Wounded protesters beaten and detained in Bahrain

[News_Editor]

Wounded protesters beaten and detained in Bahrain

2011-03-31 05:05:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

MANAMA, BAHRAIN (BNO NEWS) -- Bahraini authorities are targeting demonstrators wounded in anti-government protests and in some cases denying them critical medical care, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.

Security forces took over the Salmaniya hospital, the country's largest public medical facility, on March 16, and since then, they have threatened, beaten and detained patients injured in the protests. Many of the patients have been removed from hospitals or forcibly transferred to other medical facilities.

"There is absolutely no justification for arresting someone solely because the person might have been wounded in a protest-related incident," Joe Stork, Middle East deputy director at Human Rights Watch, said.

"It is against every tenet of humanity to deprive patients of critical and sometimes life-saving medical treatment, causing them grave suffering and perhaps irreparable harm."

Human Rights Watch documented several cases in which patients with protest-related injuries were beaten at Salmaniya hospital. Numerous witnesses told the organization that people with protest-related injuries have been segregated from the rest of the patient population and moved to the sixth floor, which is under lockdown.

The New York-based rights group called on Bahraini authorities to allow patients with protest-related injuries unrestricted access to hospitals.

The country's social unrest began after protesters called for a "Day of Rage" on February 14 to mark the 10th anniversary of the National Action Charter, which returned the country to constitutional rule after the 1990s uprisings. Initially, people took to the streets to demand reform and the introduction of a constitutional monarchy, but later they began to call for the removal of the royal family.

Troops from the GCC Peninsula Shield Force, most of them Saudi soldiers, arrived earlier this month to the troubled Persian Gulf kingdom to calm the protests.

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, but two-thirds of the population are Shiite.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-03-31

[bangkokeddy]

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet, is ruled by the Sunni Muslim al-Khalifa family, but two-thirds of the population are Shiite.

Ruled by a family, ...

How many percent of the population are family members?

home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet,

To brush aside America's responsibility as a leader and - more profoundly - our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.

...

Born, as we are, out of a revolution by those who longed to be free, we welcome the fact that history is on the move in the Middle East and North Africa, and that young people are leading the way. Because wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the United States. Ultimately, it is that faith - those ideals - that are the true measure of American leadership.

My fellow Americans, I know that at a time of upheaval overseas - when the news is filled with conflict and change - it can be tempting to turn away from the world. And as I have said before, our strength abroad is anchored in our strength at home. That must always be our North Star - the ability of our people to reach their potential, to make wise choices with our resources, to enlarge the prosperity that serves as a wellspring of our power, and to live the values that we hold so dear.

But let us also remember that for generations, we have done the hard work of protecting our own people, as well as millions around the globe. We have done so because we know that our own future is safer and brighter if more of mankind can live with the bright light of freedom and dignity. Tonight, let us give thanks for the Americans who are serving through these trying times, and the coalition that is carrying our effort forward; and let us look to the future with confidence and hope not only for our own country, but for all those yearning for freedom around the world. Thank you, God Bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Barack Obama

2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner

[Steely Dan]

If the location of the U.S fifth fleet is there to uphold domestic human rights which is measured as simplisticly as the majority sect ruling then perhaps it should move to Syria instead where the population is 75% Sunni ruled by Assad's Alawites who make up 15% of the population. I'm sure Iran would have even more of a hissy fit than they already are over Bahrain but I doubt such a move is in the offing as Bahrain is perfectly situated come the eventual inevitable war against your beloved Iran.