Human Rights First Human Rights First

Bahrain Ambassador Declines Dooley’s Invitation for a Public Debate on Reforms

6-29-2012

By Marc Jayson Climaco
New Media Content Specialist

Photo of Bahrain Ambassador to the United States Houda Nonoo. (Photo from POMED)

Earlier this week, Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley sent a letter to Houda Nonoo, Bahrain’s ambassador to the United States, asking her for a public discussion about human rights reforms in Bahrain. Ambassador Nonoo backed out of the invitation via her blog while ironically stressing the importance of dialogue with human rights organizations. She proposed a private meeting instead.  She writes:

Throughout my time in Washington, I have always been happy to discuss the situation in Bahrain with concerned members of the human rights community. We all benefit from the frank exchange of views done in the spirit of seeking truth and fostering understanding. It has been my experience that private discussions offer the best venue for facilitating such discussions.
…
We need a serious effort to understand the situation in Bahrain and work constructively to resolve it. Human rights groups have an important role to play in this.

Dooley planned on travelling to Bahrain this week, but he was denied entry—his second denial over the course of six months. He wanted to speak with government officials about the 20 medics recently prosecuted for treating wounded protesters and for telling the truth about government abuses. Since the publication of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) report in November 2011, it has been difficult for human rights organizations and other international observers to operate in Bahrain.

Talk is cheap. If the Bahrain government truly wants to have a “serious effort” to constructively resolve the situation in Bahrain, then it should provide human rights groups access to the country. Government representatives, including Ambassador Nonoo, should also engage in a public dialogue with human rights groups. Both actions would signal that the country is willing to acknowledge human rights abuses identified in the BICI report and that it is committed to reforms.

Do you think that the Ambassador should join a public debate?


Tags: , , ,
Posted in Blog | 15 Comments »

  • http://bahraincoordinatingcommittee.org Mary Fletcher Jones

    Yes. She should join a public debate. She should go on the record, and address the concerns of citizens and groups in the U.S. about Bahrain.

    What use is a private meeting? Bahrain is not tear-gassing neighborhoods in private. They are not shooting rubber bullets in private. Public actions demand a public response.

    She is her nation’s spokesperson and should not try to duck out of her duty.

  • Ted

    Yes of course she should join a public debate! By not doing so she shows she has everything to hide.

    Interestingly the UN Special Rapporteur for Torture was asked what country he was most worried about right now.
    “Of greatest concern are those countries which do not invite me, or which do invite me and then cancel, like ‪#Bahrain‬” http://is.gd/sChysR

    Same principle here; the regime are trying to hide their human rights abuses. They can’t; in the United Nations Human Rights Council, twenty seven governments from around the world joined together for the first time to deliver a declaration calling on Bahrain to cease grave human rights violations being carried out against pro-democracy activists in the country, including for the release of political prisoners and the end of excessive force against protesters.

    I am pressing for the convening of a Special Session or Urgent Debate at the Human Rights Council on the situation in the country. The regime lie and act with impunity. That has to stop.

  • Umar

    Why was Bahrain included in Arab Spring in the media coverage, when around 40 people died? look at Egypt, Syria, Libya.. 1000s died!! And the people who died in Bahrain last year, their families are being given out $ 150,000 each! So what has the gov of Bahrain got to hide?! Instead the media is twisting most of the facts of the medics who were protesting in uniform in the hospital instead of treating patients, not to forget that they get their salaries from the government TAX-FREE against whom they were protesting!

  • Mohamed

    She cannot!
    We all know this
    They wish everybody believes them..
    They always change the subject to Iran and external involvments!!
    All what Bahrain people wants is real democracy.. They can blane Iran, USA, uk…etc
    But they cannnotvchange the reality behind Bahrainis demands.

  • A proud pro-goverment bahraini

    i say to Mr.Dooley that he should please mind his own business and stop intruding in bahrain’s internal affairs and if you are really eager to be a so called “human rights activist” syria is screaming for your help and over there you have corps to rule on while in bahrain your just screaming for some lame doctors who are very damn guilty in the first place..

  • Neil

    A very big YES.

    This regime in Bahrain is very brutal to his people & yet pretends to be HR advocate.

    Those deceivers in Bahrain must be questioned in public parks!

  • M.J.

    It would certainly show a sense of responsibility if the Ambassador accepted the invitation. This gives the Ambassador a golden opportunity to diplomatically explain the transgressions the Bahraini government. Shirking, however, displays lack of commitment and would require some serious image polishing.

  • sara j

    No. Why should she waste her time with someone as unprofessional as Brian Dooley? He has made it virtually impossible for anyone in the government to trust his intentions or believe that he will behave in a respectful, professional manner. Unfortunately Mr. Dooley has single-handedly torpedoed any respect for HRF there ever was in Bahrain through his name calling ad harassment. Kudos to HE Ambassador Nonoo for not being drawn into his twisted agenda.

  • ATEEKSTER

    Sorry for the typos, this is a cleaned up version.. No I do not think the Bahrain ambassador should have a public face to face talk with Dooley. We all know that ambassadors need some sort of green light to enter into any such public debates. It’s worth mentioning that Dooley was very unprofessional in the way he requested the talk with the ambassador. He came off as very childish in the way he seemed to almost Dare the ambassador to agree on the the talk. He is no position to treat officials that way and I must say I’m not surprised he is being denied entery into my country. We certainly don’t need people like him to tell us what to do. Especially giving his biased track record which tends to play with people’s emotions while ignoring major critical eliminate such as how violent the Bahrain rioters can be and how sectarian the movement really is. So unless Dooley decides to be fair and open his eyes, which is very unlikely, I must stand on the ambassadors side with this one.

  • Z.J

    bahrain regime and its pro-govt had never taken any reform seriousily ! all reforms and BICI report are just ” show ” in the mdeia to the world that bahrain regime is democractic enough ! but if wanna know the truth and to how extent the regime is serious .. have a visit to one of the villages in bahrain .. and u’ll find the truth !

  • TimmyBRN

    No, firstly this issue is a national one and must be dealt with and resolved internally by the Bahraini people. Groups like HRF have no right to interfere in internal affairs of a sovereign state let alone to demand answers.

    Furthermore, on the issue of Human Rights violations, where should we start? Hiroshima? Vietnam? Korea? Guantanamo? Afghanistan? Iraq? What are Dooley’s comments on these? What actions have HRF
    undertaken to investigate these? Why haven’t groups like HRF questioned or interrogated those responsible?

    What about the atrocities committed by the Israelis against the Palestinian people, including innocent women and children since the illegal occupation commenced in 1948?

    Shouldn’t HRF’s efforts be concentrated on the bigger fish as opposed to ignoring them completely? Seriously get your priorities right!

  • http://www.bhrs.org Essa Al-Ghayeb

    Ambassador Nonoo is one of the founding members of Bahrain Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) established in November, 2004 and elected General Secretary in September !!!

    So the Ambassador an Human Rights activist!!

    So why she afraid !!!

  • Paula

    Yes, she & her boss (the FM) must speak to the world about HR violations & crimes which have been committed by Bahraini pro-king/pro-PM security forces. All those responsible must be sued.

    What happens in Bahrain deserves serious attentions by the world. HR violations & crimes can’t be ignored there…. It’s the world responsibility…. It’s not internal issue when boys are brought to trials for speaking their rights… It is not ethical to shut mouth when women are raped, activists are jailed, innocents are tortured to death.

  • exclamation mark

    Well, those demanding Ambassador Nunoo to attend a public debate with Mr. Dooley, I ask them: After facing the facts, and after the BICI had approved and recorded the allegations of the protestors, and everything is clear and undeniable, what do you want Ms. Nunoo to say? She won’t accept being publicly embarrased, would she? What justification would she supply for killing people? Rejecting the invitation was the most reasonable thing for her to do, since she won’t be able to deny the facts! 27 countries had asked Bahrain to stop torture and human rights violations, and what would she be saying more than what the idiotic Bahraini human rights minister had said?

    Lets be realistic, there is nothing that she has to say.

  • Ahlam

    She should join but to be frank, she cannot afford it! If she does not have anything to hide or fear, I dare her to do it!! The problem with Nonno and the regime is their mentality to join debates among themselves (Pro-Regime).

    Nonoo and the regime claim that international Human Rights activists fabricate and twist facts and since they are not allowed in the country anymore, it is her chance to exhibit the claimed “reforms” and “Human Rights” situation in Bahrain to the world in a public debate and Live too.. so she doesn’t come out defeated saying “they have cut my words”..