Cablegate: Embassy Seeks More Bahraini Action On Tip

This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS MANAMA 000251

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP,INL/G/TIP, NEA/RA, AND DRL/IL
CAIRO FOR STEVE BONDY
LONDON FOR ETHAN GOLDRICH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KCRM ELAB BA
SUBJECT: EMBASSY SEEKS MORE BAHRAINI ACTION ON TIP

REF: A. 03 MANAMA 2798

B. 03 MANAMA 3015

1. (U) On February 22, POL/ECON Chief asked MFA Assistant
Undersecretary for Coordination and Follow-up Shaikh Abdul
Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa if he could provide an update on
anti-TIP activities since ref A. Shaikh Abdul Aziz is the
overall coordinator of TIP-related work with the USG. P/E
Chief reminded him that the new USG TIP legislation requires
more precise reporting to support TIP tier rankings and
inquired if the GOB had any statistical data on TIP
prevention, investigations and prosecution that could be
included in Post's report. P/E Chief noted that Post's draft
is due on March 1.

2. (U) P/E Chief suggested to Shaikh Abdul Aziz that it
would be especially helpful to have current information on
two high profile cases recently featured in the press. In
particular, P/E Chief mentioned the case of a Bangladeshi
worker in a pending labor case that was forcibly repatriated
and the case of Anita Verma (see reftel B). Shaikh Abdul
Aziz said he would raise these two cases in a meeting that he
had already scheduled with Deputy Attorney General Shaikh
Khalid bin Ali Al Khalifa to follow up on 200 worker abuse
cases that Bahrain Centre for Human Rights activist Selma
Bala has submitted for action. P/E Chief added that we would
like to mention Bahrain's ratification of the UN Convention
on Transnational Crime in the report.

3. (U) Shaikh Abdul Aziz had no information for P/E Chief
and admitted that MFA had homework to do. He tentatively
scheduled a meeting with A/DCM and PolOFF on March 3 to
provide an update on anti-TIP activities. Since the TIP
report is due on March 1, P/E Chief said that we would write
the report based on the information in hand and submit it by
the deadline. However, the report would state that an update
would be produced after the meeting with Shaikh Abdul Aziz.
FORD

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