Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed met with Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Kathy Klugman, where they discussed the challenges faced by the Maldives and ways in which Australia could assist the government.
Dr Waheed said some of the biggest challenges are employing well trained staff at drug rehabilitation centres, building safer prisons and the lack of job opportunities for Maldivian youth.
Klugman said there are different works being carried out by the Australian government in the Maldives, especially volunteer training programmes in different atolls.
She also mentioned several Australian scholarships for Maldivian students, and said these scholarships present a good opportunity for training in the area of drug rehabilitation.
The meeting took place a day after the first-ever Australian diplomatic event in the Maldives at the Holiday Inn on Sunday, where President Mohamed Nasheed thanked the Australian people and government for their assistance to the Maldives.
He also commended Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for his help in making the Copenhagen Accord a reality and for his honesty and good work as a politician.
Klugman also spoke at the function. She congratulated the government on the transition to democracy and assured further assistance from Australia to the Maldives, especially in the education sector.
The strike began on 14 April when four villa hosts were dismissed by the resort for locking themselves in an empty guest room to play PlayStation.
Sixty-one other staff members signed a petition to reinstate the four dismissed staff, but instead, they were all escorted by police to Feydhoo in Seenu Atoll and dismissed from their jobs.
Since the strike began, they have been joined by another 110 other staff members as well as members of TEAM. Over 157 people are now protesting at Feydhoo, hoping the management of Shangri-La will reconsider their decision and reinstate the 65 staff.
But Vice President of TEAM Mauroof Zakir doesn’t think it will be over soon, saying “it might last for another week.”
“Management doesn’t want to change their decision,” he said, noting that the strike is still going strong and is “well organised.”
Zakir said the PlayStation was originally brought at a guest’s request, but the guest said something was wrong with the console. He said the four staff went into an empty guest room—noting all the rooms around it were empty “so there would be no disturbances”—and were checking the console.
“They acknowledged they started to play a football game for about 5 or 10 minutes,” Zakir said, but claimed the resort’s management did not deal with the situation “as they should have.”
“After 45 minutes, they had made their decision [to dismiss the villa hosts],” Zakir said.
He said a number of staff then went to the Human Resources department to demand resort management reinstate the four staff members, but management refused.
“We are still trying to negotiate with management,” Zakir said, “but they don’t want to negotiate with our demands.”
He said management then decided to fire everyone who had taken part in petitioning for the reinstatement of the four staff members, and called police to have all 65 staff escorted to nearby Feydhoo.
Shangri-La Villingili Resort
Zakir said the 65 dismissals were unlawful as staff were given no warning and no termination letter. He added that since the incident took place, they have been receiving informal messages from resort management that all staff who joined the protest will be fired, too.
“[Management] is still trying to protect their decision,” Zakir said, “they wanted to investigate the case but they don’t want to discuss it [with us].”
Zakir said the resort management was scheduled to have another meeting tomorrow and they were bringing in people from the company’s head office.
He added that the resort needed to not only reinstate all staff but also the trade union.
“Under the Constitution, we have the right to protest and freedom of association,” Zakir said.
He said because the Maldives is a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), they had the right to form unions, and he said he hoped the ILO “might step in” and help resolve the situation.
“They won’t give up and neither will we,” Zakir stated.
Shangri-La’s Director for Communication Leslie Garcia said the resort is “running smoothly and operating as normal,” and added the investigation is currently ongoing.
She said management is “working closely with local government authorities” and was trying to solve the issue, but would not give any comments or details regarding the strike or what measures were being taken to resolve the problem.
Flights between Europe and the Maldives have been grounded due to the volcanic eruption in Iceland last week, uncovering the vulnerability of the tourism industry in the Maldives.
Although experts are saying that Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano had been erupting since March, it was last Wednesday’s eruption that created a thick cloud of volcanic ash which has spread over Europe and Scandinavia, grounding flights all over the continent.
Flights between Europe and the Maldives have also been affected, with British Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, Air Berlin and Italian carriers Meridiana Fly cancelling flights to the Maldives until today, pending further instruction from Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation.
‘Sim’ Mohamed Ibrahim from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said “the cancellation of flights shows the vulnerability of the tourism industry to outside forces.”
Sim said the most important thing to note in this situation was “how vulnerable and dependent we are on external influences” and how much “incidents that we can’t control” affect the industry.
He said at the moment this is “not such a huge problem for resorts” but noted “people are not happy. Obviously, we are doing the best we can. The situation is very difficult to manage.”
Sim said although some resorts are “taking it very seriously and responsibly,” others were not doing as much as they could to ensure their guests were kept as happy and comfortable as possible under the circumstances.
“There is very little we can do,” he said, “there is no way anyone can leave or come [to the country].”
He noted Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture Dr Ali Sawad has called for a meeting today with industry leaders, stockholders, travel agents and tour operators to discuss the best way to deal with the situation and the stranded passengers.
Dr Sawad said an estimated 63,000 flights have been cancelled in Europe from the 15-18 April, meaning about 5-6 flights a day scheduled to travel to the Maldives were also cancelled. He said around 15 flights directed to the Maldives have been cancelled from 17-19 April.
Flights have been grounded all over Europe
“This is an unprecedented situation,” he said, adding that a “common approach” needed to be agreed upon by the tourism industry on how to respond.
Dr Sawad said the government is discussing “how the ministry could facilitate the situation,” and assured that they were working with the immigration department so “visa and passport issues could be streamlined.”
He said some tourists are choosing to stay in the Maldives until their flights are re-scheduled, while some are trying to be re-routed.
“The problem is some people may have over-spent their budget,” he said, noting that “there must be some arrangement” made by the government and the tourism industry to facilitate the situation for foreigners.
He noted that industry leaders were now communicating with insurance companies to see how much impact this has had and how much damage is covered by insurance. Reports in the UK today were warning travellers that many insurance policies had ‘Act of God’ escape clauses that would leave travellers to fend for themselves.
“I’m sure tour operators and travel agencies are technically geared for this, but we must discuss it,” Sawad said, noting that the meeting later this afternoon would clear up the details and extent of the damage to the industry.
Eruption
Over twenty European countries are being affected by air restrictions caused by the volcanic ash, with many closing their airspace completely.
Statistics from Eurocontrol show that on 16 April, one day after the eruption, 20,000 flights would have normally taken place in European airspace, but only 11,000 flights took place. By 18 April, the expected average of 24,000 flights was dramatically reduced to only 5,000.
The British High Commission in Colombo has sent a message to stranded British nationals advising them to seek consular support and to check with their airline before going to the airport.
Airlines are offering passengers the choice of booking a later flight or getting a full refund, have advised to check with the airline before travelling to the airport. Some airlines have begun carrying out test flights, but most flights are still grounded until further notice.
The cancellation of flights has also affected many other import/export businesses in the Maldives, with many businesses being unable to send or receive their goods until flights resume.
Islam and politics are inseparable and it is unIslamic to suggest otherwise, President of the Adhaalath Party Sheikh Hussein Rasheed has announced.
”I regret that there are some MPs also who are claiming that politics and Islam should be separated, after taking a oath swearing that they would respect the religion of Islam,” Sheikh Hussein said. ”Politics and religion cannot be separated.”
State Minister for Islamic Affairs Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Minivan News that Islam was a comprehensive religion containing information on economy, family, social, business, communication, politics, military “and many more things.”
Shaheem claimed that separating politics from religion was “a Christian philosophy from the 1940s.”
”The Christians at that time were influenced by the power of their kings and popes, ” Shaheem said, ”so they fought together for their rights and demanded the separation of religion from politics, and that was the time democracy was born.”
Shaheem noted that there were some principles of democracy which were contrary to Islamic principles.
”There are many things that are similar things and there are some things we refuse,” he said. “The resolution in democracy is ‘to keep the religion separated from the state.”’
The Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) was also a good politician, Shaheem explained.
”Those who suggest religion should be separated from politics are not apostates,” he said. “They are only saying such things because of their lack of knowledge.”
He said the Islamic Ministry was a part of the government and the government cooperated the ministry.
The President’s Press Secretary Mohamed Zuhair said the Adhaalath Party was “power hungry” in accusing the government of secularism.
Newspaper Miadhu today reported Adhaalath party member Sheikh Ilyas Hussain as saying the government had forgotten the Adhaalath’s Party’s role in the country’s democratic transition and that the presence of the party was one of the reasons the new government had been accepted.
If dialogue failed to keep the government on the right path, Sheikh Illyas warned, the party would “not hesitate to fight against this government like we did the last one.”
He further claimed there were groups within the country that had begun challenging the party’s efforts to promote Islam, and that such trends were bringing the party’s patience to an end.
Zuhair claimed some of the party’s scholars were “directly lying to the people.”
”We support the work they are doing politically, because according to the new law any political party with less than 3000 members should be disbanded. If so, how are they supposed to be in the government if they are not a political party?”
He said the government had provided mosques for people, appointed Imams to the mosques and established the Islamic Ministry.
”We do not know why they are saying all this about the government,” he said. ”We can’t worship in our offices.”
Zakir Naik
In response to concerns about the religious qualifications of visiting Islamic speaker Zakir Naik, who is a medical doctor, Shaheem explained that Naik “is not a a preacher but a lecturer”, and his talks in the Maldives would not contravene the Religious Unity Act.
”The law says that anyone is allowed to give sermons with the permission of the Islamic Ministry,” he explained.
”We have researched his CV, and he is man who has knowledge of Islam and has written many books on Islam as well.”
Australian High Commissioner to Colombo and the Maldives, Kathy Klugman, hosted a ‘friendship event’ in Holiday Inn last night, the first time Australia has hosted a diplomatic event in the Maldives.
Klugman said she hoped the event was “the first of many such gatherings to celebrate the links between our two countries.”
“A great deal has changed in the Maldives in the last few years,” she said. “You have commendably made a significant transition to democracy and become a significant international voice in the fight against climate change. The Maldives government has taken a lead in meeting this challenge and Australia stands ready to help.”
Australia had contributed much to the Maldives, particularly in the way of education, Klugman said, announcing that the Australian government had commissioned consultants Coffey International to develop a volunteering and scholarship program involving Maldivian alumni.
“We know many Maldivians have studied in Australia, but we have never brought them together in comprehensive way,” she said. “We promise more parties in future involving Maldives alumni.”
Speaking at the event, President Mohamed Nasheed acknowledged that many Maldivians’ knowledge of Australia “goes as far as Oscar and Lucinda.”
This was because an early generation of Maldivian teachers had travelled to Australia to study their profession, and had returned to pass on their positive impressions to the pupils.
Australia could help the Maldives become “a more intricate part of the Indian Ocean”, Nasheed said, given its favourable position as a potential trading hub.
“We sit in one of the most navigatable parts of the Indian Ocean, with the bulk of trade crossing north of the Maldives or through it. Because everything passes through us it seems quite possible for us to tap into that,” he suggested.
On the subject of the environment, Nasheed noted that the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was the first to suggest that the Copenhagen Accord might be salvaged.
“Before that, a lot of people said they didn’t think [the Accord] would be worth the paper written on it,” Nasheed said. “Now we’re seeing an agreement might be more possible, and much of it is because of the very good work done by the Australian Prime Minister.”
“During all the meetings I found Kevin Rudd to be very friendly and a capable politician. His understanding of small nations and his relationship with many developing countries, especially Bangladesh, was striking – as was his tolerance and attitude to life.”
Nasheed concluded by saying he hoped Australia would strengthen relations with the Maldives by working with it on an increasing number of projects.
Police have arrested 22 people including four children under the age of 18 in Laamu Gan, after they were attacked during a wave of gang violence.
Police said the attacks occurred on Saturday morning at 4:00am, after the gang, believed to be from Mathimaradhu, “appeared suddenly from a forest.”
Police alleged gang members broke the glass windows of a shop in the industrial area of Mathimaradhu, burnt down a hut in Mulurimagu [district] and broke the windows of two houses. When they tried to stop the gang members, police claim they they were attacked and a police vehicle damaged.
Two policemen were seriously injured in the attack, including one suffered a broken arm after he was hit by a metal tube and another who was struck in the arm by a piece of wood with nails in it.
Police have recovered some of the weapons used in the attack from a house in Mathimaradhu, including swords, knives, metal pipes and blocks.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the injured two police officers have been brought to Male’ and admitted in Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
He said the police were investigating the case but refused to give more information.
Island Chief of Gan office Abdul Rahman said that the attack on Saturday night was a gang war between the two districts Mathimaradhu and Mukuri Magu that had been going on for a long time, “for at least three months.”
”Several times many of them have been injured,” Rahman said, ”but this is the first time they attacked the police and damaged property.”
He said most of the gang members were under the age of eighteen.
”We do not know why they have been fighting,” he said. ”We had not received any reports on these fights.”
He said there was a distance of 30 minutes between the two districts on foot.
Reports of a bundle that looked like a baby sent police to the Artificial Beach yesterday.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said police took the reports very seriously and went to the Artificial Beach, near the Tsunami Memorial to look at the bundle.
President Mohamed Nasheed has been described as ‘Best International Politician‘ in a series of Green Awards published by the Independent, a left-leaning UK newspaper.
“In a catastrophic year for the climate crisis, were there any heroes?” the newspaper says, in reference to the Copenhagen talks.
“A handful of politicians will be remembered for trying to do the right thing… The most inspiring leader was Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives. ‘We are on the world’s front line,’ he says. And, in a sense, its only hope.'”
The newspaper praised Nasheed’s pledge to make the Maldives carbon-neutral by 2020, and his warnings “that we all have to make this transition – and fast.”
In receiving the Independent’s green award for politics, Nasheed joins the ranks of best supermarket (Marks&Spencer), best product (LED light bulb), and best UK village (Coleshill).
The President’s Spokesman Mohamed Zuhair said the award “is very welcome. The President is delighted.”
He said the award was a reflection on the whole country and came at a time when the President had been accused “of running a one man show.”
Zuhair disagreed that the President’s massive international popularity was not mirrored locally.
“There is huge respect [in the Maldives] for his efforts in combating beach erosion, building embankments and visiting vulnerable islands,”
Moreover, Zuhair said, the award promoted “positive public perception” of the Maldives that would “translate to more visitors.”
“It helps that the Indpendent is published in our largest tourism market, the UK,” Zuhair said.
New Moroccan Ambassador to the Maldives, Larbi Moukhariq, presented his credentials to President Mohamed Nasheed at the President’s Office yesterday afternoon.
President Nasheed and Ambassador Moukhariq discussed ways of strengthening bilateral relations between the countries and on expanding areas of cooperation, such as tourism, commerce, education and climate change, including renewable energies.
President Nasheed noted the strong historic relations between the two countries and said they were good development partners.
Ambassador Moukhariq assured the president of his country’s commitment to further strengthen relations with the Maldives.
Ambassador Moukhariq is also ambassador to India, and dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps.
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