Meanwhile, the Khalifa Royal family, who have been backed by the Gulf Cooperation Council, are trying 48 surgeons, doctors, paramedics and nurses, who had the temerity to treat injured demonstrators cleared from Pearl Square in a crackdown by the Kingdom’s Sunni controlled authorities, in a military court. They are being charged with attempting to topple the state, apparently by doing their best to help the wounded brought to the Salmaniya Medical Centre. You can (and should) read Robert Fisk’s indignant report, published in today’s Independent here.

The army used extraordinary violence against unarmed Shia pro-democracy protestors while GCC troops stationed in neighbouring Saudi Arabia entered the Kingdom to act as a backstop. Their subsequent prosecution of protestors has resulted in claims of torture, and in the case of the doctors facing charges, at least one faces the death penalty. The Shia constitute the majority of the population, but Bahrain, effectively a client state of Saudi Arabia in many respects, is ruled by a Sunni elite and royal family who appear to have little interest in any real reform.

Amongst the charged are graduates of the RCSI who are bearers of Irish NUI degrees, some of whom are former employees of the Irish health system. Dr Ruarí Hanley of the Irish Medical Times has been drawing attention to the whole affair (read his column on the RCSI and IMO’s silence here, and his letter to the Irish Times here), and successfully lobbied deputies in the Dáil to quiz Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore on the issue (Irish Medical Times report here).

While the Minister’s written reply makes a great show of concern it appears this has not stopped his civil servant, and representative of this country to Saudi Arabia, Ambassador Dr Niall Holohan from appearing alongside Prince Al Khalifa at the RCSI graduation ceremony in Bahrain. The Department of Foreign Affairs has washed its hands of responding to the ill-treatment of these unfortunate doctors by the Bahraini authorities on the basis that they are not Irish citizens, the Phoenix reported recently. In the final sentence of the reply Minister Gilmore states “that the relationship between the RCSI and the Government of Bahrain would be very much a matter for those parties themselves.” This statement is quite clearly at odds with the fact of Ambassador Holohan’s presence in Bahrain in the company of that country’s Prime Minister at an RCSI occasion.

The RCSI clearly have a commitment and duty to the students to whom they are currently providing an education in Bahrain. Yet there exists also an economic interest in the form the very high fees charged for this education that trades on the fine reputation of the RCSI, and Irish medicine and medical instruction. That very reputation though might be in the process of being sullied by what’s currently occuring to RCSI graduates under the very noses of the RCSI and the Department of Foreign Affairs in that Kingdom.

In the extensive Irish Times report written by correspondent Jamie Smyth, the RCSI claim to not “comment publicly on a political situation, or individual cases” while also maintaining that any commercial interest is subordinate to their duty to their students and has not motivated any silence on their part.

Whether or not that is the case, the events in Bahrain are certain to give prospective students, such as this young woman in Singapore, pause for thought, given the high fees and potential political instability. It also raises serious questions about the RCSI’s involvement in Bahrain, the attitude of the Department of Foreign Affairs to the Kingdom, and the NUI Senate’s participation in awarding degrees in countries with atrocious human rights records and vindictive attitudes to NUI graduates doing their humane work.

—UPDATE— June 15th 18:55

The Department of Foreign Affairs have confirmed to me, after making enquiries, that Ambassador Holohan did attend the graduation but have stressed his presence was “in a private capacity as he is not yet formally accredited to Bahrain and therefore does not have any official standing in Bahrain.” The Department maintain they are communicating the Tánaiste and Government’s concern “through our Embassy in Riyadh and all other appropriate channels.” A meeting is being requested with the Bahraini Ambassador to Saudi Arabia at the earliest opportunity to hand over a copy of the Tánaiste’s statement  and to make clear the Government’s concerns and displeasure regarding the prosecution & maltreatement of the medical personnel.

The Department did not answer enquires as to whether they were aware of Ambassador Holohan’s travelling to Bahrain, whether there had been any counsel given to the RCSI over their position in Bahrain and the prosecution of medical staff there, or whether the Embassy or Ambassador have had any communication with the staff in question or relatives of the staff.

—Futher Reading—

Bahrain has retained lawyers and is threatening to sue Robert Fisk for his reporting:

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/06/14/uk-bahrain-britain-lawsuit-idUKTRE75D6E820110614?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Also, Nic Robertson’s CNN report:

Doctors and nurses on trial in Bahrain (CNN Report)

And Richard Sollom,deputy director of Physicians for Human Rights, on Bahraini treatment of medical professionals:

http://mideast.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/05/17/bahrain_medical_professional

MSNBC – US envoy: Bahrain detainees need rights protection

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43406347/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/t/us-envoy-bahrain-detainees-need-rights-protection/

If we could figure out how to make societies run like the socialist camping trip, we would rejoice.

Yes, that’s quite out of context. Jason Brennan tackles G.A. Cohen.

Stop beating around the bush, just nationalise it. That way you don’t have to pump in the potential black hole in cash, you can just assume ultimate responsibility for the debts and allow the bank to operate as if it never had toxic assets, that is, making loans to those who are worthwhile. Then you can allow those debts that are assumed to be toxic to either unwind themselves over time without the bank going to the wall or you can shift them into a holding bank/ company.

Nationalising removes the legal obligation of the bank to the shareholders that would remain if the government attempted to “insure” the bad debts (as though the government can afford to do that at the moment). €340 million? Just buy the damn thing Lenihan, it would be in the best interests of bank customers and the taxpayers. This goes for BoI too.
Or that’s how I see it.