Day: March 26, 2012

Pirates hijack cargo vessel in Maldivian waters

A foreign cargo vessel has been hijacked by Somali pirates in Maldivian waters, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has confirmed.

The Bolivian-flagged vessel was hijacked about 190 nautical miles northwest of Hoarafushi island in Haa Alif Atoll, said MNDF Spokesperson Major Abdul Raheem.

The MNDF have dispatched defence vessels to the scene of the hijacking. The vessel was identified on Somalia Report as the Iranian-owned MV EGLANTINE, with 23 crew members on board. The vessel, which has previously been named the Bluebell and the Iran Gilan, is owned by Darya Hafiz Shipping.

“Since it is a hijacking it is possible that the pirates will be armed. I cannot give further details on the mission. There are factors to be considered before going to a direct confrontation or rescue,” said Major Raheem. Foreign authorities have been asked for assistance, he confirmed.

The attack occurred this morning and was reported to the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) station on Villigili at 2:30pm.

Though acts of piracy have been reported near the Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Monday’s attack is the first to happen in Maldivian waters.

The Maldives is situated at a strategic intersection of sea trade routes, and a significant amount of global maritime traffic passes through or near the country’s northern atolls.

The Maldives’ government first expressed concern over the growing piracy threat in 2010 after small vessels containing Somali nationals began washing up on local islands. The castaways were given medical treatment and incarcerated while the government negotiated their repatriation.

Last week, the 40 Somali castaways in custody of the Maldives’ authorities refused to return home despite arrangements that were made for their safe repatriation.

The government had identified and obtained passports for the detainees and arranged a charter flight for their return to Somalia said a senior government official who worked on the case, but was unable to deport them against their will.

Refugees cannot be repatriated without consent under international conventions to which the Maldives is signatory, leaving the Maldives no legal recourse but to sign international conventions on the rights of refugees and migrant workers and their families and accept the Somali nationals as refugees.

In a special report on piracy in December 2010, Minivan News cited a European piracy expert who noted that increased policing of waters at a high risk of piracy was forcing pirates deeper and deeper into the Indian Ocean.

“We believe that this trend is due to the fact that the pirates are following the vessels – as merchant ships increase their distance from Somalia in order to feel ‘safer’, the pirates follow them resulting in attacks much farther east than ever before,” she said.

Concerns about rising piracy have also been expressed by yachting interests in the Maldives.

An American luxury passenger line en route to the Seychelles in January was stranded in the Maldivian waters due to “piracy risk”, while the passengers departed to the Seychelles through airline flights.

Secretary General of Maldives Association of Yacht Agents (MAYA), Mohamed Ali, told Minivan News at the time that the passenger line had arrived on December 29 and was scheduled to leave the same day after a brief stop near Male’.

However, he said the cruise captain had decided not to leave with the passengers on board due to “security reasons”, as there have been several attacks by pirates near the Seychelles.

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Protesters call for boycott of “coup-financer’s businesses”

Hundreds of people marched in Malé on Monday calling for a boycott of businesses they claimed were owned by those responsible for financing the alleged coup d’état on February 7.

The march was organised by the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the NOON campaign (‘Noon’ means ‘no’ in Dhivehi). The campaign is the second boycott campaign targeting businessmen who support President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik.

UK-based NGO Friends of Maldives (FOM) has also revived a 2006 selective boycott of resorts.

Both campaigns primarily target resorts and businesses owned by local tycoon MP Gasim Ibrahim, and Vice-President nominee Mohamed Waheed Deen. The NOON campaign also calls for a boycott of the food importer Euro Store and businesses owned by Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) Vice President Umar Naseer, PPM MP Ahmed Mahloof, Defense Minister Ahmed Nazim and MP “Redwave” Ahmed Saleem.

“We have numbers, they have money. If we don’t buy from them, they won’t get the money,” said Shamau Shareef, a member of the NOON campaign. “We want to show this brutal regime and its business tycoons that we citizens are against the coup and police brutality in the Maldives.”

A Euro Store marketing official who identified himself as Fahmy said the boycott was “not based on truth or facts.”

“We don’t think Euro Store will be affected. Our sales have actually increased since all of this happened,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adeeb said he was “saddened” by FOM’s “irresponsible” resort boycott. “How did they derive these conclusions? What proof do they have?” he asked.

Consumer Boycott

Hundreds of protesters, waving yellow MDP flags, set out on foot and on motorbikes from Raalhugandu (surf point) at 5:00 pm calling on the public to boycott restaurants, shops and businesses that belong to “coup- financers.”

Products under boycott include Granini juice, popular Lavazza coffee, Red Bull energy drinks, Marlboro cigarettes and Lindt chocolate. These products are imported to the Maldives by Euro Store. Shops under boycott include MP Saleem’s ‘Redwave’ grocery chain and MP Mahloof’s clothing store ‘The Jeans’.

Protestors also called for a boycott of Gasim Ibrahim’s Villa Gas and his airline Flyme. The campaigners alleged Gasim Ibrahim to be one of the main financiers of the coup.

Rasheed Carpentry and Construction Company, alleged to have ties to defense minister Ahmed Nazim, and PPM VP Umar Naseer’s security services Alarms and Whale Submarine tourist attraction are also included in the list.

“We have a long list of businesses, but we are still verifying most of them,” Shamau Shareef said. The campaign was only targeting businesses who have expressed outward support for the alleged coup d’état, Shamau said.

“For example the Euro Store supplied lavazza coffee and Red Bull to the 23 December alliance,” he claimed. The December 23 alliance is a group of political parties and NGOs that stood up against deposed President Mohamed Nasheed, claiming his administration was “irreligious”.

The NOON campaign had gathered over 1400 supporters within 24 hours of its launch on Facebook on Sunday. “It’s caught on very quickly. People support this campaign. If we can get mass public support, then we can be quite effective,” Shamau said.

The campaign intends to distribute leaflets on products under boycott to every household in Malé city, he added.

Responsible Traveler

The Friends of Maldives first called for a boycott of resorts owned and operated by supporters of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in 2006. The NGO relaunched the selective boycott under the name Maldives Travel Advisory in late February.

The NGO stressed the campaign was not a boycott of the Maldives, but rather a boycott of resorts “linked to individuals or groups who we suspect to be involved in the subversion of democracy and in human rights abuses in the Maldives.”

Resorts are classified into categories; “those we encourage you to visit, those under consideration and those which should be avoided.”

Seven resorts are currently on the avoid list; six belong to Gasim Ibrahim and one belongs to Mohamed Waheed Deen. Twelve resorts connected to businessmen Salah Shihab, Abdullah Jabir and Hussein “Champa” Afeef are under consideration.

“We also urge you to consider the idea of being a responsible traveler. Don’t let your pleasant holiday contribute to the suffering of others, whether it is to the Maldives or to any other place,” FOM said.

Ahmed Adeeb said he was “unsure” if the campaign would be effective as FOM is based in the UK, and because the UK market competes with the European and the Chinese markets. However, he said the government was working to counter FOM’s claims.

“From day one of my appointment, I have been trying to address cancellations,” he said. The UK and Germany issued travel advisories following the February 7 unrest, but revoked them in early March.

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MDP’s Lonuziyaaraiy Kolhu case continues

Further specifics of the government’s case against the Madivian Democratic Party (MDP) emerged duing the continuation of the Lonuziyaaraiy Kolhu case yesterday.

As the hearings neared their conclusion, the state was given the opportunity to defend itself against the charges levelled against it following the dismantling of the ‘Justice Square’ camp on Monday March 19.

Deputy Solicitor General of Attorney General’s (AG) Office Ahmed Usham, presented video and pictoral evidence to the court which, he argued, proves illegal activity was occurring on the site.

He also told the court that the MDP had breached the terms of the lease agreement with the council, utilising space beyond the boundaries of the agreed upon Tsunami Monument area. This claim was contested by the MDP.

Usham also suggested that the lease was made on the condition that the camp’s activities remained legal, did not disturb the local residents, and were respectful of prayer times; conditions that he argued were breached.

Finally, the government representative suggested that Male’ City Council’s (MCC) lease of the area for political purposes was in contravention of the decentralisation regulation which prohibits the use of public space for political purposes.

The MDP maintains that the seizure cannot be legal if it was not supported by a court order. They also pointed out that the alleged discovery of alcohol in the area had not yet been proven in court.

The case is scheduled to continue on Thursday.

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HRCM questions former Defence Minister over arrest of Chief Judge

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has summoned former Defence Minister Tholhath Ibrahim for questioning over the arrest of Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed.

Speaking to the media yesterday, Tholath said he told the commission that the information about the arrest of the judge could not be revealed to HRCM as the matter concerned national security.

Tholhath told Minivan News that he had informed the commission that he would only answer questions related to human rights violations.

Tholhath was accompanied to the commission by  lawyer Nooruban Fahmy, the sister of MDP Deputy Leader and MP Alhan Fahmy.

President of HRCM, Mariyam Azra, recently told Minivan News that the commission was hoping to conclude the investigation before next month.

On March 4, Police summoned  Tholhath for questioning over former President Mohamed Nasheed’s arrest of Abdulla Mohamed.

Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) on the evening of Monday, January 16, in compliance with a police request.

The judge’s whereabouts were not revealed until January 18. The MNDF acknowledged receipt but did not comply with Supreme Court orders to release the judge.

Opposition political parties held a series of protests which culminated on the morning of February 7 with police joining opposition demonstrators in an assault on the MNDF’s headquarters, and the resignation of Nasheed – allegedly under duress – and the handover of the presidency to Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan.

Last week, Former President Mohamed Nasheed was also summoned before HRCM, in connection to his role in the controversial detention of Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed earlier this year.

The former president attributed the initial arrest call to his Defence Ministry, on the grounds of “protecting” national security relating to alleged ethical concerns about the judge.

On the day Nasheed resigned, Judge Abdulla was brought Male’ and released from his detention.

The first complaints against Abdulla Mohamed filed in July 2005 by then Attorney General Dr Hassan Saeed included allegations of misogyny, sexual deviancy, and throwing out an assault case despite the confession of the accused.

The Judicial Services Commission (JSC), the judicial watchdog, eventually formed a complaints committee to investigate the cases against Judge Abdulla in December 2009, which met 44 times but had failed to present a single report as of March 2011.

The JSC eventually concluded an investigation into politically-contentious comments made by Judge Abdulla Mohamed on DhiTV, but the report was never released after the judge sought a Civil Court injunction against his further investigation in September 2011.

Then-Home Minister Hassan Afeef subsequently accused the judge of “taking the entire criminal justice system in his fist”, listing 14 cases of obstruction of police duty including withholding warrants for up to four days, ordering police to conduct unlawful investigations and disregarding decisions by higher courts.

Afeef accused the judge of “deliberately” holding up cases involving opposition figures, barring media from corruption trials, ordering the release of suspects detained for serious crimes “without a single hearing”, and maintaining “suspicious ties” with family members of convicts sentenced for dangerous crimes.

The judge also released a murder suspect “in the name of holding ministers accountable”, who went on to kill another victim.

Then Vice President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan opposed the judge’s detention, stating on his blog that “I am ashamed and totally devastated by the fact that this is happening in a government in which I am the elected Vice President.”

Nasheed’s government requested assistance from the international community to reform the judiciary. Observing that judicial reform “really should come from the Judicial Services Commission (JSC)”, then Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said the commission’s shortcoming are “now an issue of national security.”

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Revision of schoolbooks is politicising children: former Education Minister

Former Education Minister and former Chancellor of the Maldives National University, Dr Musthafa Luthfy, has condemned the Ministry of Education’s decision to revise the Social Studies textbook for grade 7 students.

The Education Development Center (EDC), which is run under the Education ministry, last week issued a circular ordering primary schools to amend the unit on the government and include the information regarding the recent power transfer that took place in the country.

The statement that the EDC has asked to include reads: “President Nasheed resigned on 7 February 2012 after three years and two months in office. Hence, according to the constitution, Vice-president Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn in as president.”

Speaking to Minivan News, Dr Luthfy alleged that the government is allowing young school children to become involved in the intense political debate over the legitimacy of Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan’s government. He also raised suspicions that the decision may be due to some ‘political essence’ in the matter.

Dr Luthfy instead insisted the government be patient on the issue as it was highly sensitive and subject to controversy.

Dr Luthfy was previously a member of Dr Waheed’s Gaumee Ithihaad (GI) party, and is currently the Chair of the Maldivian Democractic Party (MDP)’s Select Committee on Education.

“We are asking the government to be patient as this a very controversial issue. This decision shows their impatience. What they are really doing is allowing young children to get involved in the ongoing political debate. That is not good. The book [after inclusion of the revised statement] reads as if nothing serious has happened and that the president just resigned, and the vice president succeeded in assuming presidency. But what is really happening is a bigger issue than that,” he said.

Dr Luthfy said that children would obviously be aware of the political crisis and that what they would read in the books was far too simplified and contradictory.

“A large proportion of people are questioning the legitimacy of the government. The parents of these children are already involved in the debate. It is being talked about on almost every corner, in shops, restaurants and everywhere. What the children read in the books is written down too simply. It is very contradicting for them,” Dr Luthfy said.

“I believe the state has an obligation to provide true and relevant information. Why can’t we have a little patience before writing down such a controversial issue? Aren’t we letting the children into this debate?” he questioned. “Our concern is not about changing what is already written in the books, but the involvement of children in the debates.”

“[The education ministry] could have written this at a later stage after a proper investigation of the power transfer.  They can’t change history, history will continue. What has happened cannot be concealed.”

The MDP had earlier released a statement condemning the Education Ministry’s decision. The statement said that that it was irresponsible of the education ministry to change the text books especially following a coup d’état, and without proper investigation it was misleading to include such a statement.

Speaking to Minivan News, Head of the Curriculum Division of the EDC, Dr Naashia Mohamed, said the EDC had a panel for each of the subjects taught in school and similarly, the panel responsible for the Social Studies subject had drafted the phrase to be included in the text book.

Asked about the comments made by Dr Musthafa Luthfy, she refused to comment.

State Minister of Education Imad Solih said he did not believe that all the details of what happened on February 7 had to be included in the textbook.

“I personally don’t believe that everything that happened has to be included in the book. The Social Studies textbook speaks about the President, so it is obvious that Dr Waheed is the president. It is the reality,” Solih said.

He also said that it was clear that President Nasheed had resigned, but the question being debated was whether it was forced or voluntary.

“Until a decision is made, Dr Waheed is still the president, and if anything changes that fact, they would bring the necessary changes,” he said.

Responding to Musthafa Luthfy’s comments on bringing school children into the debate, Solih acknowledged that there may be children at that age group who would discuss the issue, but he said that he saw it as a “secondary issue”.

Solih also said that the teachers were not investigators and were instead mandated to teach in line with a specific curriculum and guidelines, so they would teach from the curriculum.

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No negotiation on release of “criminals”: President’s Office

Spokesperson of the President’s Office, Abbas Adil Riza has said that the government welcomes Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s decision to come to the negotiation table to discuss on the proposed roadmap and holding of an early election, in a press conference on Sunday.

“MDP has said that they are ready to join the talks and we welcome that. We are ready to negotiate on terms that would bring peace and stability in the country,” said Riza said in his opening statement.

However, Riza said that MDP should “stop acts of terrorism” and “vandalism of public property”. Riza said that the government would not tolerate such acts and will not negotiate over the release of suspected criminals  behind the attacks on public property during MDP protests.

“The government will not negotiate in releasing those arrested and charged for terrorism, will not let them be considered political prisoners,” Riza said.

Highlighting the All Party Peace Talks, which were initiated by the government to implement a roadmap to bring necessary institutional reforms and pave way for an early election, Riza claimed that the MDP has two main conditions.

“One is to announce a date to hold the early elections and second is to withdraw charges against those who have been arrested in the protests,” he said.

Abbas claimed the government was open to negotiation of the first proposition but would not negotiate on releasing those arrested and withdrawing the charges.

”MDP is asking us to release those arrested for damaging public property and vandalism, but we cannot, and will not do it as our criminal justice system does not allow it,” Riza stated. “The government won’t agree on illegal and unlawful terms such as releasing criminals.”

Asked by a journalist on what basis Riza had accused the MDP of the recent acts of vandalism, Riza said that the MDP had openly called for such actions in their political gatherings.

“We are saying that the MDP is calling for terrorism because they have openly called at the podium to incite violence and has encouraged the acts of terrorism,” he alleged.

“They called to damage public property, arson attacks, they discuss the methods of how to attack the police, they teach techniques of confronting the police, and these things are clearly forbidden by the terrorism prohibition act. These acts clearly satisfy the conditions to be considered as acts of terrorism,” Riza said.

Speaking to Minivan, MDP Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy denied the allegations of terrorism against the party.

“That is a very unfair remark Abbas has made. If they are calling us terrorists, they are basically saying that the citizens of this country are terrorists. We are the largest political party in terms of membership and support base. We have the most number of MPs representing in the parliament as a single party.

“Those in the protests are people voicing their concerns, so if they are calling us terrorists, then they are labeling the people of the country as terrorists,” Fahmy said.

“If anyone looks rationally into what is happening in this country, it will be clear that they are the real terrorists,” he continued.

“They brought this coup, they raided the state broadcaster like terrorists, they set fire to the MDP  haruge (headquarters) and they even raided the Raalhugandu Area where we had peaceful protests. So who are the real terrorists?” questioned Fahmy.

Regarding Riza’s statement on MDP negotiating the release of suspects, Fahmy said, “The MDP is not asking to release criminals. We were asking for the release of those who have been arrested unfairly. There are people who are under police custody who have not indulged in any form of violence. They are not criminals.”

Fahmy also reiterated that MDP is a peaceful democratic party and that they will always be open to negotiate on issues. He also said that because MDP had decided to negotiate with the government did not mean that their stand has changed.

Instead he said that the stand of the party is very clear: “to make sure that any government ruling over the country is in power legitimately.”

The current government is not legitimate and the public wants an early election, he stated.

The MDP earlier condemned the recent attacks on police.

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