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. -------------- 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." -------------- 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. -------------- ... 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