OMAN ONLINE: VERDICTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

UNCLAS MUSCAT 000743

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARPI, NEA/PPD, NEA/P, IIP/G/NEA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO SOCI PGOV MU
SUBJECT: OMAN ONLINE: VERDICTS AND DEMONSTRATIONS

REF: A. MUSCAT 698


B. MUSCAT 676

C. MUSCAT 618


1. Summary: The Omani Internet chat rooms "al-Sablah" and "al-
Majarra" are the liveliest and most comprehensive Arabic-language
fora for political and social discourse in the country, touching
on issues and personalities rarely addressed in the conventional
media. While not totally free, nor wholly reflective of Omani
public opinion, these popular sites nevertheless offer a
worthwhile window into the hot topics and unvarnished views of
the day. This edition of Oman Online contains the following
topics:

-- The Verdict in the Detainee Trial
-- Petitions to the Sultan
-- Demonstrations in Support of those Convicted

End summary.

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The Verdict
--------------


2. On May 2, the State Security Court convicted 30 individuals
(the thirty-first suspect was found not guilty) charged with
establishing an illegal secret organization for the purpose of
overthrowing the government to prison sentences ranging from one
to twenty years. Al-Sablah members have maintained a lively and
candid commentary on the trial since the arrests were made
(reftels),and -- predictably -- many forum members were
dissatisfied with the outcome. One writer captured the feelings
of other forum members by stating, "The verdict was very harsh,
and we do not believe that it was fair. This was already
cooked."

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Calls For Amnesty...
--------------


3. The director of Al-Sablah, Said al-Rashdi, called on all forum
members to join an amnesty petition addressed to Sultan Qaboos:
"We are praying to the Almighty to guide you towards offering
amnesty to these detained scholars and shaykhs." Significant
numbers of respondents signed on in support of such a pardon; one
wrote, "We pray that our leader the Sultan will be merciful, and
intervene to release the detainees for the sake of their children
and families." In a departure from the often-sarcastic tone of
al-Sablah, these contributors were very emotional in their call.

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... And Calls For Action
--------------


4. Not all forum members were content merely to ask for pardons.
Some subscribers called for wide-ranging demonstrations in the
major cities of Oman to protest the verdict. "There should be
peaceful marches all over the country so the government knows
that we, the people of Oman, support the scholars and do not
agree with the verdict," wrote one participant. Although the
Internet service provider apparently tried to block topics
calling for demonstrations in both forums, the message was
delivered to a large number of people.

--------------
Internet Allegations
--------------


5. Demonstrations took place May 1 and 3, with al-Sablah acting
as a reporting outlet. One correspondent noted, "More than 200
people participated in the demonstration on Sunday, May 1, but
unfortunately the police outnumbered them and stopped the march."
A purportedly real-time report stated, "A huge demonstration is
taking place right now at the Said Bin Taymur Mosque," while
another confirmed that "the demonstrators have been blocked from
proceeding any further, and have been forced to retreat to the
mosque." One apparent eyewitness claimed, "I saw the children of
the detainees holding flags and flyers, and demanding amnesty
from the Sultan." Another reported, "The police tried to arrest
one of the shaykhs but a couple of young people protected him."
A few reports surfaced about possible arrests and violence, and
many respondents blamed the police: "The intention was to have a
peaceful march in support of the detainees, but thanks to the
police it turned into chaos."

BALTIMORE