Page 285 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Report into March disturbances, 1956 271
GOVERNMENT COMMENTS

1. It is stated in Section I of the report that tho Board
was unable to obtain all the evidence that it required and had

no power to compel the attendance of any person.

2. Attendance before the Board was voluntary and no persons
wore compelled to Give evidence. Certain witnesses who were
invited by the Government to attend and who appeared before tho
Board were threatened by members of the public, other witnesses

statod that they were afraid to appear because they had been
threatened. A Policeman who cave evidence was threatened at
the door of tho room where the Enquiry was held by a member of
the public and told that his house, a barasti in the town, would

bo burned down. Owinc bo intimidation not all tho persons who
were called by the Government to give evidence, including one
of the Policemen, appeared before tho Board nor did the
Government insist on any more Policemen appearing after the

incident referred to above.

3* In Section 3 of the report it is stated that tho vegetable
seller, who was tho original cause of the incidents on 11th
March, did not appear before the Board and roforoncc is made

to tho Municipal regulations regarding the places where vcgetabl
are allowed to be sold. For some months before 11th March there
had boon trouble between the vegetable sollors and tho Police
and the Municipal authorities. Vegetable sollers disregarded
tho Municipal ordors, which were issued on several occasions,

which forbade tho sotting up of stalls and places for selling
in the roads between the two market buildings. These ordors
woro ropoatodly disregarded by tho vegetable sellers until,
some time ago, a section of Polico undor tho ordors of a

British Officer camo to tho marlcot placo one night and
romovod over ton lorry loads of boxos, shelters etc.i, whifch
had boon used as stalls in the streets outside tho market in