The enslaved children of Dubai's jockey club

international | rights, freedoms and repression | other press

Thursday September 13, 2007 16:55

by percy fawcett

A year ago those whose interest in the slave trade goes no further than ending it, found their representative and publicity interests well served by a case which emerged in the small state of Dubai. Investigative work by a US based human rights agency found that children had been imported to Dubai by the number 2 of that state under a variety of pretexts most of which were false. Instead the boys were kept in a malnourished state so that they could serve as jockeys in the hippodromes and race courses of that land. Dubai owes both its sovreignity and dynastic style to the British Empire. The current ruler overthrew his Sandhurst educated father to oversee a new Dubai strategy tackling the realities of "peak oil" and the potential dwindling of the state's income.

The strategy saw the largest construction site in recent history opened as Dubai created a waterpark in the desert and ever more weirdly designed artificial islands with luxury hotels. The largest migrant work force engaged in construction is employed in appalling conditions with next to minimal rights in the state of Dubai.

It is estimated that as many as 10,000 children have been trafficked as slaves through the state. The autocratic English educated ruler of the state pressured the White House with personal letters to George Bush,which for some was reason enough for the first class action law suit taken in the USA against Sheikh Hamdan al-Maktoum floundered amidst concerns for inteference in the internal affairs of an Arabian peninsula partner in the war on terror.

Incidently the vice president of the USA, Mr Cheney's corporation Halliburton had relocated from Texas to Dubai.

The next case against the Sheikh will be heard in Kentucky where he as considerable business interests. Kentucky begins with a K. Put it together yourself.

The latest news on the slave trade -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6992675.stm

backround info on the last case's collapse-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6053232.stm

how the BBC reported the first accusations
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5346430.stm

Additional coverage of both slavery and enslaved workers in the Arabian peninsula will follow in the comments.