The Sunni leadership in Bahrain aims for "total reconciliation" with the people, the country's foreign minister declared.
Bahrain is facing international criticism for its human rights record during the repression of a Shiite uprising against the minority Sunni leadership. Scores of hospital workers and journalists were detained during the unrest to the scorn of the human rights community.
Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, the country's foreign minister, told U.S. public broadcaster PBS that the Sunni leaders weren't "acting as complete angels" during the uprising.
"We are definitely looking at the picture and looking at what happened," he said. "And if there's any mistake that takes place, we will not tolerate that. It's not systematic. We will not tolerate that at all."
Lawmakers last week told al-Jazeera that a decision by the Bahraini monarch to put an end to a state of emergency declared in March shows state affairs are in order. The Arab broadcaster said at least 30 people were killed since protests erupted in February.
Khalifa told PBS that his country was moving forward with reconciliation in mind, however.
"We're looking at a government that is aiming towards total reconciliation of their people," he said.