“I listened to a lot of people there, including eyewitnesses. I believe
they are making change for the better.
“There is no question they have issues, but every country has issues; we
had riots here in the UK not so long ago. This time, Formula One can go to
Bahrain with a clear conscience and not just as a tool for some sort of
cover-up.”
However, with the anniversary of Bahrain’s uprising approaching, the US State
Department issued a statement on Monday claiming that frequent clashes in
Manama have forced people to remain indoors and have disrupted travel.
The statement added that embassy staff and their families are being shifted to
other neighbourhoods to avoid the violence. Bahrain is a key ally of the
United States, and hosts the US 5th Naval Fleet.
The development will come as a blow to Bahrain’s rulers who have been
desperately trying to alter the international image of the country in recent
months.
They claim that many of reports of unrest have been exaggerated and that
subversive elements are making their task of restoring order more difficult.
They also point out that King Hamad commissioned an independent investigation
into what went on last spring and has acted swiftly upon its findings.
The investigation uncovered many cases of human rights abuses and made a
number of recommendations.
As part of the “reconciliation process” Bahrain’s king recently
ordered the reinstatement of all those workers at the Bahrain International
Circuit who lost their jobs in the wake of the riots last year.
However, it has since emerged that many of those workers – some of whom
claimed to have been tortured while in custody – had refused to return,
saying their new contracts were unfair.
Bahrain’s ministry of labour has now intervened to resolve outstanding claims.
A spokesperson for the ministry said allegations regarding mistreatment were
a matter for the ministry of the interior.