Page 85 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Representational government, 1954 71

probably otUl beliovo that tho boat guarantee or their
community's rights in a more direct and effective
intervention of tho British in the government of tho
country. Both Guxuil and Bhioh are perfectly agreed, of
oouroo, in blaming tho Brit loll for ovory thing that ia wrong
in Bahraini their boiler now io that wo have chosen to
oupport tho arbitrary government of tho Al Khallfah for
imperial purposes of our own.

3. The present agitation ia a oontinuatlon of that
which came to lie loot head in July. Three months, in the
opinion of the people of Bahrein, la ample time in which to
have brought about the u&ninletratlve reforms announced in
the proclamation of July 13, All that oan eo far be seen
io the nppolntaacnt of tho Judicial Adviser and the paym exit
of compensation to the families of those killed on July y 1.
The Government have in foot done mores than thati a Br Itiah
Assistant Commandant of Polioe end one British
Superintendent have been appointed, but they have not
arrived and their appointment is not gcnerolly known; and
arrangements have boon made to pay compensation to those
lnlurod in tho riot of July 1, but this is not generally
understoodj efforts are being made to obtain an Arabio
spooking Registrar, but tills also la not public knowledge.
The Government, of aourso, suffers some disadvantage from
its lack of any organ of publicity and from the inherent
difficulty of convoying anything o y words alone to a
population that is lar rgoly illiterate, generally too
impatient to road or lioten to what is said to it and
extromcly vague about tlio significance of ouch wordo as it
does toko in. Practical demonstration and visible signs
arc still tho only effootive ways of convoying ideas liere,
und it la unfortunate that so far there has been little
practical demonstration of the uation tho Government io
talcing on its announood ppograume of administrative reform:
tho Judicial Adviser lias not yet appeared in the Bajirain
aoart - which Is what tho people want to see, (though the
Adviser Intends to bring him onto the 13 on oh shortly;; no
policemen have been punloliod for their indiocipline on
July 1, as wao reoonwonded by the Ccnanlaaion of enquiry,
(indeed the Ruler has grunted tliora a pardon): inept and
discredited members of tho Ruling family otil 1 occupy tho
Uenoh as judges, and tho appeal of tho persons convicted in
tho Gitra riot caso still hangs fire.
6* All theoe mutters have been kept alive in mootings
hold ovor olnoe July; but tho immediate stimulus to the
scries of mootings held during the past week, and perhapo the
principle reason for the participation of the Uunnio in them
in much greater numboro than hitherto, scans to have boon tho
Rulcr'u own uotion in suspending the Gaut ul Bahrain last
month and Ids withdrawal of Bahrain nationality from tlio
I editor, Abd ur Rulvmn al Bobir* Tills presented the
progressive Bunni youth with cm iinnodinto and personal
grievance comparable to those enjoyed by the shl'is und,
being suffered by one of the more articulate members of tho
opposition, it lino provided just the opportunity needed to
give real life and point to tho demand ror responsible
govemaent*

/7. There