Vigilantes slammed

By BEGENA GEORGE
VIGILANTES threatening to drive out 100 expatriate workers due to be housed in Segaiya were condemned yesterday by human rights activists and social workers.
Violence is likely as the residents have a history of driving out groups of expatriate workers housed in the area, who they accused of immoral and disruptive behaviour, says a councillor.
The residents are furious that a Bahraini businessman has rented two neighbouring homes, which he is currently renovating, to house 100 workers.
Manama Municipal Council has been trying to negotiate a compromise between the property owner, the businessman who has rented the buildings and the residents.
But the residents are adamant that they will drive out the men out if they move into the houses.
Residents should remember that these expatriate workers are the bloodline of the country's economy, said Bahrain Human Rights Society (BHRS) assistant general secretary Abdulla Al Deerazi.
"These residents who are threatening to drive away the workers need to realise for a moment that they are our kingdom builders," he said.
"These innocent men, who have no choice whatsoever over where they live, should not be punished for an act that apparently these residents think they might do.
"The residents should not be allowed to take the law into their own hands and it is the government who should look into this.
"The contractor, building owner and residents must reach a mutual agreement, instead of bullying the workers.
"The issue needs to be solved before it gets worse or out of control."
Migrant Workers Protection Society action committee head Marietta Dias said people must not be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
"If the government allows these workers to stay there, they can and it is not for these residents to drive them out," said Mrs Dias.
She said it was wrong for residents to assume that the workers would cause disturbances, or commit immoral acts, even before they have moved in.
"Unless these workers actually do something to offend to them, they must not be blamed," she said.
"If one among these 100 workers does something unacceptable, then they have cause to complain.
"Also, why should the workers suffer for a decision taken by their boss on where they should stay - like they have a choice?"
Ms Dias said it was a dangerous trend if communities were allowed to bar others from moving into their areas.
"Today they don't want a bunch of labourers staying in their neighbourhood and tomorrow they won't want anyone from a particular community to stay there," she said.
"The decision should be left to the government, not ordinary citizens."
Residents in the same area have driven out other expatriate workers by threatening to set fire to their accommodation.
They have a history of violent clashes with expatriate workers housed in the area, area councillor and council technical committee chairman Majeed Al Sebea'a had told the GDN earlier.
Thirty family heads out of 400 people had submitted a petition to the council, threatening to staging demonstrations soon.
The businessman renting the two houses is former Shura Council member Ibrahim Nonoo, who told the GDN earlier he did not want trouble in the neighbourhood, or anyone harming his employees, who have been brought in to work for his Basma Cleaning Company.
He said he was obliged to pay BD46,000 for the two-year contract for the accommodation.
Mr Nonoo said there was no legislation banning bachelor labourers living in residential neighbourhoods, but if the government sent him a paper saying otherwise, then the contract would be terminated immediately.
He said he was willing to promise the residents that his workers will not disturb the community.