Month: May 2010

Father arrested for abusing 16 year old daughter

A 40 year-old man suspected of sexually abusing his 16 year old daughter in North Ari Atoll has been arrested, confirmed Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam.

Shiyam said the case was ongoing and declined to provide further information.

However, a woman familiar with the matter claimed that the man has been abusing his daughter since she was nine years old.

”She was told by her dad that it was something daughters should do with Dads and she should not tell anybody,” the woman claimed. ”Nobody was aware that this was happening,”

The man had denied the claims, the woman noted.

”When his wife [suspected the abuse] and asked him if it was happening, the man shouted at her rudely,” the woman said. ”But now he has admitted to police that he has been doing it for a long time.”

She said the abuse was reported to the police by the girl’s boyfriend, after she received a call from her father and put it on conference mode.

”Her boyfriend was listening to the call when her Dad asked his daughter whether she finished menstruating and to come to him when she was done,” she said. ”Her boyfriend then informed the police.”

Last week a 53-year-old man suspected of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in Addu Atoll Hithadhoo was arrested.

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DRP welcomes electricity subsidies but will continue protests

The Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) has announced it will continue its ‘red notice’ protests, despite welcoming changes the government’s new subsidies for electricity charges.

National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) today said that it changed the per unit rate for subsidies for electricity charges, a move intended to people who cannot afford the electricity bill.

According to the changes, charges for 0-100 meter units would be Rf1.50, 101-200 meter units Rf1.70, 201-300 meter units Rf2.15 and 301-400 units Rf2.50, for people receiving subsidies.

Charges for those not identified as eligible for a subsidy will remain at Rf2.25 for 0-100 units, Rf2.50 for 101-300 units, Rf 2.95 for 301-500 units, Rf3.55 for 501-600 units and Rf3.85 above 601.

NSPA Chairperson Ibrahim Waheed said that the subsidied charges were cheaper than 2008 prices.

”No changes were brought to the [normal] charges, but the subsidised rates have changed,” he said.

No changes were made to unsubsidised electricity charges because the government wished to run the State Electric Company (STELCO) without a loss, he said.

He said that the changes in the subsidised rates had no connection with the DRP-led protests.

DRP MP Ahmed Mahloof meanwhile said the protest would begin tonight at 8:45pm, and would start near the tsunami monument.

”Maldivian Democratic Party MDP’s protest outside the Vice President’s house has proved us that climbing gates was not prohibited,” Mahloof said. ”We will climb the gates of Muleeage [the President’s official residence] tonight.”

Mahloof said he had information that the police has planned to use rubber bullets to disperse tonight’s gathering.

DRP MP Ahmed Nihan said that DRP welcomed the changes brought to the electricity charges, but ”will continue the protest as we have planned.”

Nihan said that 80 percent of the people ought to receive subsidies for electricity charges.

”The procedure NSPA follows is not very comprehensive,” he said, ”but we welcome the changes they brought.”

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Ambassador of Philippines says farewell to the Maldives

Ambassador of the Philippines to the Maldives, Zenaida Tacordo Rabago, paid her farewell call to President Mohamed Nasheed today at the President’s Office.

President Nasheed thanked Tacordo Rabago for her contribution in strengthening the ties between both countries.

They discussed enhancing bilateral relations further, especially on mutually concerning issues such as climate change.

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Bangkok riots delay imports, but “no major disruptions” says STO

Products imported to Maldives from Thailand were delayed due to political unrest in Bangkok last week, but Chairman of the State Trading Organisation (STO), Faruq Umar, said there “was a short delay, but no major disruptions” in imports.

He said the Maldives depends mostly on Thailand for foodstuffs, construction materials such as PVC pipes, and other hardware materials.

“It has been solved and will resume soon,” Faruq said, adding “there has been no shortage as such” of any indispensable goods.

He added Maldives is also importing many products from China, India and Brazil.

Minister for Economic Development, Mahmud Razee, said “at this moment, [a delay] hasn’t kicked in yet.”

He said there could be a possible delay soon, but “now the issue has been resolved,” and he does not expect the delay to be major.

“We rely on Thailand primarily for garments,” he said, adding that many people “go there, buy them and air-freight them back. It’s only in the last couple of weeks they have not been able to do that.”

He said despite the political unrest in Thailand, “impact has not been that significant” in the Maldives.

Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuhair, said most “textiles, clothes, ladies’ fashion and children’s toys” in the Maldives come from Thailand, and many shipments have been delayed due to the political unrest in the country.

He added there has been an “unforeseen decline” for import businesses in Maldives that depend on Thai products.

According to the World Bank, Thailand is one of the top-five import (and export) partners of Maldives. According to Maldives Customs, imports from Thailand in 2008 amounted to 4.3 percent of all imports to the country.

Riots

After the 2006 military coup to oust then Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a group known as the ‘Red Shirts’ has called on new PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva, to dissolve parliament and hold new elections.

The Red Shirts had been protesting for weeks, and massive protest was organised in Lumpini Park last Wednesday. Military forces entered the park and dispersed protesters, but several smaller riots broke out across the city throughout the day.

A bank, police station, local TV station and the country’s biggest mall were all set on fire, leading to a curfew that was meant to last until today. Prime Minister Vejjajiva has now extended the curfew, but said government agencies and schools will reopen on Monday.

The curfew has been extended until 24 May, and forbids people to leave their homes between 11 pm and 4 am. The curfew has meant many businesses, and even airlines, have been operating only a few hours a day.

Prime Minister Vejjajiva said on Saturday: “We have restored order in the capital of Bangkok and the provinces of Thailand. We will continue to move swiftly to restore normalcy and we recognise that as we move ahead, there are huge challenges ahead of us, particularly the challenge of overcoming the divisions that have occurred in this country.”

According to Thai government reports, there have been at least 50 deaths and over 400 people injured in the last few weeks due to violent clashes.

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Next SAARC summit to be held in Addu

President Mohamed Nasheed has announced the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit will be held next year in the South Province.

During his weekly radio address last Friday on the Voice of Maldives, the president said the summit could take place in both Addu and Fuahmulah Atolls.

President Nasheed acknowledged it would take a lot of work and preparation to hold the summit in Maldives, but said he was “confident a successful summit could be held in the South Province.”

Press Secretary for the President’s Office, Mohamed Zuahir, confirmed the summit will be held in the Maldives next year, but said a final date has not been set yet. “We are looking at April 2011.”

He said there would be “huge development” in the Southern Province, noting there was already “road building projects” underway in the islands. He said a new conference centre would be built for the summit, as well as other facilities such as indoor halls.

Zuhair added the development projects for the summit will cost “upward of US$10 million.” He said the money will be partly donated by other SAARC countries and partly sponsored by the Maldivian government.

“It’s the first time a SAARC summit is being held south of the Equator,” Zuhair said, “and it will highlight the Southern Province and give us a very good name.”

Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, “but due to economic recession” among other things, it was cancelled and held in Thimphu, Bhutan.

“As a member country, it is also our responsibility [to hold the summit],” he said.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Naseem, said holding the summit in the Southern Province “symbolises unity in the country.”

He said “there are quite a lot of people living in the Southern Province and not everything has to be held in Malé.”

He added there is already a lot of infrastructure in the province, so the cost will be feasible for the government.

Maldives was meant to hold this year’s summit, he noted, but it was cancelled due to “some difficulties.”

“It’s a regional thing,” he said, “every [SAARC] country holds the summit.”

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President returns from Malaysia

Last Friday President Mohamed Nasheed returned from his official visit to Malaysia for the 6th World Islamic Economic Forum.

Before his return, the president visited the Maldives High Commission in Malaysia. He urged the staff to set an example for Maldivians living in Malaysia, and to participate in Malaysian cultural events.

President Nasheed also met with a delegation of Malay business people, where he spoke of the importance of broadening economic relations between the two countries.

He said Maldives is now open for business, and invited them to invest in the country. Senior officials from State Trading Organisation (STO) and Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO) were present at the meeting.

The president also met with a group of Maldivian students in Malaysia. He advised them to pursue their higher education and asked if they were having any “difficulties that needed attention.”

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Communications officers have completed training programme

A training programme for communications officers from government offices, state-owned companies and independent institutions concluded last week.

Economic Advisor to the president, Ali Shiyam, presented the certificates to all participants after the two-day course.

He said it was important to note the role of communications officers in presenting accurate information on government policies and projects.

The programme was organised by the President’s Office, the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the Maldives College of Higher Education.

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Next SAARC summit to be held in South Province: President

President Mohamed Nasheed said the 17th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting will be held in the South Province.

The president said the summit could take place in both Addu and Fuahmulah Atolls during his weekly radio address last Friday on the Voice of Maldives.

President Nasheed acknowledged it would take a lot of work and preparation to hold the summit in Maldives, but said he was “confident a successful summit could be held in the South Province.”

The president noted this would be the first SAARC summit to be held in the southern hemisphere.

The 16th SAARC Summit was held last month in Bhutan’s capital, Thimphu.

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President Nasheed sends condolences to Indian president

President Mohamed Nasheed has sent his condolences to President of India, Pratibha Patil, after the plane crash in Mangalore Saturday morning.

The Air India flight from Dubai to Mangalore crashed early morning while trying to land.

Eight people survived the crash, but 158 did not.

President Nasheed expressed his sympathy for the families who lost loved ones in the accident.

This is the third plane crash in the region within a week, after a plane crash in Libya and another in Afghanistan.

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