HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

Around the World we are celebrating Human Rights Day. On the 10th December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was written in 1789, and therefore celebrating more than 200 years of History. In its preamble the United Nations stated:

“Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction” [http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html]

However, in the Maldives, people are still struggling to gain the basic human rights expressed in the form of 30 articles.

For instance, article 5 states “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. In September 2003, the government proved their disregard of the law with the assassination of Evan Naseem and that ongoing tortures and abuses are perpetrated in prisons.

Furthermore, the members of the Maldivian government persistently breech article 9 (“No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile”) by keeping unfairly imprisoned any subject that voices their disagreement with the regime imposed by president Gayoom. Consequently, they can ensure that the up-coming parliamentary elections will not be free and fair with the intimidation of any potential opponent candidate.

The further one reads the Declaration of Human Rights, the more one will come to realise that every article is being constantly breeched by Gayoom and his government.

After the Evan Naseem tragedy, the international community began watching more closely the activities of the Maldivian government. In response, president Gayoom set up a Human Rights Commission and announced to the public: “the Human Rights law will be passed by the Majlis, and the law will be based on Paris principles”. One year later the commissioner, Mr. Ahmed Mujuthaba, has written in his report that nothing has changed and the government is still carrying the same unlawful practices. He stated very fairly that in the Maldives it is “ Rulers Law rather than the Rule of Law ”.

President Gayoom has now postponed the inauguration of the commissioner’s annual report that was supposed to take place today on the anniversary date, to January 2005 and consequently slowing down the process of reforms, and continuing to suppress the Human Rights Commission itself, which is still under presidential decree, and therefore subject to being withdrawn by Gayoom at anytime.

Unfortunately today, Maldivians will not celebrate the anniversary of the proclamation of the Universal Human Rights Declaration.

Friends of Maldives will work to ensure that the Maldives will be able to join the rest of the World in celebrating Human Rights Day in the future.