Parliament yesterday approved sending Maldivian troops to join UN peacekeeping operations.
In August this year, parliament’s National Security Committee voted in favor of signing a memorandum of understanding with the UN to send Maldivian soldiers to UN conflict zones for peacekeeping operations.
All members of the committee were present at the meeting last Monday when voting took place, including Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) MP Rozaina Adam, Peoples Alliance Party (PA) MP Abdul Raheem Abdulla and DRP MP Mohamed Nashiz.
On April 5, the cabinet decided to sign the memorandum of understanding with the UN and forwarded the matter to parliament, noting that it would be important for the Maldives to contribute to international efforts to ensure that every country, society and individual had the opportunity to live in peace and security.
According to 243(b) of the constitution, “if the President, as Commander in Chief, authorises or orders the employment of the military service in defence of the republic or as part of an international undertaking, the President shall without delay submit the authorisation to the People’s Majlis. The People’s Majlis may at any time approve the authorisation, or revoke the authorisation.”
During yesterday’s final debate stage at parliament, opposition MP Ahmed Mahlouf said the issue was “not a joke.”
“This is a very serious issue,” he said. “I do not think any honorable member would want to send some Maldivians abroad to their deaths.”
Religious NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf also expressed concern over the issue and called on the government to withdraw the decision.
Salaf at the time claimed that any Muslim who assisted non-Muslims in a war against Muslims would themselves be branded infidels.
“Muslims will be obliged to treat him as a non-Muslim in all ways, such as if dead, burying without enshrouding the body, burying the body with other non-believer, and when dealing with inheritance matters the terms and condition that applies to a non-believer who dies in a war against Muslims will be applied to him,” the NGO said.
The MoU was approved with 56 votes in favour, five abstentions and 11 votes against.
MPs Ibrahim Muthalib, Abdul Raheem Abdulla, Yousuf Abdul Ghafoor, Mohamed Mujthaz, Hassan Latheef, Ahmed Rasheed Ibrahim, Moosa Zameer, MP Abdul Azeez Jamaal Abu Bakur, Hussein Mohamed, Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mohamed Nasheed and Dhivehi Qaumy Party (DQP) Riyaz Rasheed voted against signing the MoU with the UN.
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In the same week that we were informed of Sri Lanka providing security cover for the upcoming SAARC Summit in Addu, we are now keen to send our troops into whatever knows.
Most countries that take part in UN peacekeeping duties as well as other operations, have sufficient cover at home.
We seem to be struggling with a conference in an isolated island, and still we have many thousands of miles of ocean to cover to protect our shores from smugglers, pirates and all manner of invasions.
Can the MP's please find something to work on that will in fact benefit our country directly please.
Let’s bury them more civilized way than wrapping the body in white cloth and humiliating the body by washing. If I am a soldier I would much more prefer to bury me in uniforms with special honor of respect than the Islamic crazy way. Any way what is the big deal if they are not buried by these mullahs, your body will decompose anyway whether you are buried by mullahs or just throw in a pit and fill with earth.
Why not at first created peacekeeping operations in Maldives? To stop heavy crime ?
Or you need more coffins with locals soldier after such operation ?Do you like that your children will go to Libia or Afganistan to kill civilians under name of peacekeeping operation?Try to make normal life in Maldives! why we have to go abroad and die in fight with peoples to whom we never confront before?It is strait way to create many enemy/
Deploying your troops around the world on peace-keeping duties,should be considered as part of your Maldivian nation taking its place in the wide world..For that I salute you...
@ salam
dont use a muslim name to comment. its an insult to muslims.
and minivan news and ahmed nazeer, is there simply any story that you dont link to islam?
I think Bangladesh government has a policy of sending a lot of their soldiers to these operations in far-flung parts of the world. In the case of Bangladesh, their main aim is to make money. The UN gives money to Bangladesh government. Is Maldivian government also motivated by the desire to get money from the UN?
What a pointless show of obeisance to our allies.
Seriously, we're like the a toothless old hag living off social security packages provided by the foreign allies.
If they tell us we need to dance for our dinner then we break out in a chorus of Hava Nagila.
@MDL
Don’t you think the so called salaf and mullahs are the main reason for people to mudsling on Islam? They put everywhere Islam and scare away people from Islam. Isn’t they who to be blamed for meddling religion with politics. They can preach but why they use Islam to defend anything that they don’t think fit.
I know lot of us in MNDF are waiting for this to happen. Its a great happening for this country.
This is good news and also the the MPs who opposed this and the Salaf idiot brigade has no clue about what goes on the rest of The World.
They think that MNDF is going to invade Afghanistan or Iran at the behest of the US. What drivel!
They go as UN Observers and not as an invading army. A lot of small countries like Fiji also does this. This gives Maldives a better profile and also exposes MNDF to wider experience and gain knowledge.
The MNDF needs to be employed in some form. If the Government uses them for civil works in nation building Umar Naseer accuse them of helping the government in construction.
The man is an imbecile of the highest order. He is the man who claimed that he is going to take a run and get into Muleeage over the wall in 5 seconds. Well we should have sent him to the Olympics and we may have won the 100metres, 200metres and also the Hurdles.Usain Bolt would be scared of him now.
It would be a national honour to see MNDF in the Blue Helmets of the UN as UN Observers.
There is no need to comment on the ugly and smelly “Salaf” gang of drug addicts. The only reason why these drug addicts pretend to be holly is to rape eleven years old kids.
NO!
Please! We're Maldivians. We like to be sheltered from the ongoings in rest of the World.
Keep us blindfolded and warm. Do feed us occasionally though,and protect our islands and build our infrastructure. Oh, we like your money.
But don't call on us to fulfill our part of the bargain or obligations to meet International commitments we've made - because then, we'll simply be oppressed old hags dancing for morsels thrown at us by our overlords.
What an attitude!
Oh well. Good for them, I suppose. That'll turn the MNDF marching boys into real fighting men.
The MoU was approved with 56 votes in favour, five abstentions and 11 votes against. When Majlis has approved who is Jamiyyathul Salaf to object? What it knows about United Nations and role of peacekeepers? I am sure "Nothing". They are stupid bunch of beardee fellows who like to believe that they are doing/giving great service to Maldives. Not only MNDF will earn money, they will learn new techniques and ways to cope in different and new terrain.
Remember your young soldiers must be considered good enough to perform peace-keeping duties anywhere in the world..Be proud of your young men...
@Manik - I couldn't have said it better.
It seems that a lot of people in the Maldives have a misconception regarding peacekeeping operations. The MNDF isn't sending it's soldiers to conduct offensive operations against any country. They're there to observe and maintain the peace. Very rarely are those partaking in peacekeeping operations actually engaged. If so, they're defensive in nature and never on the offense.
The knowledge that these soldiers will bring back is invaluable. The experiences alone are rewarding and the economic benefits for the individuals and the country will be great as well. For those that speak against these operations I suggest you do your research. Some claim the MNDF isn't used enough... now they have a great opportunity and you bitch about it. That is all 🙂
What brave patriots! The Zionists shall be terrified, and tremble when confronted with our awesome might!
Those benign and just nations of the world however, please rest assured that you have no reason to be afraid.
There might be no immediate danger in engaging peacekeeping operations.
However its all about perceptions. The deeper the Maldives dives into the ongoing fracas the more we have to answer for later on.