Fil-Bahraini athlete recalls terror on the streets of Bahrain

"For the Win" (FTW) host Miakka Lim shares a story of a Fil-Bahraini athlete who gives us a glimpse of how it is like to live in Bahrain amid the political unrest in that country. For security reasons, a Filipino-Bahraini athlete has asked GMA News Online to keep his identity a secret as he shares his experience of terror on the streets of strife-torn Bahrain. Yet, his being anonymous does not diminish the power of his story nor makes it less true. The fact that he cannot reveal his identity gives us a glimpse of how afraid he is about the situation in Bahrain. As the world's attention has turned to quake-hit Japan, little is known in our country about the political crises in the Middle East, especially in Bahrain. The King of Bahrain declared martial law on March 15 as government troops struggled to quell an uprising by the Shi'ite Muslim majority. A three-month state of emergency is now in force in Bahrain, dominated by Sunni Muslim elite. The Fil-Bahraini athlete tells of how the streets of Manama, Bahrain's capital was filled with protesters, who held their national flag in one hand and a rose on the other. When asked why the civilians in Bahrain are holding protests, the athlete says many people felt that the government was no longer looking after their interests. In 2001, the Sunni government promised major developments that would improve the lives of the Bahrainis, especially 50% of the population who live below the poverty line. This year, 10 years after the promise was made, many Bahrainis have been gathering at the public square to call for an elected government that truly represents them, the athlete shares. The athlete moved back to Bahrain from Manila a year ago and live near the Pearl Square in Manama, where the protests are being held. From time to time, he joins the demonstrations at the public square but mostly, he just watches the events on TV. Situation worsens According to the athlete, the political situation in Bahrain worsened after policemen reportedly opened fire at protesters on February 14, Valentine's Day, killing one civilian. He recalls that the next day, as the protesters were on the way to the funeral of the man who was shot on Valentine's Day, the police allegedly shot another protester dead. These incidents moved pro-democracy demonstrators to head to the public square to express their anger and disgust over the killings, he says. Days later, on February 17 at 3:00 a.m., while the demonstrators were asleep at Pearl Square, government troops allegedly attacked again, leaving five people dead, the athlete says. Terrified The athlete says many of his family and friends live near the public square where the violent incidents have been happening. As the public square is just 15 minutes away from where they live, they sometimes hear gunshots from their house. He says the people are afraid because of stories that plainclothes policemen have allegedly been entering the homes of suspected anti-government protesters. Some people are too afraid that they cannot even stand beside windows for fear of being shot, he says. He also feels sad that many people are struggling to make ends meet as offices and shops had to close down when the violence erupted. Feeling sore The athlete thinks that many Bahrainis are feeling sore that out of the 24 ministers in the government, 13 reportedly belong to the royal family. Their Prime Minister has been in his position since 1971, he says. He said the royal family also owns about 70% of the total land in Bahrain. While the royal family lives in comfort, about half of the population are wanting in food and good housing, he says. As to the question why people are protesting against the government, the athlete says, given the situation in Bahrain, why not?