US embassy cable - 05MANAMA477

C O N F I D E N T I A L MANAMA 000477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PI, DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/29/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, KDEM, KJUS, BA 
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY REPORT 
DELIVERED TO GOB 
 
REF: STATE 48134 
 
Classified By: Acting DCM Hallie Hahn for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1.  (C) Poloff delivered the 2004-2005 Supporting Human 
Rights and Democracy Report to MFA Assistant Undersecretary 
for Coordination and Follow-up Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak 
Al Khalifa March 28.  Sheikh Abdul Aziz pledged to review the 
report carefully, and noted that the MFA is thinking of 
establishing a new department within the ministry to work on 
the issues raised in certain international reports.  He said 
the GOB wanted to become more pro-active rather than reactive 
in dealing with the issues contained in the reports. 
 
2.  (C) Recognizing that the Supporting Human Rights and 
Democracy Report includes the 98 countries and entities that 
the U.S. deems to have the most human rights abuses, he asked 
for advice on how Bahrain could "get off the list."  Sheikh 
Abdul Aziz commented that in response to a recent report on 
Bahrain from the UN's Committee on the Elimination of Racial 
Discrimination, the GOB was considering establishing a 
national institute on human rights and publishing more of its 
internal reports on human rights issues. 
 
3.  (C) The Bahrain Tribune, a pro-government newspaper, 
published a front page article March 29 on the Supporting 
Human Rights and Democracy Report entitled "Bahrain Reforms, 
War on Graft Win US Praise."  The article cited passages from 
the report which noted positive actions taken by the GOB with 
regard to human rights in the last year, and included very 
little from the more negative passages.  It highlighted 
several USG-funded initiatives in Bahrain including Civitas, 
the Microscholarships program, the International Visitors 
program, the American Bar Association program, and the 
Commercial Law Development Program. 
MONROE