The authories here have reacted with deep insecurity to the events in North Africa and the Middle East. Foreign journalists have been harrassed and warned not to report on any protest – this despite the fact that only a tiny number of people appear interested in protesting…. The annual parliamentary meeting opens here next week, and that's always a reason for the authorities to get jittery. This year, it just heightens the sense that there is a strange, invisible crisis, where we all suspect the authorities have a reason for their anxiety, but we cannot yet see it. In any case, there is a general sense that foreigners are to blame for any threat of protest or demonstration. It is always the case that foreigners must register their address with the police within 24 hours of their arrival, although these regulations are not very strictly enforced. Now banners are being hung liberally around ordering 'aliens' to register, presumably so that they can be sure that dangerous foreigners are all where they are supposed to be, and can be found if necessary.
