Bahrain remains in full of protests and riots, as the government tries to crack down they have taken many new suspects into custody.
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This
comes after the indefinite postponement of the UN torture reporter Mr. Juan
Mendez meeting in Bahrain. The cancellation was a unilateral decision made by
Bahraini officials. This event had been in the making for a year and a half yet
after recent events, Bahrain was not willing to oblige.
As
these two stories come out within a week of each other, the cancelled visit
impacts the way we view the new suspects, that have been apprehended. Is this
something the UN should be watching more closely? With this meeting cancelled
does this imply Bahrain is using various methods of torture and not willing to
stop? That is what it seems like to me, while there isn’t any hard evidence the
connections seem too strong. As we have discussed in class due to the threat
felt by the regime, they are more likely to use repression to try and control their
population, torture is part of that.
Sources
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/world/middleeast/un-expert-says-bahrain-canceled-visit-in-torture-inquiry.html?ref=bahrain&_r=0http://www.vob.org/en/index.php?show=news&action=article&id=2238
Oppression of their own population obviously isn't something new for Bahrain. With its history there is a lot of historical evidence that would support the claim that the regime is using torture as a means to keep the population down. Like you said, you do not have any hard evidence, but if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck, and looks like a duck... well you understand where this is going.
ReplyDeleteThis string of arrests is a slight change from the regime's strategy from the past few months. I think the big difference is that these arrests are in response to the perceived ability of protesters to tarnish Bahrain's image internationally. Protests and road blocks have generally been met with (relatively) mild measures by security forces recently, but when protesters riot at an event (Formula One race) that has a bigger international audience, the regime is more forceful with repression.
DeleteIn the same vein, these international conferences including the canceled Doctors Without Borders conference, that could potentially highlight the gap between Bahrain's crafted international face and what they are actually doing will continue to be 'postponed.'
Like many other MENA countries, any type of act by a person against the current regime, that the regime views as being hostile, is usually declared a "terrorist attack", in order to justify these arrests. I don't know if the U.N. will watch it more closely, since it is a common occurrence, but investigating these "terrorist attacks" in many countries in the region should be an option.
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ReplyDeleteI think it's really interesting how little attention Bahrain gets compared to other countries such as Mali, Syria, etc. even through the protests seem pretty significant and disruptive in this country. I feel that as long as the state sits in the shadow of their neighbors the people of Bahrain will not get a whole lot of international attention or help. The UN appears to be interested in looking into Human Rights abuses but thus far haven't pushed for any real change. Also, since Bahrain is such a small country it seems much easier for the state to control and downplay their issues and make these protests appear as "terror" motivated attacks. The best possible course of action for the protestors would be to go the non-violent route because the state thus far has made them look like violent rebels focusing on disrupting everyday life and not desperate people looking for increases in fundamental basic rights.
ReplyDeleteThe above comment makes a valid point - the regime has consistently represented the protesters as much less than what they are. A step toward nonviolent methods of protesting, I agree would be the best option to take but the regime in return needs to somewhat cooperate for these to be successful. Bahrain like all MENA countries need to identify there differences between the regimes and opposition groups and move forward. Obviously easier said than done but other than waiting to see what happens next, it doesn't seem like intervention or even stricter monitoring by the UN would help the situation.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that the UN can get involved. The first international actor that will intervene is Saudi Arabia, and they are going to do whatever is necessary to maintain peace. Unless they commit intense human rights violations in the area, there is nothing that the UN can do.
ReplyDeleteI agree, any international involvement in Bahrain will likely come from Saudi Arabia. They have a large stake at keeping stability in the region and propping up the Sunni Regime in Bahrain. That said, I don't think human rights violations, especially ones that are not well documented or widely publicized, are enough for the UN or other international bodies to get involved. Even so, what teeth would they have outside of economic sanctions and threats?
DeleteThe author makes a very interesting point, considering the fact that these two incidents come right on the heel of the canceled United Nations delegation. It seems as though the plight of Bahrain may be just as serious as some of the more obvious MENA cases that receive more news footage.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point about the regime using repression to put down future and current protests. As they feel more pressure from the protestors and the international community, they might find it helpful to silence the opposition and lower the amount of negative media attention their country is getting. It does not come as a huge surprise to me that Bahrain is using various torture techniques on its prisoners. This, unfortunately, seems to be the status quo for many of the countries in the region. The UN should look into this as it does with other allegations of human rights abuses, but I am not sure how the UN would be able to enforce any international agreements regarding the use of torture.
ReplyDeleteIf anything this outlines how useless the UN can be at times. If it is clear by Bahrain's actions that they are violating the civil liberties of their citizens, but all the UN can do is try to send an investigator, only to have the front door slammed in its face. If the UN intended to do anything about Bahrain anyway it would read between the lines and accept the country's actions as proof enough of their civil rights violations.
ReplyDeleteThe "rule of fear,” which is characterized as high levels of government violence and force makes state failure more likely (Bates).
ReplyDelete