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Pro-democracy prisoners on hunger-strike in the Maldives

The Maldivian Democratic Party
PRESS RELEASE
Colombo, November 5th, 2004

Pro-democracy prisoners in the Maldives are staging a hunger-strike in protest against their continued detention by the government of President Gayoom. The prisoners, who have been in jail for over 70 days without charge, are refusing to break their traditional Ramzan fast because of what they believe is the political motivation behind their continued detention. Initial reports indicate that 23 prisoners on hunger strike, which started yesterday evening (November 4th) in Dhoonidoo and Maufushi Jails.

The prisoners were arrested along with 500 others – including 14 MPS – following a 12,000-strong peaceful pro-democracy rally in the capital island, Male’ on 12-13 August, 2004. President Gayoom also imposed a State of Emergency and night-time curfews in the crack-down that followed the protest.

Although the State of Emergency was lifted by President Gayoom in October and many of the detainees have had their terms of detention reduced to house arrest, over twenty-five detainees remain in prison, in solitary confinement. Amnesty International and the Maldivian Human Rights Commission have expressed deep concern after reports of some of the prisoners being tortured and sexually abused whilst in jail.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) shares the concerns of the detainees about the political motivation for their continued detention. President Gayoom called parliamentary elections for the 31st December, 2004. In May 2004, the MDP shocked the regime by winning over 70% of the seats in the elections to the constituent parliament. Many of those in prison are would-be MDP candidates for the upcoming election.

The MDP calls on the government of President Gayoom to release all political prisoners in the Maldives immediately and unconditionally. President Gayoom continually tells the international community he is committed to democratic reform in the Maldives. The MDP feels the imprisonment of pro-democracy campaigners is an affront to the President’s much talked-of reforms.

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Why Male’s Gangs Won’t Speak To Police

State media are broadcasting images of six men wanted in connection to gang fighting which has plagued the capital for over a week. But while police have been unable to track down their suspects in an island less than 2.5 square kilometres in size, Minivan News journalist Susannah Peter, who arrived in the Maldives less than three months ago, was able to meet two of the wanted men for coffee last night.

Here, the two fugitives and other members of the Kuda Henveiru “family” tell her why the police can’t infiltrate their world. They describe police aggression towards gang members, and explain the family will protect them because none believe the authorities will investigate the fighting fairly.

Scapegoats?

Ahmed Alif Rauf, 21, and Ahhmed Simhan, 21, greet me cheerfully as I am ushered inside a brightly lit, cosy front room. One of their friends offers me a cup of coffee, while another “family” (they prefer not to use the word “gang”) member draws up a seat.

Yet both men, members of the Kuda Henveiru group, one of two main gangs in Male’, are hiding from police who want them in connection with the street violence that allegedly led to the death of their fellow “brother” Chotey last Sunday night.

Alif tells me they fear they “will be made scapegoats” if they turn themselves in before Hussain Razeen (Raburry) leader of rival gang Bosnia and also wanted by police, is arrested first.

“The Government support Raburry and Bosnia,” he claims. “So the police don’t want to arrest him, even though they have heard he is back in Male’.

“If we are arrested first, the police will blame it all on us, even the death of Chotey [Ali Ishar, a fellow member of the Kuda Henveiru family who died after a knife attack last Sunday]” Alif says.

“Why would they do anything to harm a brother, one of their closest friends?” another gang member interjects, shaking his head sadly. “They wouldn’t do that, it makes no sense.”

At this point, another young man enters the room and perches on the sofa, looking slightly nervous and edgy. He is introduced as an eyewitness to Chotey’s attack, and asks not to be named.

He says he saw two rival gang members near Chotey’s house, and rushed back to warn his “brother.” But it was too late. Chotey had gone to a nearby shop, and was attacked when he left.

The eyewitness has named three men he says were among those who stabbed Chotey, although Minivan News has withheld the names.

Police have been trying to get in touch with the eyewitness, he tells me. “But I’m afraid they will arrest me,” he says, twitching slightly. “Because I know Raburry did this, and they don’t want to have to arrest him.”

He adds he has received “death threats” from Bosnia members since the attack on Chotey. “I am scared for my life,” he says quietly. “And I’ll never forget what I saw that night. I have nightmares about it.”

Police Aggression?

News of Chotey’s death sparked unrest throughout the capital, amid accusations of police heavy handedness.

“They only get there once the trouble is over, and then cause unrest,” says Alif, grimly.

And he claims police intimidate Kuda Henveiru members even as they gathered to pay their last respects to Chotey late last Sunday night.

As, “brothers” gathered along with “mothers, sisters and children,” at Malé’s Artificial Beach, a Kuda Henveiru haunt, police and Star force officers arrived.

“We were preparing go to the cemetery, where Chotey’s body had been taken, when one of the STAR Force officers pushed a brother,” one member claims.

“And they started hitting women and children, arresting some and not others,” he says. “It was one of the scariest times I have had, because I was worried women would get hurt.”

Trust

Gang members have named ten of the “family members” they arrested, although the sister of a member, who does not want to be named, tells me “they arrested many more, but will not tell us who they are.”

And police, who arrested her brother, “beat him repeatedly” with truncheons, while they waited to take him to the station. Her brother, who she says is still in custody, suffered leg and head injuries, and is now in Malé receiveing medical treatment.

Police Media Coordinator Sergeant Shiyam told Minivan News last week he “could not comment” on allegations of police violence. And of course many people will doubt claims made by anonymous gang members.

But what is clear is that distrust of the authorities among Malé’s powerful street gangs is obstructing the investigation into Ali Ishar’s death and the violence surrounding it. And if the distrust is not breached, more violence will result.

“We don’t believe Ishar’s family will get justice from Government or Police,” says one brother. “We’ll have to fight ourselves to get justice for him. There won’t be deaths, but there will be violence.”

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Comment: Time to put nation first

The result of the last presidential election proved that we are a divided country. There is no glossing over this fact. But those who wanted to build a new, modern and democratic Maldives just edged out those who wished to remain in an old, stagnant country rooted in autocratic values.

The deposed ruling elite out did not go quietly. Unable to accept the change, they fought back. Perhaps it was a belief that the government, facing tough times due to the economy, could be toppled on the streets.

Opportunity knocks

Now, just over a year on, it is clear that we need a new way of thinking. There is a role for constructive opposition in any democratic system of governance. Some ascribe the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) behaviour to posturing in the lead up to their congress. Now, their congress is over and a new leadership is in place.

DRP Leader Thasmeen Ali and his team no longer need to pander to the bitter activists in his party. He should recognise that in order to mount a successful challenge for the presidency in 2013, he will have to shake off the ‘activist’ label that his party has inherited through their actions of the last year. The party needs to appear mature and able to contribute substantially to national development during this presidential term – even if another party is in power.

Similarly, the government also needs to recognise that even with their new recruits it does not have an absolute majority in parliament. There needs to be give-and-take for things to be achieved. President Mohamed Nasheed has already indicated in a recent radio address that his government stood ready to work with other political parties in the interest of the nation. Now is the time to follow through on this promise.

Bipartisan politics

The opening of parliament tomorrow presents a unique opportunity for all parties and factions within the Majlis to enact important and necessary legislation. Indeed, readers will recall that the most commonly heard statement on the campaign trail during the parliamentary elections was that successful candidates would work to implement the government’s manifesto programme.

MDP candidates argued that they should be elected to ensure that the government’s programme was implemented successfully. Opposition candidates said that they should be elected to ensure that the government did not deviate from their pledges. There was a broad recognition and acceptance of the merits of the pledges.

We cannot afford a repeat of the “do nothing parliament” that graced our television screens and blocked the airwaves during the last session. MPs pursued petty and vindictive agendas such as the motion of no confidence against the foreign minister. The public expects much more from their elected representatives. And it is high time that MPs woke up to this reality.

As parliament begins its sitting for this year, it faces two important bills. One needs to be passed because the constitution says so. The other is critical to ensure that the country remains fiscally solvent.

The first is the decentralisation bill. It is a constitutionally required piece of legislation and the stipulated deadline has already passed. Effective local government has always been a big demand in the islands. This is a demand that needs to be met early on in the parliamentary session.

Parliamentarians should not allow a petty debate over semantics (‘provinces’ or ‘atolls’) stand between the people and their ability to take on municipal functions at the island level, and local development programmes through economically viable units at the sub national level.

The other important item on the Majlis agenda is reform of the tax system. One of the governing party’s central pledges was to lower the cost of living. Regressive taxation, through customs duties should be replaced with a proper and efficient taxation system. Furthermore, the steep decline in government revenue last year needs to be reversed.

This is why it is of paramount importance that the business profit tax is introduced as soon as possible and an ad valorem tax for the tourism sector ensures that resorts are taxed per bed night on a percentage basis rather than the flat $8 that is currently the case. This reform is both more equitable and will see the fruits of the country’s largest industry passed onto the people.

No more distractions

Of course politicians need to work together on other issues. Malevolent political agendas outside of parliament also need to be put aside. The distraction of the regulation to allow foreigners to purchase alcohol in city hotels (in addition to resorts as is currently the case), is a case in point, and has cast a shadow over the country.

The hysteria that has been whipped up over an issue that would not really affect Maldivians’ lives, and actually go to improve it through the curb on alcohol by restricting the 800 “bars” in Malé, is nothing more than political posturing by those with a political, rather than religious, agenda. But the government’s position that it would not push ahead with the regulation if people did not wish for it was probably the sensible thing to do given the circumstances.

There is also the distraction of public sector restructuring. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has been used as a political tool. It has been acting like a labour union and not been fulfilling its constitutional mandate. The Commission needs to be reappointed before August 2010 according to the constitution, and hopefully this will happen sooner rather than later so that the country can put this sorry episode behind it. A genuinely independent CSC needs to be appointed to guide public sector employees through these hard times.

Though there are signs that the economy will pick up this year, tough times are still not ever. Redundancies and wage cuts will inevitably hurt people. This is an opportunity for all in the political sphere to work together to ensure that the effects are mitigated. Job creation in the productive sectors of the economy is needed. The social protection system needs to work to ensure that no one falls through the net.

In short, it is time for politicians to put nation first – at least until 2013.

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