UAE banishes activist for speaking out

Ahmed Abdul Khaleq. Photo / Supplied

A stateless resident of the United Arab Emirates, who has never set foot outside the country, was yesterday escorted on to a plane and deported to Thailand, in a clear message that speaking out will not be tolerated.

The oil-rich nation has stepped up its campaign to silence critics, dismantling political groups and jailing dissenting voices.

A high-profile activist, Ahmed Abdul Khaleq, was arrested for a second time in May, but as he is one of the UAE's thousands of "bidoon" - literally meaning "without" in reference to their lack of citizenship - his situation was particularly perilous.

He was told he was to be deported and given a choice for his exile - Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India or Thailand.

"This is my first time to leave the UAE and it's going to be forever," the 35-year-old said before boarding his plane in Abu Dhabi. "I've never even been to the airport before, I have no idea about travelling."

With 10,000 Emirati dirhams ($3400) scraped together by his family to save him from destitution, he is understandably nervous.

"I don't know anyone, I will be a stranger there. I'm very sad because I'm leaving my family, my country and going to a country I don't know anything about."

Between 10,000 and 100,000 bidoon live in the UAE. Most trace their roots to Iranian or Southeast Asian traders who travelled to the emirates before the state was formed in 1971, or to nomads. Without passports, they are unable to leave the country.

Abdul Khaleq ran a popular blog that campaigned for bidoon rights, and was one of the "UAE 5", a group of activists who spent eight months in jail last year before being pardoned.

"Ahmed Abdul Khaleq has never visited Thailand, knows no one there and has been forced to leave his family behind in the UAE," the Emirates Centre for Human Rights said.

"This is a clear message from the UAE authorities that activism that opposes the state security apparatus will not be tolerated and will be dealt with ruthlessly."

The deportation is just the beginning of his worries. Abdul Khaleq has only a three-month visitor's visa.

- Independent