Page 281 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Report into March disturbances, 1956 267
a
Minutes
The roason why Judge Hainesb comments
were associated with the report of tho Board
of Enquiry was that we could not afford to
have tho morale of the police in Bahrain
further lowered. The Committee of National
Union intimidated witnesses and generally
trlod to manipulate the enquiry so that it
all appeared as an indictment of the police
and partioularljMSir Charles Belgrave, who
was Commandant or the police at the time.
2. Tho Committee in fact at one stage
objected to Judge Haines giving advice as
to the action to bo taken in the light of
the report because they wanted him to preside
at the "trial" which they had every hopo
would follow the report of the Board of
Enquiry. U/ bfo *,'i3 y [o „

3. So far we and the Bahrain Government
seem to have got away with tho report of
Z the enquiry and the decision to draw on
Judge Haines's fund of goodwill for this
a: purpose has been justified, The whole
< operation was of course conducted with his
X customary skill by Sir Bernard Burrows who
a also used the authority which he obtained to
X press for the issue of a statement about
h Kir. G.W.R. Smith and a review of the
z administrative system at the same time.
z h. Incidentally, the report seems to me to
UJ
indict Colonel Hammersley rather than Sir
Charlos Belgrave.'
a
5
UJ
to
O
h (D. M. H. Riches) i j
u June 26, 1956
z
X
o
z 1b3_
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