A group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl on the island of Hithadhu in Seenu Atoll last Friday night, while reportedly filming the incident wit a mobile phone.
Regional commander for Addu Atoll, Chief Inspector Hussein Adam, said three men had been arrested in connection with the attack, which occurred around 8:30pm on Friday night.
”Two men came by on a motorbike while she was outside her house, and forced her to sit between them,” Hussein said.
The two men took her to an uninhabited area on the island, 30 minutes walking distance from where she was abducted.
”The 15 men forced her to drink a suspected liquid drug and she became drunk,” Hussein said. ”They used box cutters to threaten her.”
Atoll Commander for Addu Adam Niyaz said police were informed of the incident at 1:00am on Saturday morning by the girl’s parents, after she returned home.
Police took the girl to Addu Regional Hospital. Hussein noted that she was “unable to walk.”
Head of Addu Regional Hospital Ahmed Mohamed said the girl was brought to the hospital on Saturday was discharged yesterday.
”There were no injuries outside her body,” Ahmed said, ”but as she was sexually assaulted by 15 men her sex organs were injured during the incident.”
Niyaz said the three men arrested in connection with attack had many police records involving drug offences and gang-related crimes.
He said Hithadhu police station was continuing to investigate the case.
Silver-medal winning Olympic rower Guin Batten has begun final preparations for the first recorded solo crossing of Maldives’ zero degree channel in a row boat.
The 42 year-old British medallist, who holds the world record for a solo crossing of the 30 kilometre English Channel, now intends to row 60 kilometres across the ‘zero degree’ channel that bisects the equator between Foammulah and Huvadhoo Atoll.
Touching down in Male’ on Saturday, Batten and her support team went straight to the meteorological office and decided to commence the attempt around 2:00am early tomorrow morning.
For over seven hours she expects to struggle against the swells, tides and currents of the Indian Ocean in her 35 kilogram rowing boat.
“Seven hours if everything goes right,” Batten told Minivan News, before her trip down to Thinadhoo.
The early morning start offers the best combination of weather conditions, although Batten acknowledges that rowing in the dark will be a challenge.
“Because it’s dark you don’t see the waves coming, but you can feel them rolling under you,” she explained. “There will be a technical element involved, because you lose power if the oars catch the water in an odd way, or you ‘catch a crab’ (miss the water altogether).”
For navigation, Batten has an onboard GPS device in the boat, as well as an ordinary magnetic compass by which to steer. Altogether, “I’m aiming for a speed of 19 strokes a minute,” she said.
Even fluid consumption will be a challenge – Batten will have to consume two litres of water an hour just to replace the fluid lost through sweat. Moreover, her hands are already blistered from her endurance training in the UK in the lead up to the event.
Batten's team chart the crossing, which she will attempt at 2:00am early tomorrow morning.
A heritage of rowing
Batten’s attempt at the zero degree crossing is not just a personal challenge, Batten told Minivan News. She is passionate about reintroducing the lost art of rowing to the Maldives, which largely disappeared across the country in the 80s with the proliferation of electric motors.
“Rowing is very technical and different countries have unqiue styles,” Batten explained. “At the moment the people who know [the Maldivian style] are probably 60 years old, so there’s a risk that all that knowledge and understanding could disappear.”
As well as inspiring Maldivians to row, Batten’s team are working on bringing over six boats to set up a rowing club. For now, however, she is focused on what the Indian Ocean may throw at her.
With all it challenges to contend with, she acknowledges that a key goal for her support boat “will be to remind me to have fun. The glass is half full!”
Batten’s world-first attempt at the zero degree crossing is supported by UK-based NGO Friends of Maldives, with assistance from British Airways, Coco Palm Resorts (Maldives) and Crew Room.
The Japanese Government’s official donor company, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has agreed to invest 1 billion yen (US$11.1 million) in the Project for Clean Energy in Malé.
The project would see solar panels capable of providing up to 400 kilowatt hours (kWh) installed in five locations around Malé. By comparison, STELCO’s Malé powerhouse currently has an annual peak usage of 32,618 kWh.
The solar agreement was signed by High Commissioner of the Maldives in Sri Lanka, Ali Hussain Didi, and Chief Representative of JICA, Akira Shimura. The signing took place at the Embassy of Japan in Sri Lanka on 25 March 2010.
Feasibility studies for the project were undertaken by JICA in 2009 and the project is due to begin in April 2011 and is expected to be completed by October 2011.
The five selected locations are the President’s Office, Maldives Center for Social Education (MCSE), State Electricity Company Limited (STELCO), Thaajuddeen School and Hiriyaa School.
According to JICA, the project will “promote the utilization of solar energy as an alternate and renewable resource of energy and undertake adaptation measures against climate change by reducing Green House Gases.”
Research officer and local representative of JICA, Mohamed Aiysh, explained that JICA had a major interest in the development of the Maldives and had been assisting with food aid since the 1980s.
As the largest privately owned multilateral donor organisation in the world, Aiysh said JICA’s assistance to the Maldives, and other countries around the world, was “very important to the international community” and a “benefit to mankind.”
The agreement is the result of a request for aid made by the Maldivian government to the Japanese government as part of the Maldives’ bid to be carbon-neutral by 2020.
Aiysh said the Ministry of Housing, Transportation and Environment (MHTE) is JICA’s “local counterpart” and they will be responsible for implementing and running the project.
According to Minister for Housing, Transportation and Environment Mohamed Aslam, that solar panels are “expected to have a capacity to produce 400kWt of solar energy at any given time,” and the JICA-sponsored project is a “pilot work” expected to cut energy costs in the long run.
He said the ministry has three more renewable energy projects underway, all of them in the feasibility study phase.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with Indian company Suzlon Energy for a 25 megawatt wind farm in Addu Atoll.
Another MoU has been signed with Winwind, a Finnish company that builds latest-generation wind turbines, to begin work on a wind farm in the Maldives.
The third MoU has been signed with Falck Energy, also for wind-produced energy.
Aslam said “the vision we have is to make all energy in the country renewable by 2020.”
Ali Rilwan from environmental NGO Bluepeace said he didn’t think the amount of surface space required for solar-powered energy would be sufficient to power all of Malé.
“We don’t have that kind of surface. You would need to cover all of Malé [in solar panels] to produce enough energy.”
Rilwan said wind energy was a more feasible and practical option to replace the amount of fossil fuel energy STELCO is currently producing, but he thought the solar panels are “ideal for powering street lights and park lights. Not for buildings.”
Japan has previously donated the sea wall in Malé, the construction of the MCSE, and the reconstruction of Thaajuddeen School and Hiriyaa School, among others.
JICA is currently rehabilitating harbours in seven islands, establishing sewage facilities on three islands, and collaborating with MHTE in the field of sewage systems.
Southern Utilities Limited signed a water purchase agreement with Biwater International Limited yesterday.
The agreement was signed by Chairman of Southern Utilities, Ahmed Zareer, and chairman of Biwater International, Adrian White.
Biwater International is a UK-based water and waste water treatment company. Under the agreement, Biwater International will improve the supply of drinking water and sewage treatment in South Province.
Biwater International has proposed to provide potable water produced from seawater desalination plants. They will also treat waste water by sewage treatment plants. Biwater will install pump stations, and distribution and collection pipe work systems.
The agreement stipulates that Biwater International will supply water to Southern Province for 20 years, commencing once the desalination plants are built and commissioned.
Police have arrested a man for attacking two people who were walking during Earth Hour, reports Miadhu.
According to police, the incident took place near Galolhu National Stadium at around 11.30 pm on Saturday. A 26 year-old man and a 46 year-old woman were the victims of the attack.
Police said the man was attacked and the woman injured when she tried to defend him.
Police said the man received a cut on his forehead, but neither victim had serious injuries. They were released from ADK hospital after treatment.
Police added the suspect was arrested on Sosun Magu by Police with held from bystanders on the road, as the man was trying to flee.
The Serious and Organised Crime Unit of Maldives Police Service is investigating the incident.
Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) held its parliamentary group elections, reports Miadhu.
Moosa Maniku was the only candidate for the chairmanship of the parliamentary group, and was elected by 20 out of 24 votes cast.
Mohamed Aslam and Ahmed Abdulla were elected as vice-chairs by 21 and 10 votes, respectively. Ahmed Sameer and Mohamed Nasheed also ran for the vice-chair post, receiving eight and seven votes, respectively.
Mohamed Shifaz, Ilyas Labeeb and Eva Abdulla were elected parliamentary whips with 23 votes each.
Hamid Abdul Ghafoor was elected Secretary General of the parliamentary group.
The Human Rights Commission Maldives (HRCM) has condemned the recent riots and political confrontations, reports Miadhu.
In a press statement released today, the HRCM has said the recent conflicts erupting during political activities and confrontations between people of different opinions are causing great physical and mental harm to the people.
The HRCM has requested the people avoid violence and cooperate with police. They have also asked the police to continue their work in preventing and dispersing violent demonstrations, and to respect the laws and Constitution of the Maldives.
They stated that although the Constitution provides “right to freedom of peaceful assembly without prior permission of the State” as stipulated in Article 32, this is limited by the “regulation on freedom of assembly” which was drafted before the new Constitution came into force.
The HRCM also expressed concern over the violent acts that took place in Parliament on 23 March, and requested the Parliament resolve issues by discussion and not to disrupt the work which needs to be done in the Majlis.
President Mohamed Nasheed implored delegates at the Maldives Partnership Forum, also known as the 2010 Donor Conference, to give the Maldives “your spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet,” Nasheed told the 60 representatives of foreign countries and financial institutions participating in this year’s conference, which aims to attract foreign investment to help the government’s decentralisation plan and aid in the economic recovery of the country.
Foreign and local delegates, government officials and media crowded the meeting room for the opening ceremony which began at 10am with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an.
A video was then played for the audience which showcased the Maldives’ transition to democracy and the hope to develop the country in a sustainable manner. Five Maldivians spoke in the video and told their stories.
They included a farmer who hopes that sustainable practices will improve his crops; a woman who wants to run her own business; a man who moved his family to Malé to provide his children with better education and is having difficulty in adjusting to the problem of adequate housing; a girl who moved to Malé for her education and fell into heroin addiction; a boy who notices how the beach on his island gets smaller and how the water comes closer to his house each year.
Speakers
Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed Shaheed was the first to address the audience. He thanked the guests for participating in the conference, adding that “you have come to the Maldives at a crucial time” in the country’s history.
“There is a lot of work to be done to build a better future together,” Shaheed said, noting the Maldives has “transformed from a repressive society to an open society.”
“It is tempting to think that the hard work is done,” he said, “but truly, it is just beginning.”
Dr Shaheed spoke of the importance of implementing human rights and democracy in the daily lives of every Maldivian, as well as in government practices.
He also hoped that democracy would not be linked to hardship and want in the country’s memory, as he acknowledged it has been a difficult transition.
Dr Shaheed wished to “bequeath our successors a country that is…. free.” He also hoped the conference would help the government in consolidating democracy through the five key areas being addressed as part of the economic reform of the country: macro-economic stability, public reform, governance and democratisation, climate change adaptation and social development.
World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Naoko Ishii, was second to speak. She said she felt “privileged to have witnessed your journey, your very tough journey, into democracy” and made special reference to the importance of donor cooperation.
Ishii noted that many challenges still remain for the government and the people, but assured that the conference was a positive step in finding the right international partners to “shape the future of the Maldives.”
She mentioned waste disposal as an especially worrying issue, but said “there are numerous actions being taken by the government and the donors. [They] are making every effort.”
Ishii added the “Maldives can continue to take many positive steps” and mentioned that she would have liked to sign a contract under water on behalf of the World Bank.
Next to speak was Coordinator for the UN in the Maldives, Mansoor Ali. He said “we stand at a very historic juncture. Maldives is a success story of political transition.”
He wanted to present a different side of development, saying “the other side of this island paradise remains unknown for many.”
Ali focused on human rights, violence against girls and women, and the challenges being faced by Maldivian people: food shortages, rising fuel prices, the financial downturn and rising unemployment, which he said was up to 14.4%, with youth unemployment being a high concern.
He said the conference was “an unprecedented opportunity” to address these issues and to find solutions.
“The UN system is proud to have worked with [the government] in the Strategic Action Plan…which becomes a good vehicle for the sustainable development of the Maldives.”
Ali said the Maldives needs to be assisted through a comprehensive plan and thanked the donors for their vast support to the UN and the Maldivian government.
President Nasheed speaking to media
Democratic progress
President Mohamed Nasheed delivered the closing speech for the ceremony, saying Maldivians “are a diverse collection of people” who are “brought together by a common goal: we all want to see a peaceful and prosperous Maldives.”
President Nasheed said despite the “considerable progress” the country has made in the last 18 months, “there is so much work to do” since the country is still in “the infancy of democracy.”
He spoke of the transition to democracy and the issues that still need to be addressed to assure equal rights to every Maldivian.
“I don’t make a secret of my concern over the capacity of the judiciary to expend justice. Nevertheless, we respect their independence and hope that…it will grow to be a respected institution.”
He spoke of freedom of the press, noting that although the press could now “report and comment as they see fit,” he urged “certain sections of the media to be more responsible.”
He said journalists should be mindful of the consequences of their actions, and asked journalists “to try to the best of their ability to report the truth.”
He noted that the Maldives had climbed 53 places in the Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index, and warned that the government would take action against anyone who tried to undermine press freedom.
President Nasheed said “Maldivians enjoy more freedom today than at any other point in history,” and added that the government believes “people need liberty to progress.”
The president spoke of civil servants and the need to cut down on government expenditure, saying he is working with the international community “to assure we don’t spend more than we can afford.”
Politics
President Nasheed said according to the World Bank, the Maldives was facing the worst economic situation of all countries going through a democratic transition, attributing this to the fact that “we inherited an economy in crisis. We inherited a huge national debt and millions of dollars of unpaid bills.”
He said the way it worked in the past was “when international diplomats and observers come to this country, we try to patch everything up and try our best to show a clear, clean picture. But I think otherwise.”
The president said he wanted to show the donors “the worst of what we have” to give them a clear view of the situation the country is in.
“There are a lot of people who do not like the things that we are doing. But most members of the opposition are sensible and respectable politicians.”
But he criticised some members of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) who this weekend were “doing their best to get arrested” and disrupt the donor conference, saying that in his mind, “violence only creates violence.”
He said he did not believe arresting DRP leaders was the solution to the recent political unrest, or to past violations of rights, adding “if we took everyone implicated in corruption and torture, we would end up arresting most of the opposition.”
“It’s time that certain politicians left the nursery and learn to grow up.”
Leader of the opposition DRP Ahmed Thasmeen Ali meanwhile wrote an open letter to delegates of the donor conference claiming that under Nasheed’s leadership, the Maldives was “sliding into political chaos and instability”.
“It is my humble request that you may please exercise the powers of your good offices to address the issues of democratic deficit in the current administration,” Thasmeen wrote. “Counsel against the efforts of the government to consolidate absolute power in their hands, and advocate for the discontinuation of their endeavors to eliminate an effective political opposition.
Climate change
As a major platform of his campaign and presidency, President Nasheed spoke to the participants of the conference on the reality of climate change and the need to take action.
“Climate change is real,” he said, “and time is of the essence and it seems we are falling behind. The world needs to go carbon neutral by mid century.”
President Nasheed said his government wants “to break the link between carbon and development,” noting that “carbon neutral development is not just possible but profitable.”
The president said donors were investing in the Maldives, despite the challenges of climate change and highly-publicised threat of submersion, “because they want to maintain, adapt, protect and uplift the country. If you want to protect something… then of course you will come and donate and you will help.”
“This is a crucial period in time. We can actually introduce adaptation and litigation measures quickly enough to save the Maldives, so I think that’s why the donors are investing,” Nasheed said.
Participants at the Donor Conference
Donor Conference
President Nasheed thanked the donors for their participation, saying it is “so important and deeply appreciated.”
He said that thanks to the transition to democracy, “I believe the Maldives is becoming a better and fairer place,” and added that “with your assistance, we can help ensure the long term survival of this country and this land.”
World Bank aid
After the opening ceremony, Minister of Finance Ali Hashim and Naoko Ishii signed an agreement, on behalf of the Maldivian government and the World bank respectively, for an additional US$13.7 million in aid.
The Attorney General Husnu Suood has proposed a bill to be presented to parliament removing the right to remain silent during investigation of people suspected of commit serious crimes.
The bill removes the right given under Article 48[N] of the Constitution that a person need only reveal their name and thereafter remain silent during police questioning.
The bill proposes that the right to remain silent should be removed in such cases such as threatening a person, attacking a person or his property, assault on a person using sharp objects or weapons, murder, drug trafficking, storing drugs to deal, importing drugs, using a sharp object or dangerous weapon in public without a valid reason, storing a sharp object in secret without a valid reason, gang rape and terrorism.
Press Secretary for the President Mohamed Zuhair said that the government believed it was necessary to remove the right to remaining silent on these cases.
”Why should we provide the right to remain silent for a man arrested with five kilograms of dope?” Zuhair asked.
”If the bill is passed people arrested in connection with these kind of crimes will be convicted for objection to order if they remain silent.”
He said the police would only arrest a person in the first place if they had conclusive evidence.
Spokesperson for the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group Mohamed Shifaz said the MPs had tried very hard to introduce the right to remain silent.
”The government would try to remove it in certain cases only when they notice a credible reason,” Shifaz said.
Vice president of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) Umar Naseer, a former police officer, agreed, saying the right to remain silent “should be removed for all the cases.”
”This would make it very easy to prosecute criminals, so I think it is very important,” he said.
The Maldivian Detainee Network issued a statement saying it was “concerned by the news that the Attorney General proposes to narrow fundamental rights afforded to persons accused of certain serious crimes.”
“We urge the Attorney General and Parliament to ensure that any legislation proposed or passed fully embodies the principle that all persons are innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, any narrowing of rights must be done in accordance with Article 16 of the Constitution which states that “Any such law enacted by the People’s Majlis can limit the rights and freedoms to any extent only if demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.”
The NGO added that while it was concerned about the recent rise in crime and “the inability to successfully prosecute criminals, we would like to caution against reactionary steps which threaten fundamental rights.”
“The answer to rising crime in society is the full and effective implementation of a rights-based system by addressing the numerous issues within the criminal justice system,” it urged.
“The rush to discard fundamental rights is not only a short-sighted strategy which not only ignores the moral and practical imperatives behind those rights, but also risks returning to a society in which innocent citizens needed to fear the criminal justice system.”
Deputy Attorney General Abdulla Muiz did not respond to Minivan News at time of press.
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