Saudi Arabia keep your “hands off” and troops out of Bahrain

Bahrainis stage protest in Beirut against Saudi “interference” in Bahrain
19 March, 2012 – Lebanon NOW

Bahraini opposition activists gather outside the UN ESCWA building in Downtown Beirut on Monday. (AFP/Bahraini Opposition Abroad)

Bahraini opposition figures protested on Monday in front of Beirut’s ESCWA building to voice their condemnation to “Saudi interference” in Bahrain, a statement issued by the Bahraini opposition said.

The protesters called on the international community to address the “Saudi interference that is a flagrant occupation.”

The participants also submitted a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon demanding Saudi forces to exit Bahrain because their presence “violates the UN charter’s articles pertaining to countries’ sovereignty.”

“[We call] for launching a serious investigation into the violations that the Saudi forces were involved in, such as demolishing mosques and violating religious freedoms.”

The statement also called for the UN General Assembly to address the issue.

The Shia-led opposition in Bahrain demands constitutional changes that would reduce the power of the ruling Sunni dynasty. Tensions have remained high in Bahrain since a deadly crackdown last year after a month of street protests in the capital Manama.

The joint Gulf Peninsula Shield Force headed by Saudi Arabia deployed to Bahrain in mid-March 2011 to back up the kingdom’s security forces in its crackdown of anti-regime protests.

…source