Page 252 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

238 Records of Bahrain

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' CONFIDENTIAL-^’- ' /
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[Flag A] . it-'i'ln.jiia telogrnm^No. 218 of March 13, aont during vHill*•
p/I./,/ztho rc9°nt disorders and/strikc in Bahrain, Sir B. ’ Burrows '
rzmouy/r qskcd. whether, if the Bahrain Government were to paos all'
emergency:law making it illegal to fonion t a strike or conspiyy.fi’?;
to do so .oxcept where a trade dispute ia involved, we e|iould.j'vivi*-
bp rea^y to support the Bahrain Government-in acting againp£
v. .members.'of the "High Executive Committee" or othcra whg'Y-V "-
•. "^ntr«^pod.ou°h n law.
[Flag B] . r’V 2 f3 :.xAq will be seen from the minutes at EA 1016/31 , ,
this question-woo overtaken by events; while it was being 'V:
considered’ the Bahrain Government reached an accommodation
* 'with the reformists and the strike ended. ,:* •
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[Flag CJ. . 3.; ; :In his telegram No. 313, Sir B. Burrows now asks for-ft;;
guidance; on this matter as; there ia still a . possibility ..thatjX/l*
qtrike-.action may be renewed. . ;

4«-. The possible advantages of encouraging the.Ruler to/, vs);-;
enact a law of the kind proposed are :
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(i) . that it would make clear to tho reformists
that the Bahrain Government is determined •*!.
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to preserve order and that political . r(."‘
activity must be kept within proper
constitutional bounds ; i
(ii) it would enable the Ruler to act in proper
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legal form against the reformist lcadeys'-if
their conduct merited it. ££$&
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5« ■. On the other hand the following considerations! apply;};*.
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; (a) If disorder breaks out in Bahrain and reaches jrVSJ;
proportions-beyond the power of the civil \ .Vrtfj
police to control, British troops will have '
to help restore law and order. Any attempt N/
by the Bahrain Government to arrest the
members of the Committee of National Union . -i
(as the High Executive Committee is now
called) would almost certainly result in
widespread disturbances and. the operation ■: ,
could not be carried out without the support
of British troops.
(b) VYe have to support the Ruler; but we do not.
;* want him to..take any unnecessary action which'
would increase tension or tend to drive ..the ''.'H
reformists to extremes. The Ruler has now
come to an-agreement with the reformist, party,
negotiated through'our mediation, and- we want'.
to give this a chance to work. •
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(c) If the RulerAonacts a law along the lines'
proposed, this will certainly boi regarded*by :'1
V-the lenders of the Committee of National.' Unign.^pj!
?V-:' . os a provocative act aimed direqtly at 'tlia.rnf.(‘.4;-:'jS
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>.. .There* seems ytjius to be a risk that it would^r^n
result in a .'.'show down" between the reformists
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: . . r. .-.and the Ruler. Demonstrationo and probably
a strike (the.- two are scarcely di3tinguishab|Lp.^j
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