Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
February 23, 2001
Bahrain is a hereditary emirate with few democratic institutions and no political parties. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled Bahrain since the late 18th century and dominates all facets of its society and government. The Constitution confirms the Amir as hereditary ruler. The Amir, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle as Prime Minister, his son as Crown Prince, and an appointed cabinet of ministers. In 1975 the Government suspended some provisions of the 1973 Constitution, including those articles relating to the National Assembly, which was disbanded and never reinstituted. Citizens belong to the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam, with the Shi’a constituting over two-thirds of the indigenous population. However, Sunnis predominate politically and economically because the ruling family is Sunni and is supported by the armed forces, the security services, and powerful Sunni and Shi’a merchant families. The political situation generally was calm during the year; there were a few incidents of low-level political unrest, but there has not been significant unrest since 1996. There are few judicial checks on the actions of the Amir and his Government, and the courts are subject to government pressure.
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
February 23, 2001Bahrain is a hereditary emirate with few democratic institutions and no political parties. The Al-Khalifa extended family has ruled Bahrain since the late 18th century and dominates all facets of its society and government. The Constitution confirms the Amir as hereditary ruler. The Amir, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa, governs the country with the assistance of his uncle as Prime Minister, his son as Crown Prince, and an appointed cabinet of ministers. In 1975 the Government suspended some provisions of the 1973 Constitution, including those articles relating to the National Assembly, which was disbanded and never reinstituted. Citizens belong to the Shi’a and Sunni sects of Islam, with the Shi’a constituting over two-thirds of the indigenous population. However, Sunnis predominate politically and economically because the ruling family is Sunni and is supported by the armed forces, the security services, and powerful Sunni and Shi’a merchant families. The political situation generally was calm during the year; there were a few incidents of low-level political unrest, but there has not been significant unrest since 1996. There are few judicial checks on the actions of the Amir and his Government, and the courts are subject to government pressure.
The Ministry of Interior is responsible for public security. It controls the public security force (police) and the extensive security service, which are responsible for maintaining internal order. The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) is responsible for defending against external threats. It did not play a role in internal security during the year. Security forces committed serious human rights abuses.
Bahrain has a mixed economy with government domination of many basic industries, including the important oil and aluminum sectors. Possessing limited oil and gas reserves, the Government is working to diversify its economic base, concentrating on light manufacturing and the services sectors, particularly banking, financial services, and consulting. The Government has used its modest oil revenues to build a highly advanced transportation and telecommunications infrastructure. Economic growth is highly dependent on global oil prices, but the economy remains stable. The Government encouraged private national and international investment and moved to privatize some of its state-run industries. The country is a regional financial and business center. Tourism, particularly via the causeway linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia, is also a significant source of income. Citizens enjoy a high standard of living.
The Government generally respected its citizens’ human rights in some areas and improved in other areas; however, its record was poor in some areas, particularly workers’ rights. The Government denies citizens the right to change their government; however, the political situation continued to improve due to the decrease in political and civil unrest compared to last year, and an effort by the Amir to develop relations with the Shi’a community. Security forces continued to torture, beat, and otherwise abuse prisoners. Impunity remains a problem; there were no known instances of any security forces personnel being punished for human rights abuses committed either during the year or in any previous year. The Government continued to use arbitrary arrest and detention, incommunicado and prolonged detention, and involuntary exile; however, in 1999 upon assuming power, one of the Amir’s first official acts was to pardon or release over 400 prisoners, detainees, and exiles. During the year, the Amir pardoned a combined total of approximately 500 prisoners and detainees, some of whom had been detained for political reasons. The judiciary remains subject to government pressure, and there are limits on the right to a fair public trial, especially in the Security Court. The Government continued to infringe on citizens’ privacy rights. The Government imposed some restrictions on freedom of speech and of the press and restricted freedom of assembly and association. The Government also imposes some limits on freedom of religion and movement. Violence against women and discrimination based on sex, religion, and ethnicity remain problems. The Government restricts worker rights, and there were instances of forced labor.
In December 1999, the Amir stated that all citizens are “equal before the law” and allowed Shi’a to apply for jobs in the BDF and the Ministry of the Interior for the first time in 4 years. These policies continued during the year.For the full report click here.