In his video, Foreign Office Minister, Alistair Burt talks about the Arab Spring and the UK’s role. Mr Burt addressed Arab leaders and community leaders at an event in London held in association with the International Arab Charity.
He highlighted progress and new challenges in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. He also raised his concerns about the ongoing violence in Syria and talked about the Middle East Peace Process and Iran’s nuclear programme.
In his speech, he said:
“Reform has to be led by the countries themselves. These are Arab revolutions. It is not for us to dictate their pace or their nature. How they develop will not be driven by Western agendas. It is about the people themselves setting out a path to achieveing the universal rights and freedoms they long for. There’s not one form of democracy that fits all. Every country is different and has the right to develop its own political model.”
Mr Burt explained that the UK has committed £110m over four years to work in partnership with countries across the region. The Arab Partnership programme has already approved 48 projects in 9 countries worth £6.5m and they are already delivering positive outcomes.
No mention at all of the repression in Bahrain, which is shameful. Mr. Burt’s silence on Bahrain undermines the rest of what he has to say.
I worked in a major government education reform initiative 2007-11, and saw the education reform movement undermined from within the regime for months before 14th February, and systematic abuses afterwards.
These include 22 students sentenced to 15 years in prison following a violent disturbance on campus at the University of Bahrain. I was an eye-witness to these events and have submitted evidence on it to the BICI. What I saw was a peaceful demonstration attacked by pro-regime thugs. Sadly, the sentences were handed down by a military tribunal of dubious legitimacy to the demonstrators, not the people who attacked them.
This incident is one among many. Bahrain is a micro-state, multiply its seemingly small death-toll by the difference in population between Bahrain and Syria and we start to see something of similar proportions. By failing to mention Bahrain Mr. Burt completely undermines the rest of his fine words.