Bahraini groups press reconciliation amid official resistance
By DPA
Jun 23, 2007, 19:55 GMT
Manama, Bahrain – Human rights and opposition political groups in Bahrain Saturday mapped out a blueprint for a national reconciliation committee to uncover the truth behind years of state repression, prompting criticism from the current government.
The committee, which is expected to be announced following a rights conference Tuesday, is part of an effort by civic groups to bring closure to the cases of alleged victims of government rights violations during unrest in the 1970s, 1980s and mid 1990s.
Bahraini groups press reconciliation amid official resistance
By DPA
Jun 23, 2007, 19:55 GMT
Manama, Bahrain – Human rights and opposition political groups in Bahrain Saturday mapped out a blueprint for a national reconciliation committee to uncover the truth behind years of state repression, prompting criticism from the current government.
The committee, which is expected to be announced following a rights conference Tuesday, is part of an effort by civic groups to bring closure to the cases of alleged victims of government rights violations during unrest in the 1970s, 1980s and mid 1990s.
Emotional testimonies by alleged victims who lost relatives, subjected to torture, or have been denied citizenship were presented during the meeting. Nearly all the participants offered suggestions for how the future committee should look.
The participants in a statement said that a pardon law, known as decree 56, was un-constitutional under Bahraini and international law in extending immunity to those who allegedly carried out torture.
But Social Development Minister Fatima al-Balooshi, addressing the gathering, said the 2001 pardon – which granted freedom to all political prisoners as well as those who may have committed human rights violations – should stand.
The so-called National Charter, which 98 per cent of the people voted in favour of in 2001, marked a political turning point by establishing the foundations of a democratic system fair to all Bahrainis, al-Balooshi said in her opening statement.
The National Charter formed the centrepiece of political reforms instituted by Bahrain’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa in 2001.
Following his rise to power in 1999, King Sheikh Hamad suspended the state security act, freed political prisoners and allowed the return of exiles, mostly Shiites, before re-drafting a new constitution to allow the return of parliamentary life three decades after it was suspended.
One of the key foundations of that national agreement under the National Charter has been a general pardon, al-Balooshi said, adding that the pardons can not be selective and they should include all parties.
‘The law does not allow for review of cases that fall within the timeframe of the pardon, and its clauses do not extend to actions carried out after its adoption,’ she said.
Al-Balooshi’s views, which she said represent the government position, were echoed by Islamist member of parliament Ali.
Ali said the re-opening of files would reflect negatively on the reforms process, taking everyone back to square one.
‘From our point of view national reconciliation requires compromises from all parties,’ he told the meeting.
The opposition bloc Haq (Right) Movement, who continue to boycott the elections and reject the constitution adopted in 2002, walked-out of the meeting when MP Ali began his address.
‘We walked out because we do not view the present National Assembly as a legitimate body,’ Haq spokesman Abduljalil al-Singace said.
MP Jalal Fairooz, of the 17-member Shiite al-Wefaq bloc, was quick to dismiss MP Ali’s comments as non-representative of all the MP’s views, citing that the position he expressed was not the position adopted by the parliament.
Miranda Sissons, deputy director of the Middle East at the International Centre for Transitional Justice, praised the efforts of the representatives of government and the coalition of groups that arranged for Saturday’s workshop.
‘Its clear that these issues of what to do about the past, about victims rights, about seeking reparation and the truth is an important topic in Bahraini society a very sensitive one that needs to be approached with care,’ she told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa during the meeting.
‘These discussions will help people to begin think of constructive steps forward because we know from other experiences that the work in civil societies on these questions is extremely important for a positive process,’ she said.
The formation of the reconciliation committee is expected to be announced after a conference Tuesday, coinciding with the international day of solidarity with the victims of torture, which the Bahraini government has allowed to be marked since 2001.
A consultative meeting, attended by 35 rights and opposition activists, was held in March to discuss the formation of an NGO reconciliation pressure group.
The drafting committee for that meeting has so far outlined its aims for equity and reconciliation in Bahrain including goals, strategies and a time-frame.
A draft of the proposal obtained by dpa views the uncovering of the truth and its documentation as the committee’s key objective.
The draft also calls for the compensation of victims and for the capture and punishment of those who were allegedly involved in carrying out torture. It also demands legislative guarantees for such violations to end.
Eligible for compensation would be all those who sustained injuries or were subjected to torture, deportation or arbitrary arrests during periods of political unrest. The committee should also help those who had been deprived of civil, political or economic rights during the unrest, or sustained damage to property.
© 2007 dpa – Deutsche Presse-Agentur