Page 311 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Trial and exile of political prisoners, March-December 1956 297

BRITIUH EMBASSY,
CAIRO,
CONFIDENTIAL
May 10, 1950,

.A* ear Department,

Pleaoe refer to our lotter 1024/41/56 of April 20
regarding Audslcy*o talk wLth Abdul Rahman cl Baklr,
8. Audeloy had a further talk with el Baklr this
morning, K1 Baklr, who was moot cordial, oald that tho i
Ruler had agreed to meet reprcBontatlvee of tho Rational
Union, together with loading membera of tho Ruler* a family
and air Charleo Belgrave, to dlocuoo tho vigorous and
ouotalned demand of the people of Bahrein that 3lr Charles
should be relieved of hlo preoent poet of Advisor to tho I
Ruler, No representative of the Urltloh Roaldency or
Political Agency would be present, as this woo a matter I
for the Bahrein la to settle themoelvee v/lthout outside
Interference, K1 Baklr oald that he personally wlohed to
see a peaceful settlement but the demand for Sir Charles's
removal was unalterable.
3. He then showed uasley a telegram that he had
recolved from the Committee of the National Union Indicating
that tho workers proposes to call a general strike "for as
long n period as necessary’1 to oocuro sir Charles'^ removal.
He oald that he wuo opposed to this und was sending a
telegram to Bahrein advising the Coinmltteo not to proceed
with the strike, , , • \ .
3V| tv
4. / Audaley asked him nbout Sanhourl (our telegriun
Ho,44 of May ID to you refers), El Baklr said that Sanhourl
was oonneoted with the olu rdglmo but that Sadat had supported •1
his selection as expert to advise on the Bahrein Penal Codo. !
Haosor, however, hud overrulca Sadat and cl Baklr gathered
that Sanhourl would not be ullowod to visit Bahrein until
after July, The significance of tills was not known to el
Baklr, but he said that he would be seeing Nasser within the
next few days and would ask liasser to reverse tho decision.
5. Finally, el Baklr oald that one of hlo main
activities In Egypt was to arrange with the Egyptian
Government for a large number of Bahreinis to come to Egypt
for higher education. The Egyptians had placed no limits 111
on the number of students who could come ond he favoured
making full use of the foe ill ties offered.
6. Audsley, who la oliortly retiring from hiq post, was
accompanied by his successor, Bird. Tho latter hopeo to be
able to koep up the contact with el Baklr,
7. We are sending copies of this letter to tho Afrloan
and Eastern Deportmento of the Foreign Office and to the i
Politioal Offioc with the Middle East Forces, ' *
i
Yours ever,

ORANGERY.

The Residency,
BAHREIN.