Hague calls for reforms in Egypt

Foreign Secretary William Hague has urged Egypt to move towards political reform to quell growing anger that has led to street protests and violent clashes between demonstrators and police.

Thousands of Egyptians have vented their rage against President Hosni Mubarak’s autocratic government over two days of protests that defied a ban on public gatherings.

Egypt’s largest anti-government protests in years echo the recent uprising in Tunisia, and baton-wielding police responded with tear gas and beatings in a crackdown that has shown no tolerance for dissent.

Mr Hague said it was not for other countries to dictate who should be in power, or what their tactics should be, but told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Clearly, in so many of these countries people do have legitimate grievances, which are economic and political.

“While every country is different, and we shouldn’t try to dictate what they should do, in general I do think it’s important in this situation to respond positively to legitimate demands for reform, to move towards openness, transparency and greater political freedom. That would be my advice to Egyptian leaders.”

The Egyptian government is reported to have shut down social networking sites in a bid to stop the unrest spreading, and Mr Hague said: “I would urge the Egyptian government, and I have urged the Egyptian government, to respect rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. It would be futile over time to try to suppress such things.”

One protester and a policeman were killed on Wednesday when a car ran them over during a protest in a poor neighbourhood in central Cairo, bringing the death toll to six, and some 860 people have been detained as baton-wielding police responded with tear gas and beatings in a crackdown that has shown no tolerance for dissent.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called on Egypt to adopt broad reforms and not crack down on the anti-government crowds, urging the Mubarak regime to “take this opportunity to implement political, economic and social reforms that will answer the legitimate interests of the Egyptian people.”

There is no indication that Mr Mubarak, who has ruled with an iron fist for nearly 30 years, intends to relinquish power or make democratic or economic concessions, and no sign he would rein in his security forces.

Although Wednesday’s demonstrations were smaller than the tens of thousands who rallied on Tuesday, the unrest follows repeated public outcries in recent months over police brutality, food prices, corruption and, more recently, sectarian strife between Christians and Muslims.