Author: Minivan News

MP Mahloof among nine arrested in peaceful protest

Minivan News brings live coverage of an opposition sit-in on Malé’s thoroughfare Majeedhee Magu. This is the third mass anti-government protest this year. Organisers had notified the police that the sit-in may last for three days

3:50am: Minivan News ends live coverage.

3:40am: At least nine people have been arrested. The police have now dispersed protesters. The protest remained peaceful throughout.

MP Mahloof was arrested on charges of disobedience to order, the police have said.

3:20am: Several eyewitnesses have said they saw police arresting MP Ahmed Mahloof. Another young man, Ahmed Naeem, has also been arrested.

Minivan News journalists also saw some eight young men, who appear to be pro-government supporters, quarrel with protesters. They left on motorcycles shortly afterwards.

3:10am: Police have chased a man carrying a megaphone into the narrow lane where ex-president Nasheed’s paternal home is located. Police officers in regular blue uniforms are urging protesters to leave the area. Dozens of police officers in one lorry and two jeeps are patrolling the area.

Musthafa Luthfy, Shifaz and Mahloof spoke to the crowd previously, and urged supporters to continue to exercise their right to assemble peacefully. Speakers stop speaking the moment police arrive, but resume when police leave.

2:40am: Hundreds remain on the street. MP Ahmed Mahloof is reiterating the opposition’s demands to free jailed politicians, protect businesses and to end fear and intimidation on a megaphone.

2:20am: Some 200 protesters and leadership figures remain on Majeedhee Magu near the Malé City Hall. Dozens of police officers in two lorries and two jeeps are driving back and forth in the area. Musthafa Luthfy, ex-president Nasheed’s running mate in the 2013 presidential polls, says the leadership has not decided to end the protest and will continue as long as supporters are willing to remain on the street.

2:00am: MP Ahmed Mahloof says the protest is not over, and has called on protesters to regroup. The location is unclear at the moment.

1:50am: Minivan News journalists observed police approach the opposition leaders, and said the protest was unlawful and asked them to leave the area. The MPs posed some questions to the police, but showed no real resistance when police escorted them behind barricades.

1:40am: Opposition leaders appear to have ended the sit-in.

1:30am: Opposition leaders have stood up on police request, but were then escorted out of the Malé City’s central junction to a side street.

1:25am: Police have escorted MP Ali Azim out of the sit-in area and pushed him behind the barricades after he stood up to give an interview to Raajje TV. He said: “We want to see progress on talks with the government I believe we must continue our protest as long as members of the public continue their protests.”

1:00am: MP Ibu says the leadership is attempting to establish a connection with the protesters, while former environment minister Mohamed Aslam said he will remain on the street until he urinates on himself. SO officers are dispersing the remaining pockets of protesters in side streets.

12:55am: The speaker system on Ma. Maadheli, at the junction of Majeedhee Magu and Chaandhanee Magu has been switched off. The police have searched a security guard at the building. On May Day, the police entered the building and confiscated the speaker system there.

12:45am: A young man, Nazaal Shiyam, has been arrested for taking photos without a media pass. The police have restricted media to the pavements.

12:35am: The sitting opposition leaders include MPs Ali Azim, Eva Abdulla, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, Imthiyaz Fahmy, Mohamed ‘Bigey’ Rasheed, Abdul Bari Abdulla, Abdul Ghafoor Moosa, and Ali Hussein, and former Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam.

12:25am: Leadership remain huddled together, sitting on the ground at the junction of Majeedhee Magu and Chaandhanee Magu. Police have chased most of the protesters down side streets. Protesters have reported two arrests.

12:15am: Police are using pepper spray to disperse protesters. Opposition leaders are continuing the sit-in. But protesters have been pushed east on Majeedhee Magu by a block.

12:10am: Police clad in riot gear are using shields to push back opposition leaders, who are sitting peacefully on the ground at the front lines.

12:00am: Police have issued a last warning. “Disperse now or we will use force. We will not take responsibility for any injuries caused.”

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11:45pm: Opposition leaders are continuing to address the crowd using hidden sound systems on residential buildings in the area.

11:36pm: The police have warned they will break up the sit-in if protesters continue to use sound systems and disrupt traffic. Opposition leaders, however, are continuing to appeal to the crowd to remain on the street. Former MDP MP Ahmed Abdulla has denounced police actions and is continuing a chant for Nasheed, Imran and Nazim’s release.

11:23pm: The SO officers used pepper spray against some protesters and took away the three carts with the loudspeakers.

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11:20pm: Specialist Operations (SO) walked into the crowd from two directions and have confiscated the sound systems.

11:15pm: Riot police approached the podium twice after 11:00pm and asked the leadership to stop using loudspeakers or sound systems. But the police did not attempt to confiscate the sound system and opposition politicians are continuing their speeches.

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11:00pm: Foreign minister Dunya Maumoon in a tweet urged the protesters to end the sit-in by midnight, while home minister Umar Naseer said the low turnout was an indication that “people prefer peace and stability.”

10:50pm: Opposition leaders are addressing some 2,000 supporters. In their speeches, MP Ahmed Mahloof, MDP MP Abdulla Shahid and former minister of Islamic affairs Dr Abdul Majeed Abdul Bari, appealed to supporters to remain steadfast and called on the government to c.

Traffic is flowing in side-streets.

JP leader Qasim Ibrahim, in several tweets, distanced himself from the MDP protest, and appealed to his employees to stay away from the sit in.

In the first tweet he said: “The rumor that I called on [the public] to join the ongoing MDP protest is a lie.”

In the second tweet he said: “JP did not join the ongoing protest by MDP, and will not do so in the future.”

In the third, he said: “It is Gasim’s appeal that no Villa employees join the MDP protest.”

10:38pm: Jumhooree Party MP Ali Hussain is speaking now.

Adhaalath Party council member Shidhartha Shareef addressed the crowd after Shifaz’s speech. She repeated the demands for an end to the government’s “tyranny” and urged the public to join the sit-in.

Volunteers are distributing juice and water among the crowd.

10:14pm: Ibu has called on the government to release imprisoned opposition politicians, drop terrorism charges against Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran and JP deputy leader Ameen Ibrahim, stop targeting opposition-aligned businesses, and ensure job security for opposition supporters.

The opposition protests will continue serially until the demands are met, Ibu announced to cheers from the crowd.

MDP vice president Mohamed Shifaz is now speaking.

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10:10pm: Ibu’s speech was briefly interrupted after riot police officers approached the MDP parliamentary group leader. The police officers have since left and Ibu has resumed his speech. A “dark autocratic cloud” is growing over the Maldives and “rule by law” prevails instead of rule of law, he said.

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10:03pm: A podium has been set up at the Chandhanee Magu-Majeedhee Magu junction and protesters have sat down following announcements. MDP MP Ibrahim Mohamed Solih ‘Ibu’ is addressing the crowd.

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9:55pm: The protest march has turned into Chandhanee Magu and the front line has stopped near the Asrafee bookshop. There are no police barricades blocking the path, but some police officers are on the road and appear to be diverting traffic.

9:42pm: The front line has moved past the former city council office and the tail end is near the national stadium. More people are joining the march. The crowd is festive and chanting for the release of “political prisoners.” National songs are blaring from the sound systems.

9:33pm: The protest march has reached the national stadium with the tail end near the prosecutor general’s office. Protesters are calling for the release of former President Mohamed Nasheed and ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim.

Minivan News estimates the size of the crowd is approximately 1,500. The protesters are divided into groups with a cart carrying a sound system and water for each group. Each group is led by a designated leader.

A police van is moving ahead of the front line and had stopped at the Sosun Magu-Majeedhee Magu junction, halting the march for about 20 minutes. The police van is now moving forward slowly.

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9:15pm: Protesters have started marching west on Majeedhee Magu, streaming out of the artificial beach. MDP leaders are at the front line with former MP Ali Azim bearing a national flag. Many protester are carrying national flags. The atmosphere is calm.

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Before heading out, former MDP vice presidential candidate Dr Musthafa Luthfy said protesters will march in rows of seven or ten and sit down in a location at Majeedhee Magu. If the police crack down and disperse the crowd, he urged protesters to regroup on the main road.

8:55pm: MDP vice president Mohamed Shifaz said: “We are ready for a calm, peaceful sit-in.” Adam Azim, the brother of ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim, has called on the security forces to show restraint and denounced “insincere calls for talks by President Yameen.”

Some 500 people have now gathered at the Artificial Beach area.

8:45pm: The youth wing of the opposition coalition, Heylaa, is collecting donations to pay over US$7000 in fines levied by the Elections Commission. The commission said the MDP and Adhaalath Party had violated political party laws during the May Day protest, after violent clashes broke out between protesters and police at dusk.

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8:35pm: Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon, in a tweet, said she hoped the opposition will be responsible.

The sit-in is taking place in a more conciliatory political environment than May 1.

The allied opposition parties have welcomed President Yameen’s call for talks. The Jumhooree Party, the first to meet with government representatives last week, asked the government to facilitate joint talks between all parties. They have also requested the government to free opposition politicians in jail or facing criminal prosecution, ensure judicial independence and protect investors.

Opposition MPs have also ended a three-month long protest in the People’s Majlis.

8:30pm: Some 250 people have now gathered at the opposition haruge at the Artificial Beach. The atmosphere is festive. National songs are blaring on speakers. The makeshift masks for tear gas and pepper spray seen at the May Day protest are absent. Most supporters are in casual wear.

8:15pm: Dozens have started gathering at the Artificial Beach area for the opposition’s third mass anti-government protest this year. Organizers say they plan to hold a prolonged sit-in at Malé’s thoroughfare Majeedhee Magu.

The police have asked the main organizer, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), to end the sit-in by midnight, and have banned the use of speaker systems beyond 11pm.

Hugo Swire, the UK minister of state for foreign and commonwealth office, in a tweet urged restraint, and said he has spoken to Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon on the issue.

The Maldivians Against Tyranny coalition is protesting over the imprisonment of ex-president Mohamed Nasheed and ex-defence minister Mohamed Nazim in trials widely criticized for lack of due process.

A third concern is the government’s sanctions on businesses belonging to Jumhooree Party leader and tourism tycoon Gasim Ibrahim. The tax authority has frozen some of his Villa Group accounts over a controversial US$90.4million fine.

Nasheed’s wife, Laila Ali, will join tonight’s sit-in.

President Abdulla Yameen is in China and is set to return on June 16.

The MDP has said the rally will be peaceful and notified the police that the protest may last for three days.

Chief Superintendent of police Abdulla Nawaz warned the police will “stop any criminal activities that may happen in the protest.”

“The police, under no circumstances, have said protesting is banned. Police will not say that you cannot protest for three, four or five days. But we will take the necessary steps to ensure safety from any issues that arise,” he told the press at a press conference this evening.

He pledged police cooperation if the protest remains peaceful.

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China to fund Malé-Hulhulé bridge, says minister

An agreement was penned today during President Abdulla Yameen’s visit to China for carrying out the ongoing feasibility survey of the Malé-Hulhulé bridge project with Chinese grant aid.

The “agreement on the economic and technical cooperation of grant” was signed after a meeting between President Yameen and Chinese vice president Li Yuanchao, according to the president’s office.

Speaking to reporters prior to departing to China last night, president’s office minister Mohamed Hussain Shareef said “a large portion” of the bridge project will be financed through Chinese free aid and the rest through concessional and commercial loans.

Along with the feasibility report, Shareef said the Chinese government will present options for building the bridge as well as the estimated cost for each option.

The government has previously said the project will cost between US$100 million and US$150 million.

China has previously said it would ‘favorably consider financing’ the bridge if the design proves feasible. The economic council has said the six-mile bridge will have six lanes and will span from Malé’s eastern edge to the western corner of Hulhule, where the airport is located.

Last month, a team of Chinese technicians began drilling bore holes on the ocean floor to gather information for the feasibility survey.

Shareef said last night that in his meeting with the Chinese vice president, President Yameen will discuss financing for the bridge project, projects in the Maldives under the Chinese maritime ‘Silk Route’ initiative and expediting a US$40 million loan from the Chinese EXIM bank for developing the international airport.

The government has previously said a total of US$600million is needed for the project. Although the economic council first said they will borrow the funds from China and Japan, the fisheries minister in March said Saudi Arabia had assured loan assistance at a low interest rate for airport development.

Shareef is accompanying President Yameen during his visit to China along with economic development minister Mohamed Saeed and representatives from Maldivian businesses. The president departed on Wednesday morning to attend the 3rd China-South Asia Exposition, and the 23rd Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair.

The president is due to deliver a keynote address at the joint opening of the fairs. The fairs will take place from June 12-16.

According to state broadcaster Television Maldives, a symposium was held at the Grand Park Hotel in Kunming today to share information with Chinese investors.

More than 80 companies from the Yunnan province participated in the ‘Invest Maldives Symposium,’ said economic development minister Saeed.

An ‘Invest Maldives’ page was launched on Chinese social media network Weibo during the symposium as part of “promotional efforts” for an investment forum to be held in Beijing, Saeed said.

Businesses in the Yunnan province expressed interest in carrying out renewable energy projects in the Maldives, he added.

Shareef meanwhile said the Chinese government will cover almost all of the expenses for organising the investment forum in October. While sponsors funded the first investment forum held in Singapore last year, Shareef said the government covered some costs.

Following an official state visit to China in August last year, President Yameen said the likelihood of the bridge project being awarded to a Chinese company was “99 percent” and that “a large portion” of the project would be financed through free or concessional aid from China.

In a historic visit the following month, Chinese President Xi Jinpeng said he hoped the government would call the bridge “the China-Maldives friendship bridge”.

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What’s on sale? A night at Ungulhey

Malé’s night market through photographer Munshid Mohamed’s lenses.

The biannual street market, dubbed ‘ungulhey bazaar,’ is known for large crowds and a variety of merchandise, including clothes, kitchen accessories and pets.

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Health Protection Agency issues alert on spread of dengue and viral fever

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has issued an alert warning of the spread of dengue and viral fever in Malé and the atolls.

The HPA said its statistics show an increase in the incidence of mosquito-borne dengue fever and advised precautionary measures to control mosquito breeding during the rainy season.

The agency also advised ensuring cleanliness and seeking medical assistance if a fever persists for more than three days.

Last year, the health ministry said dengue fever has become endemic in the Maldives since 2004 with annual outbreaks.

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Government relocates university classes to MES building

The president’s office has decided to temporarily relocate classes of the Maldives National University (MNU) from the old Jamaaludheen building to the MES building.

In February, the government gave the university until June 14 to vacate the Jamaludheen building after the housing ministry declared the building structurally unsafe. But the MNU and its students union expressed concern over the lack of an alternate site.

The Jamaludheen building houses several faculties and is used by more than 1,300 students.

President’s office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali said on social media today that the MNU has not undertaken efforts to vacate the building despite repeated requests and ample opportunity.

With the deadline four days away, Muaz said the president decided to relocate classes to the old MES building to prevent disruption of students’ education.

The authorities will begin efforts to clear out the building on June 14, he said.

The MES building was vacated after the eviction of Mandhu College last week.

 

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Concern over Sheikh Imran and Nasheed’s health

Concern is growing over the health of opposition leaders in custody. The Adhaalath Party president Sheikh Imran Abdulla’s family have said the government is attempting to weaken him physically and psychologically, while under police custody.

Meanwhile, ex-president Mohamed Nasheed’s lawyers say he is being denied access to specialist medical attention despite recommendations from doctors.

He is serving a 13-year jail sentence on a terrorism conviction, relating to the detention of a judge during his tenure.

The opposition leader’s lawyers said doctors at the Maafushi Jail health center and at a Malé military clinic in May recommended that he get a MRI scan. But the government has not authorized the scan, lawyers said in a statement today.

Nasheed’s lawyers also said they were denied their weekly visit with Nasheed today.

“The government suddenly cancelled this visit today without any rationale, via a phone call to the lawyers. Since President Nasheed’s transfer to Maafushi, his access to lawyers have been restricted by the government,” the statement said.

Sheikh Imran is also charged under the 1990 Anti-Terrorism Act, but with threatening to harm police officers and inciting violence at a historic anti-government protest on May 1. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The criminal court last week ordered police to hold Imran in pre-trial detention until the conclusion of his terrorism trial.

Imran was brought to the AMDC clinic in Malé today. He was also taken to see a doctor the previous day and on the night of June 7 as well.

Imran was suffering from body aches as he was forced to sleep on a small bunk in a warm, mosquito-infested cell, the family member told CNM. The cell has a fan but the electricity is periodically cut off, the family member claimed.

Imran was first arrested on the night of May 1 and held in remand detention for 26 days. Hours before the criminal court ordered his release on May 27, the High Court overturned the criminal court’s May 17 ruling to keep Imran in police custody for 10 days.

The appellate court ordered his transfer to house arrest, noting that Imran has diabetes and that tests conducted following his arrest showed high levels of blood pressure, cholesterol, and urine acidity.

A doctor had also recommended that Imran should not sleep on hard surfaces due to a spinal injury.

Minivan News is awaiting a response from the home ministry.

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President nominates former ruling party MP to human rights watchdog

President Abdulla Yameen has nominated former MP Shifaq Mufeed ‘Histo,’ Aishath Afreen Mohamed, and Aminath Eenas to the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM).

President’s office spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali said the three nominees have been sent to the parliament for approval.

Mufeed represented the mid-Fuvahmulah constituency as a Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP in the 16th People’s Majlis. He joined the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) in May 2012, several weeks after the ousting of the MDP government on February 7, 2012.

In July 2013, Mufeed quit the PPM and joined the Jumhooree Party and backed its candidate Gasim Ibrahim in the 2013 presidential election.

He did not seek re-election in the May 2014 parliamentary elections and went back to the PPM in March 2015.

Afreen is a former HRCM staff member and the wife of PPM Fares-Maathoda MP Hussain Mohamed Latheef. Eenas works at the gender department.

Some 33 interested candidates submitted applications to the president’s office before a 3:00pm deadline yesterday.

The president’s office invited applications last week as the five-year terms of three members are due to expire in August.

The three members are HRCM president Mariyam Azra, vice president Ahmed Tholal, and Jeehan Mahmood.

PPM MPs have previously accused Tholal and Jeehan of bias towards the opposition MDP, an accusation the pair deny.

The PPM and coalition partner Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) control a comfortable majority in the parliament with 48 seats in the 85-member house.

In September last year, the Supreme Court initiated suo moto proceedings against the HRCM and charged its members with undermining the constitution and sovereignty of the Maldives by spreading lies about the judiciary in its Universal Periodic Review submission to the UN Human Rights Council.

The HRCM, in its 2014 annual report, described the suo moto proceedings as the biggest challenge the watchdog has faced in its 11-year history.

The commission also noted that the Juvenile Court had accused them of making false allegations in a confidential report into a 15-year-old rape victim’s flogging sentence.

The Supreme Court and Juvenile Court’s charges affected the commission’s independence and ability to carry out its mandate, the report said.

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President Yameen departs to China

President Abdulla Yameen departed for China this morning to attend the 3rd China-South Asia Exposition, and the 23rd Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair.

The president was accompanied by president’s office minister Mohamed Hussain Shareef, economic development minister Mohamed Saeed, and “numerous company heads representing the Maldivian business community”, according to the president’s office.

Local media reported earlier this week that the president is scheduled to give a keynote speech at the joint opening of the events.

Leaders of the eight SAARC countries and Saudi Arabia will attend the fairs.

President Yameen made an official state visit to China in August last year while Chinese President Xi Jinpeng’s official visit the following month marked the first time a Chinese president visited the Maldives.

The Maldives is meanwhile planning to hold an investment forum in China’s capital Beijing in September.

“Beijing will be a perfect place for Maldivian businesses to promote their businesses and networking,” minister Mohamed Saeed said in a tweet.

President Yameen’s departure comes ahead of a third mass protest planned by the opposition for June 12 over the imprisonment of former President Mohamed Nasheed and other opposition politicians.

 

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Four Bangladeshis arrested on gambling charges

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Four Bangladeshi men were arrested in Hulhumalé today on charges of gambling.

Based on “intelligence information”, the police raided the expatriate’s quarters in lot 10378 with a court warrant around 10:40am.

“All four were taken into police custody from the crime scene,” according to police media.

The police also seized more than MVR10,000 in cash and “items used for gambling.”

Gambling is prohibited in Islam and illegal in the Maldives.

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