- Prince Charles to visit Oman, UAE and Bahrain between 5-11 November
- All three dictatorships appear on the UK government’s list of ‘priority markets’ for arms exports
- Prince Charles to visit controversial UK naval base in Bahrain
Campaigners have called on Prince Charles to publicly raise human rights concerns and condemn the ongoing repression in Oman, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain when he visits the states in a tour beginning today. The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will undertake over 50 engagements in seven days during their visit.
All three countries appear on the UK government’s list of ‘priority markets’ for arms exports, yet all three are ranked as ‘not free’ by Freedom House.
Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said:
These visits send a message of political support to the regimes, providing them with positive images, symbolic support and a stamp of approval from the future King of the UK. They carry a strong propaganda value. They’re a sign of soft power and boost the dictatorships that are hosting him. These governments don’t just have appalling human rights records, they are also armed and supported by the UK.
Since the uprisings in the region in 2011, the UK has licensed large arms deals to all three countries. CAAT hopes the UK government will confirm that arms sales and military links will not be on the agenda for the visit.
- Bahrain – the UK has licensed £51 million worth of arms since 2011
- United Arab Emirates – the UK has licensed £541 million worth of arms since 2011
- Oman – the UK has licensed almost £640 million worth of arms since 2011
One site that Charles will visit is the UK’s new naval base in Bahrain, a controversial £15 million project that has been paid for by the Bahraini government. It has been condemned by Bahraini human rights campaigners and was met with protests outside the UK embassy in Sitra, Bahrain.
Andrew continued:
Royalists and republicans may not always see eye-to-eye, but surely one thing everyone can agree on is that it’s totally inappropriate for the heir to the throne to use his influence to boost human rights abusers and dictatorships. If Prince Charles is concerned about the people living under repression then he must use his platform to speak up for them.
ENDS
For further information please contact Andrew at media(at)caat·org·uk or call 020 7281 0297 or 07990 673232.
