OMANI PUBLIC ANGER CONTINUES OVER TIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 000464 SIPDIS WHITE HOUSE FOR OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, G/TIP E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/17/2018 TAGS: PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN SMIG ELAB MU SUBJECT: OMANI PUBLIC ANGER CONTINUES OVER TIP REF: A. MUSCAT 425 ¶B. MUSCAT 426 ¶C. MUSCAT 431 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Alfred Fonteneau, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Summary: Widespread press coverage of Oman's anger over its Tier 3 ranking in the 2008 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report continued June 16 and 17, with articles increasingly linking the TIP Report to critiques of broader U.S. policy in the region. The media paid particular attention to a statement by the Oman Journalist Association (OJA),the first Omani non-governmental organization to publicly denounce the report. Some contacts are beginning to suggest, however, that the heated public rhetoric belies the actual intensity of anger among Omanis about the report. In addition, it appears that the dispute over Oman's tier ranking has not yet affected day-to-day relations between the USG and Oman on issues unrelated to TIP. End summary. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Public Airing of Outrage Continues - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (C) Outrage over Oman's Tier 3 ranking in the TIP Report continues to be front page news. On June 17, all of Oman's English and Arabic-language dailies carried a statement by the Oman Journalist Association (OJA) denouncing the report, calling attention to the fact that through the OJA, Oman's civil society now was joining the widespread condemnation. In its statement, the OJA "rejected the unfair report," which it claimed "spoils the relations between countries and does not help communication among cultures." The government-owned Arabic-language newspaper "Oman" dedicated three pages to TIP, publishing articles by three Omani and five expatriate writers, several of whom used harsh rhetoric to attack the report and U.S. policies in the region. One writer expounded that the U.S. is "submersed in (its) love of blood and addiction of destruction," while continuing to "put pressure on others with 'bright' slogans of democracy and misleading freedom." An editorial in the Arabic daily "al-Shabiba" urged the government "not to bow or yield to U.S. pressure" for "when we bow once, we shall bow forever." - - - - - - - - - - - - - What's Behind the Anger? - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (C) Oman's uncharacteristic public display of anger has surprised even some Omanis, who are beginning to develop their own explanations for the reaction. Shahswar al Balushi, CEO of the Oman Petroleum Services Association (OPAL),who also works closely with the Minister of Manpower as an informal advisor on labor affairs, told POLOFF that it was unfortunate that the USG published its report while the Sultan is outside of Oman on his European trip and therefore more exposed to international scrutiny and criticism. "You likely caught him by surprise," Balushi surmised, forcing the Sultan to defend his country before Western leaders and explain why Oman is not like the other countries on Tier 3. In addition, some Omanis in official circles likely interpreted the Tier 3 ranking as proof that its relationship with the U.S. is not guaranteed, and that friendship with the U.S. depends on doing what it wants - a condition, Balushi continued, that the government cannot appear to accept. - - - - - - - - - - - - - Widespread, but not Deep - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶4. (C) Some contacts suggest, however, that the angry public response is not necessarily indicative of deep societal anger or a hardening antipathy towards the U.S. Most contacts are sure, for example, that recent statements by the Majlis al-Shura, the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the OJA denouncing the report were directed by the government - specifically the office of Sayyid Badr al Busaidy, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) - and did not reflect the general mood of the organizations' members or constituencies (reftels). Omanis do not deny that some low-skilled workers and maids face exploitative working conditions, a few contacts are beginning to report, but simply do not like the fact that the U.S. - whose Middle Eastern policies remain largely unpopular - called attention to it. OPAL's Balushi told POLOFF that while the TIP Report has stoked existing negative feelings among Omanis about the USG's global leadership, most of his business colleagues believe that the current dispute ultimately will be resolved without lasting effect. Mohammed al-Rawahi, Human Resources Manager for the cleaning and services company Oman International Group (OIG),bluntly told POLOFF that he "didn't care" about the findings of the report. "At the end of the day, we know how we are treating our workers and who among us is treating their workers poorly," he stated, waiving off the prospect of any long-term ramifications on the U.S. - Oman relationship. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - No Effect on Day-to-Day Relations - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) So far, the dispute over Oman's Tier 3 ranking has not affected Embassy operations or the day-to-day bilateral relationship with Oman. Minister of Manpower Juma bin Ali al-Juma kept his previously scheduled appointment with U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Labor Charlie Ponticelli in Geneva last week during the International Labor Organization's (ILO) annual conference. According to an unofficial read out of the meeting, Juma did not raise TIP and welcomed continued USG support for his labor reform efforts. The MFA informed the Embassy June 16 that it is going ahead with a training program later this month on strategic trade controls funded by the Department's Export Control and Related Border Security (EXBS) program, and sent participants to the ongoing Friends of Iraq conference in Abu Dhabi. On June 17, the Ministry of Defense's (MOD) Director of Contracting and Legal Affairs told Post's acting-Office of Military Cooperation chief that the MOD was ready to review and renew the Fuels Agreement. Finally, Omani officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority participated in a June 16 digital video conference with their U.S. counterparts regarding reforms to Oman's telecommunication sector under the U.S. - Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA),during which they made no reference to TIP. - - - - Comment - - - - ¶6. (C) Post will continue to look for indications that the MFA intends to follow through on its threatened reappraisal of our bilateral relationship. So far, it does not appear that any Ministry has received instructions from the MFA to stop dealing with us on issues unrelated to trafficking in persons. Post also is heartened by reports that non-official Omanis are responding in a far more measured way to the TIP Report than press coverage and initial discussions on the internet chatrooms suggest. We are concerned, however, that the heated rhetoric in the media may yet arouse public anger, particularly if the government and other segments of society continue to use the Tier 3 dispute to cast Oman as the victim of broader, and largely unpopular, U.S. Middle East policies. End comment. FONTENEAU