President Barack Obama today urged Bahrain’s ruling dynasty to hold accountable those officials responsible for human rights abuses and to reach a compromise with opposition groups seeking reform.
His comments came after aleading member of Bahrain’s royal family met with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon in the White House. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, reputed to be a relatively reformist member of the ruling dynasty, was invited to Washington after the government lifted the state of emergency and gave a commitment to negotiate with opposition leaders.
Democracy advocates and labor union activists have detailed continuing rights abuses and use of torture despite the regime’s offer to start a dialog with opposition groups.
“The president emphasized the importance of following through on the government’s commitment to ensuring that those responsible for human rights abuses will be held accountable,” the White House said.
Obama “dropped by” the meeting in a protocol mechanism used to allow him to meet lower ranked officials.
Rights activists are demanding the release of medical staff detained during Bahrain’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, but relatives and observers believe their fate hinges on the results of next month’s national dialog.
“We all believe the solution is political, that we are a card to use to pressure the opposition for concessions,” one of the defendants, recently released from custody, told Reuters.
The head of the United Nations’ labor rights agency today urged Bahrain to reinstate at least 2,000 workers sacked for participating in pro-democracy protests.
The government has reportedly agreed to allow the U.N.’s human rights mission to visit the kingdom.
“Our main worry is people being able to work and ensuring they can exercise their freedom of association and not be pressured as a result of events,” said Juan Somavia, director-general of the International Labor Organization (ILO).
The General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions, which represents 25,000 employees from 70 unions, had called a general strike to pressure the government to start a dialogue on constitutional reform. Shortly afterwards, the pro-democracy movement was suppressed following a Saudi-orchestrated invasion, since recognized as the turning point in the Arab Spring, emboldening rulers to resist reform demands and embarrassing the U.S., a staunch ally.
The regime’s “massive retribution” against pro-democracy labor activists is “very scary and ominous,” said Shawna Bader-Blau, Middle East and North Africa program director for the Washington-based Solidarity Center.
Companies have circulated lists of employees considered “traitors” by co-workers, including their personal details.
“Pictures of people with circles around their faces have even appeared in parliament, with members of parliament holding up pictures of demonstrators with circles around their faces,” she said. “It’s very scary and ominous.”
Bahrain was one of the few Gulf states to permit independent trade unions, but eight of 15 executive members of the GFBTU are among those dismissed, the ILO’s Somovia said.
Regime hardliners deliberately targeted the labor movement precisely because it is a bastion of non-sectarian politics and an advocate of dialog and compromise between the minority Sunni monarchy and the largely Shi’ite protest movement. The unions’ involvement in the reform movement undermined the authorities’ efforts to portray the opposition as an Iranian-sponsored coup attempt, and the anti-union repression is a major setback to what is arguably the island’s most vibrant civil society organization.
“They feel very sad — this was a labor movement they had fought for 40 years, and they’re just getting ripped apart,” said Bader-Blau.
Hardliners grouped around veteran Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa are the biggest obstacle to a negotiated settlement, reinforcing divisions within the regime and appealing to sectarian sentiment amongst the Sunni minority.
