Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MUSCAT434
2008-06-14 10:26:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Muscat
Cable title:  

SPECIAL OMAN MEDIA REACTION: BLASTING THE TRAFFICKING

Tags:  PHUM OIIP SMIG KPAO ELAB KCRM KMDR MU 
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VZCZCXRO9506
PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHMS #0434/01 1661026
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141026Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9682
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0540
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0428
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 000434 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, G/TIP AND INR/R/MR
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM OIIP SMIG KPAO ELAB KCRM KMDR MU
SUBJECT: SPECIAL OMAN MEDIA REACTION: BLASTING THE TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS REPORT

REF: A. MUSCAT 425

B. MUSCAT 426

C. MUSCAT 418

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 MUSCAT 000434

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/ARP, NEA/PPD, G/TIP AND INR/R/MR
LONDON FOR NEA WATCHER
PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
FOREIGN PRESS CENTER FOR NEA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM OIIP SMIG KPAO ELAB KCRM KMDR MU
SUBJECT: SPECIAL OMAN MEDIA REACTION: BLASTING THE TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS REPORT

REF: A. MUSCAT 425

B. MUSCAT 426

C. MUSCAT 418


1. SUMMARY: Omani media, public and private alike and in all
outlets, highlighted the strong official response to the 2008
Trafficking in Persons Report (Refs A, B),as made public in
comments on June 10 by Foreign Ministry Secretary General
Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi via a text released by the official
Oman News Agency (ONA; full English text in Para 7). In tones
significantly harsher than the light coverage immediately
following the TIP Report's release (Ref C),all outlets hewed
to the line set by ONA. END SUMMARY.

--------------
COVERAGE
--------------


2. The government's strong response was front-paged in all
seven Omani dailies on June 11, with headlines such as
"Sultanate Rejects US Report on Human Trafficking" (private
English daily "Oman Tribune"),"Shura Council Urges Washington
'Stop the Blackmail'/Sultanate Summons American Ambassador to
Give Official Statement" (private Arabic daily "Al Zaman"),
and "Official Statement Refuses Content of Report / Sultanate
Objects to Report of the American Foreign Ministry on Human
Trafficking / Badr bin Hamed: Misleading Information and
Untrue Claims / Request to Revise the Report to Reflect the
Real Picture" (state Arabic daily "Oman"). Coverage in all
outlets was drawn directly from the ONA text, with editorials
(block quotes below) following its aggrieved tone. The
blanket coverage on June 11 of the Omani response follows and
builds on heavy coverage June 10 of the GCC ministerial
council's reaction to the TIP report.

--------------
"FALSE AMERICAN ACCUSATIONS"
--------------


3. Private daily "Al-Watan" (circulation 42,000, June 11)
asks "When Will the False American Accusations Stop?":

"The American administration insists on proving to the world
that it does not deserve any creditability. It loses that
creditability when it tries to classify people either as
righteous or wrong based on its own false values. America

deliberately defames peaceful countries, even those that are
its friends.

The TIP report issued by the State Department has classified
Oman as a trafficker for two years consecutively. False
reports that insult and slander reflect their own
shortsightedness and ignore Oman's legal and regulatory
developments.

All the drafters of this report need to do is walk in the
streets of any Omani city and ask about religious and other
freedoms. On what basis does the American State Department
have the right to evaluate the behaviors of others, especially
when its own behavior does not meet such standards?"

--------------
"A FUTILE EXERCISE"
--------------


4. "Al-Watan" sister paper "Oman Tribune" (private English
daily, circulation 8,000),also editorialized, under an
ominous quote from poet Matthew Arnold: "He bears the seed of
ruin in himself".

"The US State Department has in the past censured some of the
GCC states on a number of other issues without knowing the
truth about many things. These reports too have caused
consternation. The Americans and other western countries must
realize that the GCC countries have distinct cultures and
traditions very different from theirs, having deep roots in
Islam. And they are proud of it. Any attempt to change them
is a futile exercise that will be viewed with abhorrence. The
western countries should mind their own business and
concentrate on rooting out the evils and inequities in their
society."

--------------
TV AND RADIO FALL IN LINE
--------------

MUSCAT 00000434 002 OF 003




5. Coverage of the official TIP reaction dominated television
and radio news on June 10, with Arabic and English broadcasts
leading with a verbatim reading of the ONA statement. In the
case of Oman TV's English broadcast, the translation had
clearly been rushed to the studio and loaded in the
teleprompter without review, as it was extremely poorly
translated even by local standards (to the visible
discomfiture of the news reader). Coverage continued through
the morning of June 11.

--------------
ONLINE: "BLACKMAIL" AND "LIES"
--------------


6. Online reaction has been predictably negative, with
discussions on all popular Arabic fora attracting many readers
and numerous posters. Typical reactions include demands for
the expulsion of the Ambassador and criticism of perceived
American unfairness to Oman, saying reports such as TIP are
"blackmail" from "retail shops sold to the highest bidder."
Posters denounced U.S. "lies" and praised the Omani response
as "an honorable action", adding "our government has the right
to protest." "It's time to say No to America!" concluded one
poster.

--------------
THE OFFICIAL TEXT
--------------


7. Following is the full English text of the Oman News Agency
release used as the basis for local coverage:

"Sultanate Rejects U.S. State Department Report on Human
Trafficking"

"Muscat, June 10th (ONA) - The Sultanate has rejected and
protested the latest US State DepartmentQs report on Human
Trafficking citing the Sultanate for the second year among
countries that have made no efforts to fight this global
issue. It said that the faulted report doesnQt tell the truth,
does badly with the Sultanate, and shows the short sightedness
of the other party. Besides, it doesnQt reflect the real
situation lived by the Omani citizens and expatriates in the
Sultanate.

The above had been quoted by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud
al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, in
reply to journalistsQ questions today regarding the
SultanateQs stand on the above noted US State DepartmentQs
report and measures taken by the Sultanate in this regard.

He said that he has met with the US ambassador to the
Sultanate yesterday and handed over to him an official protest
note, informing the SultanateQs rejection of the misleading
information and incorrect allegations mentioned in the report
which contradict the good living reality enjoyed by people in
the Sultanate, thanks be to God.

He added that everyone knows that the Sultanate is renowned
for its serious co-operation with the international community
to combating crime and that the competent authorities in the
Sultanate are very serious on cracking down, arresting, and
punishing perpetrators of all crimes and not only human
trafficking which have become a global issue. He cited the
human trafficking cases as limited and individual as compared
to many other countries. The Sultanate with its different
institutions, is providing the crime victims with relevant
care, sympathizing the human dimension of the problem,
sympathizes with victims in accordance with tradition, culture
and morals of the Omani society which rejects defame and
violating human dignity, he stressed.

During his statement, the Foreign Ministry Secretary General,
said that crime ratio in the Sultanate as it is
internationally known, is considerably low due to the enforced
policies, laws and procedures and due to the Omani people
respect of their religion, traditions and solid values.
Therefore, the Sultanate doesnQt find any justification for
such faulted and unjust report.

Considering the SultanateQs good historical relations with the
United States of America, it hopes that officials at the US
State Department may revise the report to reflect the true
image, secured and stabilized situation in the Sultanate to

MUSCAT 00000434 003 OF 003


correct the SultanateQs related information and highlight its
distinguished record in this regard to maintain such relations
and avoid damaging them by such report, the Foreign MinistryQs
Secretary General affirmed. The Sultanate has long, initiated
procedures of issuing legislations on human trafficking, he
added."

GRAPPO