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Pro-democracy group office shut in Dubai
"We understand that the UAE government has closed the NDI office in Dubai," said State Department spokesman Noel Clay, offering no further details but defending the group's work. "NDI is a respected organization that has been working across the region and beyond to promote civil society, development and democratic values. The State Department is a firm supporter of NDI's activities," he said. The UAE, one of the world's top five oil exporters, has escaped the upheaval that has shaken the Arab world, but the case of five activists convicted late last year of insulting the country's rulers suggests it is not immune to calls for reform. UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in December pardoned the activists a day after they were sentenced to prison terms of two to three years. That case had been seen as a gauge of how the Gulf Arab state, which allows no political parties, responds to hints of dissent after the uprisings that have toppled four Arab heads of state, including former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. A US official said the United States had been in contact with the UAE authorities about the closure of the NDI office and argued in favor of allowing such groups to operate. "We made clear that allowing NGOs to operate openly and freely is important to support political and economic development," said the official, who asked not to be named.
Posted by: Steve White 2012-04-01 |
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