Day: February 21, 2010

High court judge rules Himandhoo protest was ‘terrorism’ and denies appeal

A high court appeal by three men sentenced to jail for the violent protest at Himandhoo has failed.

Ahmed Ramzee, Ahmed Ali and Adam Mohamed, all from Himandhoo, were originally sentenced for up to 10 years each for their involvement in the protest in October 2007.

The 200 police and army personnel who travelled to the island in search for evidence related to the Sultan Park bombing the previous month were confronted by the islanders, who donned red motorcycle helmets and armed themselves with batons and knives and denied the authorities entry to the Dhar-al-khuir mosque.

In the ensuing skirmish, a policeman was taken captive and another’s hand was severed. Shortly afterwards a video discovered on an Al Qaeda forum was found to contain footage taken inside the Dhar-al-khuir mosque moments before it was raided by police.

Senior High Court Judge Ali Hameed today ruled that the actions of the three men during the protest qualified as ‘terrorism’ under the law of Maldives, and said that the case was not open to appeal. Reading the verdict, Judge Hameed said their actions were “against the public order of the country and weakened the religious unity of the people.”

“The [verdict] of the criminal court cannot be overturned,” he said.

In the appeal, the men claimed their actions against the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) were in “self defence”. Adam Mohamed and Ahmed Ramzy also told the court in previous hearings that their confessions had been extracted under duress.

At the time, Minivan News reported that Mohamed’s account tallied with other reports of abuse to have emerged from the police-run Dhoonidhoo detention centre. On 19 March 2008, he told the court he had been taken out of his cell at night during the investigation, handcuffed with his hands behind his back, and beaten in the football ground area.

Clemency

On 9 February senior members of the Maldivian government met with the 16 people arrested and sentenced for the Himandhoo protest, to inform them that President Mohamed Nasheed had made the decision to lessen their sentences under the forthcoming clemency bill.

“One criteria of the clemency laws is that [the defendant] must have exhausted all other avenues of appeal,” said the President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair. “They are more eligible [for clemency] as a result of going through the [appeals] process.”

Zuhair said the accusation that the government was ‘releasing terrorists’ was unfair.

“I believe people cannot comment on the actions of the government without knowing the details of the matter,” Zuhair said. “There are complex issues being considered, such as the trial that was conducted under the previous constitution. The president has made it known he will alleviate their sentences.”

“This government came into power saying democracy would extend to religious matters,” Zuhair added.

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Municipality claims land illegally occupied by MDP Haruge

The Male’ Municipality has claimed the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has built a part of its ‘Haruge’ headquarters illegally on the municipality’s land, and informed the party to vacate within 14 days.

President of the Male’ Municipality Adam Manik said the MDP had taken part of the municipality’s land when it built its headquarters.

Adam said that was a part of the land on which the Housing Ministry planned to build flats.

”[MDP Chairperson] Mariya Didi built their office there unauthorised,” Adam claimed.

He said the council had now informed Didi to clear out the site within 14 days.

”It’s not the whole of the MDP Haruge,” he said. ”Its’s the part of the Haruge where they have the administration office.”

Spokesperson for MDP Ahmed Haleem said the party would clear the land within 14 days as requested. He said the land had been given to the MDP by the Maldives National Chamber of Commerce “as a gift.”

”We did not know that a part of the municipality’s land was occupied by us,” he said, adding that the party had not decided where to build its new administration office.

He said the land claimed by the municipality measured around 2000 square feet.

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Umar Naseer questioned by police over MNDF “gate shaking”

Vice president of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Umar Naseer was yesterday summoned to police headquarters for questioning about his involvement in the protest outside the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) base and president’s residence on 28 January.

Sub Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said Naseer was summoned at 3pm ”for questioning regarding his shaking of MNDF’s gate.”

He said the police were currently investigating the case and ”can’t give out more details”.

MNDF Major Ibrahim Afsal also said he could not comment on the issue because police were investigating the case.

However, Press Secretary for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair claimed Umar Naseer’s shaking of the gates showed he was illegally trying to enter president’s official residence and the MNDF base.

”It was not a peaceful protest,” Zuhair said, saying Naseer’s actions appeared on CCTV footage of the incident.

”The police are now investigating the case, so we better not say anything yet,” he said.

Naseer acknowledged he was taken to the police yesterday.

He said the police questioned him whether he shook the gates of MNDF and president’s residence, and ”I said I did, and I still do.”

Naseer said he shook the gates of MNDF to “enter there and make the MNDF take part in our protest.”

“Their main reason for [summoning] me was to shut down the opposition demonstration,” he said. ”That night we did not commit any crimes.”

Spokesman for DRP and also the party’s Vice President Ibrahim Shareef said the government had now started arresting protesters.

”They said protesting was fine before they came to administration,” Shareef said, ”and now that they have got the administration they have started arresting protesters.”

Shareef claimed he remembers a time when president Mohamed Nasheed used to come out for protests and shake the gate of former president’s residence Theemuge.

”The police should investigate that case as well,” he said.

Spokesman for the Maldivian Democrartic Party (MDP) Ahmed Haleem said the party would not comment.

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Long line fishing proposal alarms environmentalists

The ministry of fisheries and agriculture plans to introduce drag line fishing to Maldives, in a departure from the traditional pole and line fishing used in the country.

The proposed ‘long line’ fishing involves a horizontal drag line with many baited hooks left out for a couple of hours. Unlike pole and line fishing, environmentalists claim this method produces lots of ‘by-catch’, including turtles, sharks and sea birds.

“We are going for multi-gear fisheries, where some will adopt the long line method and others will continue with pole and line” says State Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Dr Hussain Rasheed.

Increasing fish catch

Dr Rasheed says the decision stems from an urgent need to diversify the fishing industry.

“In our fishing fleet, boats that are bigger than 85 feet are moored at ports for months at a stretch as oil prices are too expensive,” he explains. These boats need to catch up to 2-3 tonnes of fish just to justify costs.”

He reasons long line fishing will increase the fish catch, saying “even though research has shown that yellow fin tuna is decreasing in the Indian Ocean, we have a robust and healthy skipjack stock.”

Across the spectrum all industry shareholders agree there is a need to counter act the decrease in fish catch.

Deputy Managing Director of Horizon fisheries one of the leading fish exporters in the country, Mohamed Rasheed (Mooshid) says since 2006 the fish catch has been on the decrease.

“In this economic crisis we need to find ways for boats to go out fishing, we need a new way of thinking.”

The problem of by-catch

Almost around the same time as the introduction of long line fishing, a total ban on shark export is going to come into effect next month.

Coincidentally, sharks also happen to be the biggest by-catch of long line fishing.

Environmentalists like Ali Rilwan, director of environmental NGO Blue Peace, finds this ironic.

“We are implementing a total ban and then starting something that is shark fishing by another name,” he says.

Rilwan maintains those who catch sharks now utilise almost the same method.

“The sharks are not going to know the bait is for other fish, and as the baits will be in deeper water it will attract the sharks.”

He also points out that with the ban on shark exports the by-catch will become a total waste, as shark fins and meat can’t be exported.

“And the larger problem is how we will be perceived; our fish export is marketed abroad as one that is caught through a dolphin and environmentally friendly method.”

Rilwan claims long line fishing will destroy this reputation.

UK department store retailer Marks and Spencer is a major buyer of Maldivian canned tuna. The company visited the Maldives recently and held extensive talks with stakeholders to establish that the fish was caught according to environmentally friendly methods.

Even Mooshid has reservations on the new method.

“Long line is not the best method, it’s not sustainable, and unlike pole and line there’s a lot of by-catch, and we will have a shark ban in March,” he says.

However he also adds he is at a loss to figure out the best method to counter the problem of decreasing fish catch.

Dr Rasheed agrees the by-catch issue is a problem but acknowledges the ministry will implement ways to mitigate it.

“There is an internationally-allowed level of by catch. All the countries do it, and it’s not like we are targeting the sharks intentionally.”

He says even now in the EEZ zone, the European fleets catch big-eyed tuna and yellow fin via nets.

“Even if we don’t others are harvesting it that way, meaning we are losing economically while they get an edge over us if we use only pole and line.”

Groups of five boats will be allowed 100 miles outside the economic zone to do long line fishing “or else we would have conflict with those who do pole and line.”

“Sharks might well be alive after four hours, as they won’t drown, so we will release them if they are alive, Rasheed says. “We will also take bird mitigating measures, and study the problems other countries have encountered with by-catch and find ways to reduce it.”

Rilwan thinks the damage that will be done to both the environment and the Maldives’ reputation will not be worth it.

“We should ask for preferential treatment from the EU for not being part of the problem that is depleting the yellow fin tuna stock,” he says, scoffing at the idea that sharks will be found alive. “Even dhonis are hardly going to get in between each line and release sharks. It will not be something that will be practiced.”

One of the architects of the shark export ban, environmental consultant Mari Saleem, says she can’t say whether sharks will be found alive after such a long while “fishermen say the sharks are dead when they find them.”

Mari says there is no way she can ask to stop the development of fisheries.

“The fisheries sector is encountering problems now, and someday new methods are going to be introduced so we might as well make sure that the least harm is done when these methods are practiced.”

She says expertise is needed to implement ways to lessen by-catch like using a specific type of bait hooks and other measures.

“The timing is difficult and it will be difficult for fishermen to adapt to this.”

Her talks with stakeholders also show that there is not much enthusiasm for long line fishing.

“The value of our fish export might go down, because we have marketed ourselves as doing environmentally friendly fishing.”

What to do with the by-catch also remains a problem and she floats the idea that like in the islands of Palau, the by-catch could be burned.

“The big question is, is it worth to take the risk of doing long line fishing, has the cost benefit analysis been done and a risk assessment taken?”

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Five year record for tourist arrivals in January

The President’s Office has reported that 67,478 tourists arrived in the Maldives during January 2010, making it country’s strongest January in five years.

Moosa Zameer, head of planning and statistics at the ministry of tourism, observed it was “the best [January] we have ever had.”

But Sim Mohamed from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) was less optimistic about the numbers, saying they are “a bit misleading” and “must be studied carefully”.

Although the number of arrivals under tourists visas may have risen, Sim said many of these tourists are only ‘surface arrivals’ – such as passengers on a cruise ship who arrive for a day or two, and then leave.

Several such regular services have started bringing tourists from India and Sri Lanka, he noted.

According to Sim, the final arrival figures for tourists could be reduced by 30-40 per cent before they can accurately show the number of tourists who are staying for significant amounts of time – and spending money in the country.

Under normal circumstances, most tourists coming to the Maldives are at “the high end of the market – those who have the disposable income to go wherever they want to go,” he says.

But with the recent economic crisis, many resorts and airlines have reduced their rates significantly, he explained, with some resorts cutting their rates up to 30-50 percent. More airlines opening their routes to the Maldives also means more competitive air fares.

Because resorts are operating at lower rates, “there isn’t a significant rise in financial activity in Malé or even in other islands,” Sim said, but “it’s still a win for the government since they get bed rent.”

Zameer believes that the rise in tourist arrivals is not only accredited to cheaper rates at resorts, but to all the “work in promotions carried out after the [economic] crisis at the end of 2008.” He believes both the private sector and the ministry have put a lot of work into promoting the Maldives as a tourist destination, even for those who are more budget conscious.

Traditionally, the key markets for tourism in Maldives have been the UK, Italy, Germany, France, Russia, China and Switzerland, according to MATI. But this trend has already seen a change this year.

Zameer says there has been a “shift in the market,” as European seasonal tourist numbers are dropping and the Chinese and Indian markets are emerging. Kuwaitis have also helped the market “enormously,” he says.

Zameer believes people are starting to realise this is the right time to travel, and they can “go to the destination they have been waiting to go to.”

Sim agrees “there has been a big rise in tourists coming from India. There is also a very sharp rise in Chinese arrivals after Chinese New Year, and there will be another one towards Easter, mostly Italians.”

He added that MATI is “feeling good vibes” from the market, especially from Germany and the UK.

“We might not see a significant recovery in 2010, but down the line, in 2012, we might see a further rise in the tourism industry.”

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Minor jailed for punching his mother

The Juvenile Court has sentenced a 17 year old to eight months in prison for attacking his mother at a court hearing, reports Haveeru.

At the court hearing regarding a robbery, the minor punched his mother in the face for denying that he was at home during the robbery, the court official said.

The mother fainted and was taken to hospital immediately.

The minor was sentenced under Article 88(b) of the Penal Code, but the sentence is only partial due to the offender’s age.

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Vice president on official visit to India

Vice President Mohamed Waheed is on an official visit to India. He arrived in the neighbouring country on 18 February.

This follows close visits by Indian Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, and MP Rahul Gandhi to the Maldives, and the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) recently signed by the Maldives and India.

On 19 February at a meeting held at the official residence of the Indian Vice President Hamid Mohamed Ansari, Dr Waheed thanked India “for its support in introducing democracy in the Maldives.”

Vice President Ansari assured Vice President Waheed of the continued support from India to the Maldives in the areas of social and economic development.

Dr Waheed then met with President of India Pratibha Patil on 20 February. At a meeting at the official residency, the vice president said providing education and job opportunities for Maldivian youth was “important to prevent them from the scourge of drugs,” and asked that Indian institutions assist in providing more higher education opportunities for Maldivian youth.

The vice president then met with Indian External Affairs Minister Shri S. M. Krishna. Dr Waheed asked for assistance in preventing drugs being trafficked from India into the Maldives and providing rehabilitation treatment for addicts.

Dr Waheed also met with Indian Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Shri Prithviraj Chavan. They spoke of the issue of climate change.

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Students star-struck by Maldives Science Society

The Maldives Science Society (MSS) held a stargazing event at Lale International School on Thursday night, in conjunction with Astronomers Without Borders.

The event was presented by British mathematician Thomas Goodey, a Cambridge university graduate, who visited the Maldives recently to study the solar eclipse on Jan 15.

Goodey gave a history of astronomy and explained that the Maldives was an excellent place for stargazing. The Maldives Open Source Society (MOSS) also introduced astronomy software called ‘Stellarium’ which allows users to learn the sky and locate different celestial objects.

While the outdoor stargazing session was cancelled due to bad weather, the MSS said it would hold the session again so students could see celestial bodies for themselves.

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