US embassy cable - 05MANAMA288

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HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT DELIVERED TO GOB

Identifier: 05MANAMA288
Wikileaks: View 05MANAMA288 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Manama
Created: 2005-03-02 08:56:00
Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Tags: PHUM KDEM KJUS BA
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

020856Z Mar 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000288 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/01/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, KJUS, BA 
SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT DELIVERED TO GOB 
 
REF: STATE 31996 
 
Classified By: DCM Susan L. Ziadeh for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Pol/Econ Chief delivered the 2004 Bahrain Human 
Rights Report to MFA Director of Bilateral Relations Dhafer 
Alumran February 28.  Alumran pledged to disseminate the 
report within the GOB and instructed an assistant to fax it 
to Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, 
currently in London.  Commenting on government-initiated 
reform efforts, Ambassador Alumran said "although we know we 
have many things to do, we are moving in the right direction." 
 
2.  (C) PolOff met with MFA Assistant Undersecretary for 
Coordination and Follow-up Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al 
Khalifa March 1 to discuss the Human Rights Report.  Sheikh 
Abdul Aziz stated that overall the report seemed more 
positive than in recent years, but that the GOB disputed some 
sections of it pertaining to judicial independence, the role 
of parliament, treatment of prisoners, and discrimination 
against Shi'a. 
 
3.  (C) The Bahrain Tribune, a pro-government newspaper, 
published a front page article March 1 on the Human Rights 
Report entitled "U.S. Hails Reforms, Freedoms in Bahrain." 
The lengthy article focused almost exclusively on passages 
from the report focusing on positive actions the GOB has 
taken with regard to human rights in the last year.  In the 
coming days, other newspapers and civil society organizations 
will likely highlight portions of the report that are more 
critical of the government. 
 
4.  (U) The 2004 Bahrain Human Rights Report was posted on 
Embassy Manama's website March 1. 
MONROE 

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