Bahrain unrest hits Nepali workers too

KATHMANDU, Feb 18: As a fresh wave of protest, triggered by an abrupt crackdown by heavily-armed riot police on Thursday, escalates across Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, thousands of Nepali migrants, who are working there, find themselves at the receiving end.



Although no case of casualty on part of Nepali migrant workers has been reported so far, they fear being trapped between the anti-government demonstrators and police personnel, with the Egyptians-inspired agitation turning bloody. As of now, according to news agencies, at least five local demonstrators have died while over 300 have sustained serious injuries. [break]



“We are all safe here so far,” Durga Giri, chairman of Nepali Club of Bahrain, told Republica over phone. “However, the tension is mounting by the day. Though neither anti-government demonstrators nor security forces have targeted Nepali migrant workers, we may be victims of the riots, which have escalated throughout Manama following the police´s brutal intervention.”



According to Giri, Nepali migrants have stopped working from Thursday. “Public vehicles are not plying the streets and most business outlets have closed down,” Giri told Republica.



Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), which has written to the government to take precautionary steps to protect Nepali workers in Bahrain, sent a circulation on Thursday to all of its member agencies to not send Nepali workers to Bahrain for the time being.



“All of our member agencies have so far adhered to our decision,” Kumud Khanal, general secretary of NAFEA, told Republica. “As long as the political unrest continues over there, no Nepali worker will be flown to Bahrain.”



According to Khanal, about 30,000 Nepalis are working in Bahrain. Most of the Nepali migrants work in service sector, in and around Pearl Square, where the ongoing Bahrain unrest has hit hard. “This is why Nepali workers in Bahrain are the vulnerable lot,” Khanal said.



According to Harish Chandra Ghimire, assistant spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), the government is “well-prepared” to rescue Nepali workers, if needed. “There is no need to panic,” Ghimire told Republica, adding, “If the situation spirals out of control, we can immediately rescue Nepali workers through our embassy offices.”



“No step has been taken so far,” said Dhananjay Jha, who oversees the West Asia Desk in MoFA. “However, we are closely watching things unfold.”

Related story

Nepal proposes updating MoU on labour issue with Bahrain