Author: Minivan News

Three injured, one dead in stabbing attacks

One person is dead and three were injured following a series of stabbings in the Maldives capital Male’ last night.

A 21 year-old man, identified as Abdul Muheeth of G. Veyru, was rushed to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) after he was stabbed at 1:45am near the Finance Ministry building. He later died during treatment.

A second victim, a 43 year-old man, was also attacked at 1:45am by two men on a motorcycle.

A 17 year-old man was also seriously injured after he was stabbed at 7:40pm, and is being treated in IGMH.

The fourth stabbing victim was a Sri Lankan man who was also attacked by two men on a motorcycle.

“Police are trying to find out how this happened,” said Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam.

“There have been no serious stabbings for a long time and all of a sudden this happened in one night. We are trying to determine the motive behind it.”

A spate of stabbings in early 2011 that resulted in the deaths of several young men were blamed by police on gang related activity. Following a police crackdown, relatively few violent attacks were reported for the remainder of the year.

Shiyam said it was too early for police to determine if last night’s stabbings were gang related, or connected to the ongoing political turmoil in the country.

No arrests have been made so far, although police have seized a motorcycle in connection with the investigation, reports local media.

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US “working closely” with India to resolve political crisis

The US has said it is “working closely with India” to resolve the political crisis in the Maldives.

“Our understanding is that we are pretty well in lockstep with India in terms of calling for unity and calling for a democratic, peaceful path forward,” said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland.

“We welcome the efforts that all sides appear to be making to find a peaceful way forward,” she said.

“We also welcome the ongoing dialogue among Maldivians regarding the role of a unity government in addressing these issues and possibly creating the conditions for early elections. We’re continuing to urge all parties to work together to find a way through this,” she added.

Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake recently travelled to the Maldives to assess the situation.

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Commonwealth ministerial mission arrives in Maldives

A Commonwealth ministerial mission has arrived in the Maldives capital, Malé, to gain a better understanding of recent events.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) ministerial mission will remain in the Maldives February 17-20, 2012.

“We are here following an extraordinary meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) held by teleconference on 12 February 2012,” the mission said in a statement.

“This is a political mission, designed to enable ministers to gain a better understanding of the situation in Maldives. The Commonwealth’s response must be informed by a proper understanding of the facts.

“Over the next couple of days, we will be meeting a range of stakeholders which will enable us to brief CMAG on all relevant aspects of the situation. This mission is seen in the context of the Commonwealth’s long-standing engagement with Maldives and we hope that we can contribute to peace, stability and prosperity in the country.”

The mission was appointed due to a need to “urgently to ascertain the facts surrounding the transfer of power [in the Maldives], and to promote adherence to Commonwealth values and principles”.

The ministerial mission is being led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Communications of Trinidad and Tobago, Surujrattan Rambachan. He is accompanied by Dr Dipu Moni, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh, and Dennis Richardson AO, Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia.

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Rising religious conservatism a challenge for tourism industry: WSJ

The Maldives, known for $2,000-a-night white-sand-and-turquoise-ocean atoll retreats, is hoping to build a more affordable tourism industry. But it’s facing a challenge from the country’s more religiously conservative population, writes Tom Wright for the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

“Former Tourism Minister Mariyam Zulfa, who lost her job last week as the national government was ousted, had a plan to develop mid-range accommodation on some of the Indian Ocean nation’s lesser-developed islands. There are about 1,200 islands in all, although only 200 of them are inhabited.

The plan also called for a job-creating entertainment complex of bars, nightclubs and even a casino on an island close to Male, the capital, modeled on Singapore’s Sentosa island development.

Even before the plan got off the ground, it ran into opposition from Islamist leaders. They rejected what they viewed as the encroachment of Western cultural imports – like alcohol and scantily-clad women – into local communities.

Since 1972, conservative Maldivians have acquiesced in the country’s development of luxury resorts. They were restricted to uninhabited atolls, to which hotel managers fly in Spanish chorizo and French champagne, as a way of minimizing contact with locals. That’s why the plan to bring mid-market tourism to inhabited islands became a rallying point for Islamists late last year.

The fight over the tourism plan played a significant role in the downfall of former President Mohamed Nasheed, who says he was ejected in an armed coup last week.

In the weeks leading up to Mr Nasheed’s ouster, Islamist leaders staged daily street protests which painted his government as un-Islamic, focusing on its plans for tourism. His political adversaries, including some big resort owners, joined the protests.”

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Military holds “camaraderie” walk, renews oath of allegiance

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) early this morning participated in a walk to armed forces held a walk this morning to display unity and camaraderie, reports Haveeru.

Officers renewed their oath of allegiance in Republic Square and then walked around Male’, chanting and waving the national flag, according to the local newspaper.

Haveeru cited a spokesperson as saying that the purpose of the event was “to show that the forces are not be afraid to lay down their lives to protect and defend the nation and religion against external enemies and threats.”

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India’s Foreign Secretary to visit Maldives

India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai is due to fly to the Maldives to resolve escalating political tension in the country.

The Maldives’ former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem welcomed the arrival of Mathi, describing him to the Wall street Journal as a “highly experienced diplomat”.

“It’s very unfortunate that India took a stance on the legitimacy of the government at such an early stage,” said Naseem told the WSJ.

India’s Special Envoy M Ganapathi also visited the Maldives last week, along with many other foreign diplomats seeking to resolve the situation.

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MBC assumes control of state media assets

Maldives Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) has assumed control over the state media assets– Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VoM), a week after its headquarters were forcibly taken over by rogue police and military amid the intense political unrest of February 7, when former President Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign in what he calls a coup.

MBC assumed control over the state media, following President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s decision in favour of the transfer.

Until recently, the parliament-created state broadcaster MBC had been engaged in a long running tug-of-war with state-owned Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) for control over the state media assets that was re- branded by the company as MNBC One and Raaje Radio.

Despite a court order in favour of MBC, the government continued to run the stations under MNBC  claiming that MBC was stacked with opposition-linked members planning a “media coup”.

However, speaking to the press on Wednesday, Chairman of MBC Ibrahim Umar Manik expressed his commitment to run the state media with “impartiality” and within legal bounds.

“As stated in the law, we will operate the two stations as a public broadcaster by bringing independent news, information and programme,” Manik said.

Meanwhile, in a statement released today, Maldives Journalist Association (MJA) welcomed move, saying that the association expects MBC will remain independent and prioritise the “nation’s interest”.

The statement also reads that an independent editorial board needs to be established to ensure unbiased and fair reporting expected of a public broadcaster.

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Perpetrators immediate beneficiaries of new Maldives regime: Eurasia Review

“It was definitely a coup. Given the information that has come out, I don’t see how anyone can credibly argue otherwise,” writes Dr S. Chandrasekharan in the Eurasia Review, quoting former foreign Minister of the Maldives Dr Ahmed Shaheed.

Increasing circumstantial evidence that is surfacing in Maldives indicates that it was no “voluntary resignation” by former President Nasheed, but something forced on him by outsiders who were the immediate beneficiaries of the new regime. This includes the present Defence Minister, Col (Rtd) Mohamed Nazim.

One can blame Nasheed for his authoritative style of working or failing to understand the under currents of Islam pervading in the country, but he cannot be accused of telling a lie when he says that he has been forced to quit at “gun point.”

Maldives

Video recordings now show that the present Defence Minister who was just a civilian then, and the present Commissioner of Police, Abdulla Riyaz, who was dismissed by Nasheed’s regime, entering the MNDF headquarters and then addressing the mutinous security forces in Republic Square, telling them over a loudspeaker that he has conveyed their demands that included President’s “unconditional resignation.”

Later, he was also seen with new Commissioner carrying the resignation letter of the President. How was he allowed to enter the MNDF barracks? On what basis did he carry the resignation letter? These are the questions that are likely to be asked when a serious investigation is made.

It now transpires that besides the retired Col. Nazim and the dismissed Police Commissioner Riyaz, former Chief Inspector ‘FA’ Fayaz was also present when the trio went up to Nasheed and demanded his immediate resignation along that of the resignation of then Commissioner of Police Faseeh and Asst. Commissioner Athees.

It is good that President Waheed has announced an “independent and impartial investigation” into developments in Maldives between January 14 and February 8. In his website he has said that the investigation would create ” factual and legal clarity” around events with a “direct bearing on the constitutional transfer of executive power that took pace on February 7.”

The issue is simple. Was Nasheed forced into resigning? If at all an investigation is to be done, it should only relate to the question whether the former President was forced to quit. By specifying the date of January 14, the hope of those in power is that the resignation and change of guard all began because of the unlawful arrest of the Chief criminal Judge.

If the idea is to examine the events that led to the forced/voluntary resignation of Nasheed, then the investigation should go back to the date of 23rd of December when the Islamists and the entire opposition joined hands in a mass rally against the government that eventually resulted in Nasheed being forced to quit.

The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) is sending an urgent ministerial mission to “ascertain the facts surrounding the transfer of power and to promote adherence to Commonwealth values and principles.” This action is in pursuance of a new mandate given to the commonwealth to consider “situations of concerns in member countries in a pro active, engaged and a positive manner.”

On the 12th the President expanded his cabinet with seven more members besides the other two involved in the “operation topple.”

Of these, five are said to be hardcore political supporters of former President Gayoom. The other non political ones are experts in political economy and public health.

In the disturbed situation that was seen, a few Islamic hardliners attacked the Maldives national Museum on 8th morning and destroyed several historical artifacts. The vandals targeted Buddhist relics and specimens retrieved from Buddhist monasteries that depicted the pre Islamic life in Maldives.

A coral stone of Lord Buddha of 11th century recovered from Thoddoo in Alifu Atoll was smashed to pieces. Other items destroyed included Bohomala sculptures, monkey statues, a broken statue of Hindu God “Makara.” Even the glass case housing the artifacts was not spared.

I am reminded of the open destruction of Bamiyan Buddha in Afghanistan, but what worries me is the shape of things that are likely come in the future. The religious extremists will have to be controlled but can it be done when the new regime owes it position to the very same perpetrators of wanton vandalism?

Full story

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Economic council to advise President

An Economic Council will be established to advise President Mohamed Waheed on “immediate measures” which can be taken to improve the Maldivian economy.

According to the President’s Office, the government made the decree to set up the council today (February 14). The Economic Council appointees will also assess the current state of the economy.

The members of the council will be announced at a later date.

The principle economy of the Maldives is tourism, accounting for almost 30 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and more than 60 percent of the country’s foreign exchange receipts. Indirectly it is believed to represent 70-90 percent of the economy.

Tourism brings in an estimated $325 million a year in revenue to the Maldives. The second biggest economy is fishing.

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