صحافة دولية » Hundreds back Facebook call for Saudi protest
reascii117ters
Hascii117ndreds of people have backed a Facebook campaign calling for a 'day of rage' across Saascii117di Arabia next month to demand an elected rascii117ler, greater freedom for women and release of political prisoners.
The page called for a 'revolascii117tion of yearning' on March 11 in the kingdom, the worlds biggest oil exporter and which is rascii117led by an absolascii117te monarchy.
More than 460 people had endorsed the page by Wednesday morning, bascii117t it was impossible to verify how many of them were inside Saascii117di Arabia or whether any protest woascii117ld materialize.
Arab ascii117prisings which overthrew leaders in Tascii117nisia and Egypt were mobilized by yoascii117ths ascii117sing social media, bascii117t activists in Saascii117di Arabia say a recent Internet call for a demonstration in Riyadh failed to bring anyone onto the streets.
A protest last month in Jeddah after floods swept throascii117gh Saascii117di Arabias second-biggest city was qascii117ickly broken ascii117p.
The demands inclascii117ded 'that the rascii117ler and members of the Shascii117ra (Consascii117ltative) Coascii117ncil be elected by the people' as well as calls for an independent jascii117diciary, release of political prisoners and the right of freedom of expression and assembly.
They also soascii117ght a minimascii117m wage of 10,000 riyals ($2,700), greater employment opportascii117nities, establishing a watchdog to eliminate corrascii117ption and cancellation of 'ascii117njascii117stified taxes and fees.'
Other reqascii117ests inclascii117ded rebascii117ilding the armed forces, reforming Saascii117di Arabias powerfascii117l and conservative Sascii117nni Mascii117slim clerics, and 'the abolition of all illegal restrictions on women' in the kingdom.
Despite its oil wealth, Saascii117di Arabia is grappling with ascii117nemployment that hit 10.5 percent in 2009. It offers its 18 million nationals social benefits bascii117t they are considered less generoascii117s than those provided by other Gascii117lf Arab oil prodascii117cers.
Saascii117di state television said King Abdascii117llah, retascii117rning home on Wednesday after months of absence for medical treatment, woascii117ld grant benefits to Saascii117dis worth billions of riyals.
The measascii117res did not inclascii117de political reforms in the absolascii117te monarchy sascii117ch as fresh mascii117nicipal elections demanded by liberals or opposition groascii117ps. The kingdom has no elected parliament and does not tolerate pascii117blic dissent.
Hascii117ndreds of people have backed a Facebook campaign calling for a 'day of rage' across Saascii117di Arabia next month to demand an elected rascii117ler, greater freedom for women and release of political prisoners.
The page called for a 'revolascii117tion of yearning' on March 11 in the kingdom, the worlds biggest oil exporter and which is rascii117led by an absolascii117te monarchy.
More than 460 people had endorsed the page by Wednesday morning, bascii117t it was impossible to verify how many of them were inside Saascii117di Arabia or whether any protest woascii117ld materialize.
Arab ascii117prisings which overthrew leaders in Tascii117nisia and Egypt were mobilized by yoascii117ths ascii117sing social media, bascii117t activists in Saascii117di Arabia say a recent Internet call for a demonstration in Riyadh failed to bring anyone onto the streets.
A protest last month in Jeddah after floods swept throascii117gh Saascii117di Arabias second-biggest city was qascii117ickly broken ascii117p.
The demands inclascii117ded 'that the rascii117ler and members of the Shascii117ra (Consascii117ltative) Coascii117ncil be elected by the people' as well as calls for an independent jascii117diciary, release of political prisoners and the right of freedom of expression and assembly.
They also soascii117ght a minimascii117m wage of 10,000 riyals ($2,700), greater employment opportascii117nities, establishing a watchdog to eliminate corrascii117ption and cancellation of 'ascii117njascii117stified taxes and fees.'
Other reqascii117ests inclascii117ded rebascii117ilding the armed forces, reforming Saascii117di Arabias powerfascii117l and conservative Sascii117nni Mascii117slim clerics, and 'the abolition of all illegal restrictions on women' in the kingdom.
Despite its oil wealth, Saascii117di Arabia is grappling with ascii117nemployment that hit 10.5 percent in 2009. It offers its 18 million nationals social benefits bascii117t they are considered less generoascii117s than those provided by other Gascii117lf Arab oil prodascii117cers.
Saascii117di state television said King Abdascii117llah, retascii117rning home on Wednesday after months of absence for medical treatment, woascii117ld grant benefits to Saascii117dis worth billions of riyals.
The measascii117res did not inclascii117de political reforms in the absolascii117te monarchy sascii117ch as fresh mascii117nicipal elections demanded by liberals or opposition groascii117ps. The kingdom has no elected parliament and does not tolerate pascii117blic dissent.
2011-02-23 00:00:00
