Page 97 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

Representational government, 1954 83

CONFIDENTIAL

fROM BAHRAIN TO FOREIGN OFFICE

Oyphor/OTF DEPARTMENTAL
\>V DISTRIBUTION

Ur, Wall
hgjjra. Df 6,00 p.m, December 2# 195A
Decembor 2# 1954 R, 5.55 p.m, December 2, 1954

flPtKDIATH ^\o\vA^ /
CONFIDENTIAL

Addressed to Beirut* telegram No. 45 of December 2.
Repeated for information! to Foreign Office,

Your telegram No. 766 from Bahrain to the Foreign Office:
Bahrain Internal Situation.
For Political Resident,

The Government proclamation drafted in your prcBonae
yesterday appeared in the afternoon. The first opinions I heard
were that it was ill drafted, ambiguous and disappointing in
substance. It was generally taken to mean that the oenpetenoo
of the committee would be limited to public health and education,
2, Abdur Rahman A1 Bakir and Bayed All, whom I saw this
morning, took it in this way and declared it was totally
inadequate. It said nothing about law courts, which was of first
importance, and it gave no indication that the members of the
oommittco would be cither capable or acceptable to the people.
They intended boycotting the committee and persisting with their
"peaceful" striko on Saturday.
3. I told them that I understood from the Ruler that the
committee would have powers to hear the public on other matters.
I emphasized that Her Majesty's Government thought this was the
right procedure, that thoy would support the Ruler in pursuing
this course and would have no sympathy whatsoever with anyone
who oho3c violent means rather than the proper constitutional
opportunity now offered.
4. They were unconvinced. They wanted an assuranoo in plain
and dctailod terms that the committee vrould be eithor "neutral"
or composed of threo representatives of the popple and three
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/persons
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