The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has said it will hold a ‘sitting’ this Thursday in protest against a spate of violent criminal offenses committed recently.
HRCM has said it will gather near the Tsunami Monument in Boduthakurufaanu Magu at 8:00pm, and will remain sitting until 12:00am.
In a press release issued by HRCM, the organisation requested all persons attending the event to wear black clothing and wave a national flag.
Media Coordinator for HRCM Ahmed Rilwan said the event was not a protest, “but just an awareness program.”
‘’We can’t tell how many people will attend this event. So far many NGOs have confirmed that they will join us,’’ Rilwan said.
Rilwan said HRCM will would “collect opinions from everyone and forward them to the concerned departments.”
Meanwhile, former Attorney General Husnu Suood has criticised the commission in the media alleging it had done “practically no work” since the new commission members had been elected.
‘’Some say that the only duty of the HRCM’s members is to attend office on time,” Suood said. “The society does not even know they exist. This is their current situation,’’ Suood told newspaper Haveeru.
He also told the paper that there were “far more important things” that the commission should be doing than sitting down for four hours.
Rilwan said the commission would not respond to remarks made by the former Attorney General.
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So what if Husnu Suood is remarking about it? And smart of HRCM not to make a comment in return. Its rather funny that Husnu Suood should be the one to talk about institutions "not doing" anything. The public remembers that when he was the AG, HE was unable to do or bring about "important" things or "changes" for the people!! Finally, he upped and left his post! End of story.
You don't need more sitting you need activity. It'll be better to have an exercise session near Tsunami Monument to mark the beginning of working on those flabby muscles. Healthy body, healthy mind.
I support Suood in this.
For those who think that Suood has done nothing, please refer to the reforms he brought to the judiciary, reforms he brought to the AGO and principles he stood for throughout his tenure.
As for the HRCM, it is a well-known fact that the whole body and its servants when taken together, display no interest in the academic, institutional, reformative or legal pursuit of rights.
Acting as street activists is once again counterproductive and also hilarious.
Pray, tell us what reforms he brought to the AGO? It was the AGO it was before, during Suood's tenure and it is STILL the SAME AGO as it was yesterday. Plus, look at the number of lawyers who resigned recently from AGO. Where was the change? And for whom? And as for principles, he was just doing what MDP told him to do...I agree that HRCM is absolutely crap when it comes to human rights issues in this country and I believe that those in charge of the Commission should buck up in their work and actually distinguish human rights, legal and institutional interests from their own political agenda's. By the way, wasn't it Suood who drafted the HRCM law as it is now? And wasn't he a Member there? Where was the human rights work he did? It was a bloody joke at that time and it is a bloody joke even now...To the Max!
Something to add with pictures to the HRCM Annual report, for sure.
yeah, hrcm have always been somewhat colored and silent for most part. from the beginning. theyv failed to take a good stand on many issues of concern. theyve been working behind the curtains to solve issues with other institutions. theyve reported issues to treaty bodies. and now i think it is about time they tell all these to the public. because ultimately it is the public that pay their fat salaries!
and husnusuoodhu should read the hrcm act...seriously! http://hrcm.org.mv/publications/otherdocuments/HRCMActDhivehi.pdf
lol. poor hrcm is in a really bad place with all this political chaos. if they dont do anything, it is a problem. if they issue a press release, dats a problem too. if they hold an awareness event, people like suood complain. if they talk about the rights of people, they complain about gayoom era torture victims. if they talk about prisons, they are labeled as 'prisoners rights commission'. will take a LOT of effort to change public perception. effort, as in REAL WORK!!
@LOL: At least we agree on one thing :D. and "me" is right. The HRCM may have carried out its bureaucratic and diplomatic functions. Communicating that fact to the public would however be extremely difficult.
The HRCM suffers from a lack of community engagement. Of course, this is the only credible criticism one can give from the outside. I personally do not know what the HRCM is about.
My assumption is that if I do not know, then certainly Hawwaidhi from S. Hithadhoo Moolukede area would not have an inkling and would not really care. My uneducated suggestions for some structural reforms to the whole system of having autonomous bodies would be to:
a) Abolish the Police Integrity Commission and hand over its functions to the HRCM. (This would of course require amendment of the constitution and would therefore be quite difficult).
b) Increase level of community engagement and public relations.
c) Conduct and publicize an HR-based audit of public institutions.
d) Conduct inclusive public awareness programs on a regular basis.
e) Stop issuing reactionary press releases without first weighing the political and social implications of such.
To retract a part of my earlier statement, the HRCM has worked very closely with donor agencies such as the UNDP in Maldives to strengthen capacity and correct internal issues. However, it seriously needs to address the issue of its lack of presence. Portraying itself as a populist institution which conducts sit-downs and rallies might be considered innovative by some but then again it risks giving the impression that the HRCM is a political party or an NGO. If it wants to appeal itself to the public, publicizing structural deficits in adhering to the standards set out by Chapter II of the 2008 Constitution would a better strategy.
More sitting? They have been sitting on their asses since the inception of HRCM without doing anything. Rather an ironic way to show dissent dont you think?
Cant they do anything standing up ? Do they really have to do this sitting around ? Jeez. Talk about Lazy, but this sure beats Maakumbe by a mile.