Bahrain Fresh National Protests
A Chara,
It is encouraging to many that you publish letters on developments in Bahrain and that you provide an outlet for exposing issues there which many of us in Ireland feel particularly strongly about.
I urgently wish to draw your attention to scheduled events in coming days ;
The 21st September will see a massive national offensive in Bahrain which aims to debilitate the Diplomatic District in central Manama in an effort to garner international media attention.
This Peaceful Pro-Democracy Demonstration is being labeled "The Dignity Hoop" (a direct translation from Arabic – but essentially a ‘Ring of Dignity’). Protesters will drive their cars to the designated vicinity with the intent of paralyzing traffic in this sensitive area at the busiest time of day 7:00am – 10:00am.
The event has been coordinated largely through Social Media networking on Facebook and Twitter and once again the activists have no weapons with which to either provoke regime mercenaries or indeed to protect themselves from them.
Remarkable as it may seem, the National Telecoms Company appears set to play a supporting role in tomorrow’s anticipated ‘clamp-down’. Batelco is ‘taking out’ telecoms from 8am-12pm in the South of the Island – at precisely the time when innumerable social media activists will be furtively trying to Tweet and post live videos on YouTube or Facebook.
See Batelco Notice: http://p.twimg.com/AZvB-HrCMAAzvbr.jpg:large
Personally I am concerned for imminent fatalities - predominantly as there is a recent history of birdshot and teargas related deaths of late, but also in light of the Ministry of Interiors threat to take very serious action against anyone taking part in the protest (including children), and the knowledge that the regime is culpable, in reality, of mass detention and torture.
Statement from MOI: http://www.policemc.gov.bh/en/news_details.aspx?type=1&articleId=9183
Despite this warning of retribution, (indeed they have become accustomed to the menace of excessive force), the people are adamantly insisting on their demands for radical reform and the right to self determination; many calling for the Regime to be replaced with a Constitutional Monarchy.
To date, Government forces have killed more than 40 people, sacked 2500 workers, demolished more than 40 Mosques and ignored all legitimate demands; imprisoning and torturing those who would speak out against them. There are nightly occurrences of youths being plucked from the streets - only to endure the most heinous vengeance at the hands of mercenaries imported by the Bahraini Government from Saudi, Yemen, Jordan and Pakistan. Incidentally, people in these countries have held demonstrations objecting to the use of their forces in Bahrain.
This week too will see a National Unity Protest by the opposition political parties on 22nd with the main event "Lulu Return" taking place on the 23rd-24th September. Rallies will congregate at various villages and will advance toward “Pearl Square”, known as "Martyrs Square" or "Lulu Square" in memory of the people whose lives were lost in the murderous assault on civilians in February and March during the protests which drew so much media attention.
In coming days the people of Bahrain “will face the tanks of the national army and the Saudi invaders with their naked chests even it costs them their lives”.
These people ‘fight’ rifles with roses and create prayer beads from rubber bullets that are fired at them. They do not defend themselves. When they are injured in coming days, if they’re lucky … they may have access to medical assistance from ‘underground hospitals’ who offer makeshift theatres and onsite emergency care, under the radar.(Medicin Sans Frontiers clinic was forcibly shut down by the Regime earlier this year). I met people last week at the Frontline Defenders Conference who help nightly in this effort. The injured know that if they go to hospital they will be arrested for taking part in demonstrations since the public hospitals were commandeered by the military and are still occupied by mercenaries.
It is with a heavy heart that I ask you to please consider printing this letter to let them know we are watching and that not everyone is silent.
My thanks in advance,
Is Mise,
Tara O’Grady
Independent Human Rights Activist
