Page 403 - Records of Bahrain (6)_Neat

Delimitation of seabed with Qatar, 1949 391

Copy of letter No.Nil, dated the 23rd Muy 1949,
from Sul man bin Hamad A1 Khalifah, Buhraln, to H.B.M's
Political Agent, Bahrain.

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt
of your letter No.C/L-151, duted tho 30th April 1949,
regarding the sons between Bahrain and Qatar in which
you ask me to regard the decision as final, I must
inform you that I am not prepared to regard the decision
as final.
Tho ownership of the sea between Bahrain
and Qatar is claimed by us. We have never heard that
the Shaikh of Qatar made any claim to this sea. If ho
has made a claim to it we ask that we should see his
claim and the evidence which he may have to prove it.
Is not this a dispute between Bahrain and
Qatnr? We do not understand how the British Govern-
merit makes a decision about our boundary before informing
us that the Shaikh of Qatar has made a claim to part
of tho sons, We desire to know whether in this matter
the British Government is acting as a Judge or a mediator
and we ask under which of the treaties between us and the
British Government is it laid down that the British
Government muy make decisions regarding the boundaries
of Bahrain without reference or consultation with the
ruler of Bahrain.