Today, Sultan Qaboos, the absolute monarch of Oman, one of various dictatorships on the Arabian peninsula, receives Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and other members of the Dutch royal family during a state visit.
That state visit had already been planned last year. However, that was just after a bloody regime crackdown on striking workers and other pro-democracy Omanis. The planned state visit then changed to a private visit of the Dutch queen to the sultan.
Today, like last year, the Dutch royals’ role is basically to act as saleswomen and salesmen for Dutch warships and other weaponry to Oman. Never mind that pro-democracy activists arrested last year are still languishing in Omani jails. Never mind that Omani journalists are still persecuted.
Talking about warships. A few days ago, on 6 January, a NATO flagship, TCG GIRESUN, visited Muscat harbour in Oman.
A NATO propaganda web page says about this visit:
The scheduled visit allowed Rear Admiral (LH) Sinan Azmi TOSUN to pay a visit to the Chief of the Royal Omani Navy, Rear Admiral Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Raisi.
That NATO page also has a slogan: Vigilia Pretium Libertatis; Latin for “Vigilance is the price of freedom”. Apparently, NATO means with “freedom” freedom for absolute monarchs in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, etc. to oppress their subjects.
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Construction firm workers strike in pursuit of unpaid wages in Oman
On March 4, around 2,000 construction workers in Oman employed by Nagarjuna Construction Company International (NCC) struck at several sites. NCC is an Indian-owned operation and workers are protesting to demand unpaid wages.
One worker told the Gulf News, “We have not been paid for the last two months.” Another commented, “Some of our colleagues are still staging a sit-in”. He said that many workers had only gained employment in Oman after paying hefty fees to recruitment agents, explaining he had been forced to pay 20,000 Indian rupees ($400) to an agent. “Some workers have paid much more to the agent,” he added.
http://wsws.org/articles/2012/mar2012/wkrs-m09.shtml
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