. diplomats frequently engage civil society activists and 
encourage their participation in the political process.  The 
State Department published numerous reviews of the human 
rights situation in Bahrain that were included in the Country 
Reports on Human Rights Practices, the International 
Religious Freedom Report, and the Trafficking-in-Persons 
Report. 
 
3.  (U) Bahrain's first elections in nearly three decades 
were held in 2002.  The elections were perceived as generally 
free and fair, though several political groups boycotted. 
Bahrain's next round of elections will be in 2006, with 
municipal elections in the spring and parliamentary elections 
in the fall. One of the Embassy's main priorities is to 
strengthen Bahrain's democratic movement and increase civil 
society's confidence in the system.  The Embassy utilizes 
funding from the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative 
(MEPI) to sponsor the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in 
Bahrain.  NDI focuses on helping Bahrain's political 
societies (in the absence of political parties) strengthen 
their institutional capacity and transparency and respond to 
citizens' needs.  NDI frequently hosts workshops to increase 
the participation of youth and women in the political 
process.  NDI also facilitates discussions between civil 
society and members of parliament on legislation and other 
matters of national interest. 
 
4.  (U) Judicial reform is another major focus of U.S. policy 
in Bahrain.  A MEPI-funded American Bar Association (ABA) 
project assists the Bahraini Ministry of Justice in its 
reform efforts.  The ABA facilitated training for judges and 
prosecutors; the establishment of an alternative dispute 
resolution system; improved case management through software 
installation and training; and the transparent recruitment 
and selection of new judges.  The MEPI-funded Commercial Law 
Development Program (CLDP) is working with the Bahraini 
government to develop sound commercial law practices.  The 
Embassy facilitated the visit of a delegation of 
parliamentarians, government officials, and business leaders 
to a rule of law forum organized by the Southern Methodist 
University.  In March, the Minister of Justice dismissed five 
Shari'a court judges and suspended a sixth for corruption and 
disreputable behavior.  The King publicly called for the 
creation of a personal status law to ensure greater 
protection of women's legal rights. 
 
5.  (U) In September, the Bahraini government dissolved a 
leading human rights organization and arrested one of its 
members after he criticized the royal family and government 
policies in a public speech.  In a press conference, the 
State Department spokesman stated that "there has been a lot 
of very positive movement in Bahrain in recent years and we 
are concerned that this could represent some sort of step 
backwards."  Embassy officials expressed the same concern in 
meetings with Bahraini officials.  On November 21 the 
detained activist was sentenced to one year in prison, but 
the King ordered his release the same day.  Bahrain approved 
the registration of several new human rights groups, 
including the Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society and an 
organization to protect foreign workers in crisis.  The 
Embassy sent an active member of Bahrain's civil society on 
an International Visitor's Program to study human rights 
advocacy and awareness. 
 
6.  (U) More than half of Bahrain's work force is foreign, 
and there are cases of expatriate workers being subject to 
trafficking and abuse.  The State Department's 2004 
Trafficking-in-Persons Report states that the Government of 
Bahrain does not fully comply with the minimum standards for 
the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making 
significant efforts to do so.  The government developed a 
national plan of action regarding trafficking and shut down 
several employment agencies that exploited workers. Bahrain 
does not have anti-trafficking legislation, however, and 
foreign workers are not covered under domestic labor laws. 
In meetings with the Bahraini government, U.S. officials 
consistently underscore the importance of combating 
trafficking-in-persons and the exploitation of workers.  A 
MEPI-sponsored NGO trained government officials in how to 
respond to abuse victims' needs.  The Embassy at times was 
invited to participate in inter-ministerial meetings that 
dealt with trafficking issues.  The U.S. funded an 
International Organization for Migration (IOM) project to 
mitigate Bahrain's trafficking problem, and the project is 
expected to commence in 2005. 
 
7.  (U) The Embassy recognizes that civic education is key to 
the democratic process in Bahrain.  In 2004, the MEPI-funded 
Civic Education Program provided several opportunities for 
Ministry of Education officials and teachers to participate 
in teacher training and curriculum development programs.  A 
MEPI-funded project to translate American children's books 
into Arabic to promote critical thinking skills was approved 
by the Ministry of Education and will begin to be implemented 
in FY 05.  The State Department-funded Microscholarships 
Program enabled fifty Bahraini high school students to attend 
English language classes to improve their English language 
abilities.  The Microscholarships Program is designed to 
emphasize skills that students will need in a democracy, 
e.g., critical thinking and targeted discussions about 
American Studies topics such as the U.S. Constitution. 
During FY 05, the Embassy sent two senior specialists from 
the Ministry of Education on International Visitors Programs 
on civic education and curriculum reform. 
 
8.  (U) Freedom of expression and press liberty are also U.S. 
priorities.  A MEPI-funded program to train journalists, 
implemented by Internews, trained dozens of Bahraini 
journalists in FY 04.  A MEPI-funded university linkage with 
the Department of Mass Communications helped launch the 
University of Bahrain's first student-run radio station via 
PD grants and MEPI projects.  During the past two fiscal 
years, the public affairs section has sent several 
journalists on International Visitors Programs which address 
the role of the media in a democracy and the responsibilities 
of an investigative journalist. 
MONROE