FUELED BY MEDIA, POPULAR RESENTMENT GROWS OVER TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000443 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, G/TIP E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN KPAO OIIP SMIG ELAB MU SUBJECT: FUELED BY MEDIA, POPULAR RESENTMENT GROWS OVER TIP REF: A. MUSCAT 434 ¶B. MUSCAT 286 Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 b/d. - - - - Summary - - - - ¶1. (SBU) Local media have stepped up coverage of the Omani government's strong reaction to the 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, with an increasing number of government officials and offices publicly adding their statements to those made initially by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). In addition to the mainstream media, comments on Arabic-language internet discussion sites have shown strong anti-U.S. sentiment. Although somewhat belatedly, regional media outlets have begun to report mostly verbatim accounts of Oman's official reactions to the TIP report. Post expects that intense discussion of the TIP report will persist in the context of a negative discussion of U.S. policy in the Middle East. End summary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIP: Example of "Malicious" U.S. Policy - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) The press conference convened on June 10 by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, brought the topic of the 2008 TIP report to a new level of attention in the local media, which before the event had run only five articles on Oman's Tier 3 ranking. Following blanket media coverage of Sayyid Badr's remarks (ref A),TIP has remained the lead story on state-owned Oman TV and radio, as well as in almost all Arabic-language papers, which have run daily commentaries that often are highly emotional and defensive. Local press even has begun to place Oman's Tier 3 ranking in the context of what is characterized as a broader, malicious U.S. policy agenda in the Middle East. A recent political cartoon in independent daily "al-Shabiba" presents the figure of a fanged man wearing Uncle Sam's hat and a grass skirt, with bloody hands and a string of skulls around his waist. On his arm, which holds a blood-tipped spear, are the words "Vietnam" and "Afghanistan." "Iraq" is written across his abdomen and a nearby sign points the way to Iran. A bemused man in Omani dress standing nearby queries, "How do they dare be unfair to people and accuse them of TIP?" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Government Officials Close Ranks �00A;- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Government officials have closely lined up behind the MFA. Oman's Attorney General, Hussain Ali Zaher al-Hilali, argued in the June 12 edition of the Arabic-language state-run paper "Oman" that "the laws of the Sultanate are sufficient to combat the TIP phenomena," pointing specifically to an ongoing case involving four Asian nationals accused of prostitution and a 1999 case in which the Public Prosecution won convictions against 54 people complicit in a prostitution ring. (Note: The Attorney General referred to the current case in a private conversation with the Ambassador on April 14, during which he stated that the Public Prosecution's case is both against women accused of engaging in prostitution and their alleged pimp (ref B). End note.) Minister of Manpower Juma bin Ali al-Juma, who has been attending the International Labor Organization's (ILO) annual conference in Geneva, was quoted in local press as saying, "The Ministry has not received any complaints regarding TIP from expatriates or their embassies... and the ILO has praised the Omani Labor Law and its enforcement numerous times." ¶4. (SBU) In a separate press article, the Chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI),Khalil al-Khonji, sounded a common refrain in asserting that the report is based on "inaccurate information about a few personal practices." He added, "There are 40 labor unions (currently) protecting the rights of workers in Oman." Khonji offered the OCCI as a reliable source of information about labor conditions for future reports. On June 14, the Majlis al-Shura, the elected lower house of Oman's bicameral advisory body, took an unprecedented leap into the realm of foreign policy by issuing a strong statement "rejecting and condemning the false allegations stated in the report." Post is reporting on the significance of the Majlis al-Shura's statement septel. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Discussion Enters Blogosphere MUSCAT 00000443 002 OF 002 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) Discussions on Oman's "Al-Sablah," an on-line locally based Arabic discussion site, also contained strong reactions to the TIP report. Initial responses following publication of the report on June 4 often directly attacked the U.S., with contributors complaining about what they perceived to be political motivations behind the report - particularly the decision to give the UAE a better ranking than Oman - and the report's alleged lack of proof to support its claims. Others argued that the U.S. lacks the political or moral authority to publish such a report, citing examples of prostitution and labor problems in the U.S. in order to question American authority on trafficking issues. Though some contributors have recognized the existence of prostitution and long working hours for some laborers in Oman, anti-U.S. sentiment continues to dominate most discussion threads. Few acknowledge that trafficking could be a problem in Oman or that the government has a responsibility to address it. ¶6. (SBU) While the Arabic-language chat rooms like "Al-Sablah" burned with anti-U.S. postings, contributions to three of the most prominent English-language blogs have been tempered and even supportive of Oman's Tier 3 ranking. "The only entities surprised by this are the ministries in charge of fixing it and perhaps the courts," wrote an expatriate blogger on the site "Muscatconfidential." "I, personally, am ashamed and embarrassed because I thought Oman was actually going to DO SOMETHING about human trafficking," said another on-line commentator. In a rare and somewhat risky comment about a high-ranking public official, one blogger even characterized Sayyid Badr's press statements on June 10 as "a classic CYA move." - - - - - - - - - - - - - Belated Regional Coverage - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶7. (SBU) Media outlets throughout the Gulf initially reported only on the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) June 10 statement dismissing the 2008 TIP report as "unjustified." Although regional media routinely cover statements by high ranking officials such as Sayyid Badr, the broader Arab press was, at the outset, notably quiet in its lack of coverage of Oman's loud protests over the TIP report. Regional media began to take notice on June 15, however, with the UAE's Gulf News reporting the statement of OCCI Chairman al-Khonji, and the UAE News Agency (WAM) carrying on its official web site the Majlis al-Shura's statement in its entirety. - - - - Comment - - - - ¶8. (C) Post expects media discussion of the TIP report and USG policy to continue, particularly now that regional outlets have started to pick up Oman's anti-U.S. charge. The MFA's initial response accusing the U.S. of insulting the country has touched a national nerve and sparked a larger, popular response that may be gathering its own momentum. One contact informed POLOFF that even Omanis in the country's interior, normally far removed from foreign affairs, are angrily discussing the report and believe that the U.S. is accusing them of "having slaves." It appears that Oman is willing to stoke this popular resentment in its drive to get the Tier 3 ranking retracted. End comment. GRAPPO