Sunday, April 24, 2011

Dictators are invited

"Peter Tatchell has accused the Queen of putting "royalty before human rights" as dictators prepare to join celebrities at this week's royal wedding. Among the guests who will hear Prince William and his fiancée exchange their wedding vows is the Crown Prince of Bahrain whose Gulf state has violently suppressed democracy protests in recent months.  Weeks of disturbances prompted the Bahraini ruler to impose martial law and invite foreign troops to help to restore order. Scores of doctors are reported to have been detained by security forces apparently for treating injured protesters. Another guest, King Mswati III of Swaziland, has been criticised by Amnesty International after using armed security forces to crush peaceful demonstrations.