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•ArrivaltoManamaAirport

ReceptionattheairporthostedbyPresidentofBahrainMotorFederation,ShaikhAbdullabinIsaAI-Khalifa•Meetingtoexamineproposedagendaandscheduleofrecommendedmeetings,withunfetteredflexibilitytomodifyatourdiscretion

FederationInternationalsde

Automobile

ReportG.P.ofBahrainWorldMotorSportCouncil

CarlosGracia-FIACommissionerCarlosAbella-Assistant

MondayMay30TuesdayMay31

MeetingatthehotelwithShaikhAbdullabinIsaAI-Khalifa,PresidentofASN.10,00am.WewereprovidedwithabriefingontheactualpoliticalsituationinBahrainalongwithanoverviewofBahrain'ssystemofgovernmentandgovernmentalinstitutions.MeetingatBahrainMinistryofCultureandTourism.11.00am.MinisterofCulture.

Mde.H.E.ShaikhaMaiblntMohammedAI-Khalifa,

AssistantUndersecretaryforTourism.

NadaAhmedYaseen,

theappointedUNESCOdelegateinBahrain.------,.-----.--.----.--Afterexplainingthepurposeofourvisit,theMinisterexpressedherappreciationoftheFIA'sdecisiontovisitBahrainandconductafirst-handevaluation.FromaCulturalpointofview,nothinghaschangedinBahrainandtheMinistrycontinuestoprogressitsinternationalculturalprogrammeand,inparticular,iscurrentlymakingarrangementsforJuly'sSummerFestival-"VictoryofJoy"-whichwillattractasignificantnumberofforeignvisitors.Seeattachedprogramme.

FederationInternationalede

Automobile

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Fromatourismg_erspkctive,~~;-~i9~fshavereturnedtothesamelevel-andareevenicreasin~ltJh~;aredagainstfiguresinpreviousyears.

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DuringthemeetingwewerejoinedbytheappointedUNESCOdelegateinBahrain,whichinvolvedanin-depthexplanationoftheinitiallypeacefuldemonstrationsandtheirchangeintoincreasinglyviolentprotest.Asan

Internationalrepresentative,hefeltthattheportrayaloftheprotestsintheinternationalmediahadbeeninaccurate,especiallywhereBahrainhadbeen\comparedalongsidethelikesofLibya,EgyptorevenSyria,whichisnotthe}case.~_-Asanexampleoftheactualsituation,UNESCO-whichhasverystrictsecurityprotocolsforitsmembers-orderedhisfamily(wifeanddaughter)torelocateoutsideofthecountrywhenthedisturbancesbegan.HisfamilyhasbeenbackinBahrainforoveramonthandnowandcarryonatotallynormallifewithoutissue.ThemeetingfinishedwithrepeatedthankstotheFIAfromtheMinister.MeetingwithBahrain'sMinistryofInterior.12.30amMinisterofInterior-

Lt.GeneralShaikhRashidbinAbdullahAI-Khalifa

ChiefPublicSecurity-

Major-GeneralTariqbinDaina

Afteraverywarmreceptionandintroduction,theMinisterspokeopenlyaboutthesituationthattookplaceinMarchandalsoabouttheactualeventsthatoccurred.Withobvioussincerity,theMinisterexplainedthatinitiallypeacefulproteststurnedquicklyintoaveryaggressivesituationbythoseinvolved,whichsawbrutalattacksonthepolice,resultinginfourpolicemenbeingkilledand180injuredandwithsignificantdamageonBahrain'sstreets.Membersofthepublicwereinjured.Ahospitalwasalsotargetedbyprotesters,whichimpededtheadmittanceofinjuredpeople,aswellasregularemergencypatientsnotcaughtupintheprotests,resultedinyetfurthercasualties.Thissituationpushedpolicetoactforciblyinordertorestoresecuritybut,inhisview,withhindsight,perhapsoverreactedinresponsetothemountingaggressionoftheprotestors.Afterfivedays,stabilitywasrestoredandthesituationreturnedtoanormal.

FederationInternationalede

Automobile

Morethan70%ofthosearrestedhavenowbeenreleased.Prosecutions,undertheapplicablelaw,stillgoahead,buthefeelstheremainderwillalsobeprogressivelyreleased.Allegationsofhumanrightsabusesarealsoareunderinvestigations.Onbalance,theMinistertrulybelievesthatmistakeshavebeenmadeonbothsidesandlessonshavebeenlearnt.Chairman.CEO.

ZayedR.AlzayaniShaikhSalmanbinEssaAI-Khalifa.

Oppositionprotestors,hehopes,willnowcontinuetoputforwardsproposalstoaddresstheirconcernsinapeacefulmannerandviathecorrectdemocraticinstitutionsinordertoensurestabilityandaddressissuesinaconstructivemanner.Policeandsecurityforceswillactresponsibly,respectingallcitizensandtheirhumanrights,tohelptheimplementationofthefurtherreformsalreadyannouncedbyBahrain.WefinishedthemeetingwithheartfeltthankstoFIA.Later,theMinistryproducedapressreleaserelatingtoourvisit,freeofanyprejudicialcomment.MeetingwithBahrainInternationalCircuitPrincipals.13.30PM.WehadlunchwiththeboardmembersofBahrainInternationalCircuittoclarifyinformationrelatingtoreportsthat25%ofthecircuit'sworkforcehadbeendismissedforpoliticalorreligiousreasons.Theinformationwascompletelydenied.Thecircuitemploys108personnelinvariousdepartments.Theyhaddismissed15people-noneofthemfromkeyareas-duetounjustifiedlabourabsences.Thepersonnelwereabsentfor15-dayswithoutsupplyinganyreasonandtriedtojustifythisretrospectivelybyclaimingholidayleave,whichisaprocessthatrequiresadvancenoticetothecompanyandpre-approved.Foradditionalconfirmation,weconsultedaspecialist,whoexplainedthatBahrainLabourLawisverystrict,withanyinfringementbycompaniespunishedseverely.