Geneva: Sept. 17 — (BNA))) Minister of Human Rights Affairs, Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdul-Rahman, and his accompanying delegation received the Japanese Ambassador Mr.

Takashi Okada who is in-charge of human rights issues in Japan’s Geneva-based Permanent Representation Office, on the sidelines of the UN Human Rights Council’s 24th session, as part of constant moves by the official Bahraini delegation to portray the true facts and respond to fallacies.

The Minister of Human Rights thanked the Japanese Ambassador for his country’s noble supportive stances, especially the Japanese position of refraining from joining the joint communiqué.

The Minister briefed the Japanese Ambassador on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s on-going National Consensus Dialogue (NCD) and explored with him the resumed national dialogue on the political theme, accentuating the importance of maintaining this internal, national dialogue free from external interference.

The Minister informed the Japanese Ambassador on statistics of lawful and unlawful demonstrations, rallies reaching 2300 in 2012 alone most of which were unlicensed, and that 60 licensed and 731 unlicensed demonstrations took place in 2013 in such a tiny country like Bahrain which undoubtedly damage the rights of other citizens, residents and visitors as well as impede everday life and adversely impacts on the Kingdom’s national economy and social fabric – although the Constitution ensures the right to peaceful rallying.

The Minister also presented statistics of acts of violence, injuries and fatalities. The Minister assured the Japanese Ambassador that the Kingdom of Bahrain is committed to implementing the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) which the Government reiterated its commitment – both locally and to the outside world – to implementing all BICI recommendations as fast as possible.

The Japanese Ambassador expressed his delight at the deep-rooted bilateral Bahraini-Japanese relations and said that Japan understands Bahrain’s situation quite well and recognizes the efforts accomplished in the area of human rights and that Bahrain has substantially progressed a lot in implementing BICI’s recommendations and the recommendations of the UN Human Rights Council and therefore Japan did not join the joint communiqué because Japan is convinced by the Bahraini Government’s substantial efforts positive steps.

The Minister of Human Rights Affairs, Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdul-Rahman, thanked the Japanese Government and also thanked the Ambassador for the opportunity to meet the Japanese Ambassador. (IY))

I.Y

BNA 1159 GMT 2013/09/17