LAST year exiled Bahraini human rights activist Maryam al-Khawaja told The National the UK had “become a problem” for freedoms in the Gulf region. Now the co-director of the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) has written an exclusive response to the UK Government’s new focus on the region for The National following visits by both Prime Minister Theresa May and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson. Al-Khawaja, who left her country for Europe to avoid a jail sentence, writes as her father Abdulhadi remains in prison for his pro-democracy work. He was sentenced to life by a military court on terror charges for his role in Bahrain’s civil uprising.
IN his speech during the Manama Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in Bahrain, Boris Johnson said: “And so tonight I want to acknowledge that this policy of disengagement East of Suez was a mistake and in so far as we are now capable, and we are capable of a lot, we want to reverse that policy at least in this sense: that we recognise the strong historical attachment between Britain and the Gulf, and more importantly, we underscore the growing relevance and importance of that relationship in today’s uncertain and volatile world.”
Johnson made clear that his government regrets the decolonisation of Bahrain back in the 1970s; but we need to look beyond his colonialist statements. Colonialism was always about exploiting a people considered to be inferior; not even to serve the basic needs of the British people; but to add to the ludicrous greed of the elite. When colonialists found that there were no local populations who would voluntarily give up their resources and country to serve the greed of the British, they found that the best way to serve themselves in foreign lands was to subdue and control the populations there either directly or through puppet regimes.
Officially, Bahrain was no longer a UK protectorate in 1971; but the UK’s actions in Bahrain had already set up the system, and the oppressive rulers they favoured. Unfortunately that was not the end of it though. Since 1971, the UK has systematically supported, defended and enabled the absolute monarchy in Bahrain to continue committing human rights abuses and crimes.
The Alkhalifa monarchy, who took over Bahrain by force 230 years ago, goes through periods during which they are extremely weak and almost lose grip on their rule of the country. In the early period of their rule, there was extreme in-fighting between two parts of the monarchy, and their rule almost came to an end. So the British intervened, kicking out one faction and empowering the other – reinforcing and stabilizing the rule of the oppressive monarchy and the suffering of the Bahraini people. Now, as then, when the monarchy is in trouble of losing control, again the UK intervenes to stop attempts to hold the regime accountable nationally and internationally.
Millions of pounds were spent on “aid” since the uprising in 2011 under the guise of “reform” – reform in the shape of window dressing that did not translate to any changes on the ground but only served to reinvigorate the absolute monarchy’s legitimacy internationally.
It is obvious that the British Government today has not developed any sense of morality for those who have been killed, tortured, maimed, and/or incarcerated; similar to their lack of morality concerning the pearl divers in the 1900s who were usually killed if they were caught hiding under their tongues a pearl they had found doing one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, in order to feed their families outside of the pearl season.
My human rights activist colleague Naji Fateel was severely tortured and sentenced to 30 years in jail. He wrote a letter to Boris Johnson from his prison cell, saying: “I would conclude that the Bahraini authorities have used the UK support and the newly established institutions to whitewash violations and as a cover-up to its ongoing suppression campaign, while taking advantage of its engagement in ‘the international campaign against terrorism’ and with the full support of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.”
From the pearl divers to the present day, the Bahraini peoples still struggle against the oppressive monarchy, and the British Government enables the oppressive monarchy shamelessly.
The difference is that back then it was done under pretext of colonialism; now it is done under the pretence of being a democracy supportive of democratic struggles and human rights. Because of these actions, the crimes committed by the British Government, directly or indirectly, towards other populations, continue.
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