Month: January 2013

MNDF launch basic diving course for international military personnel

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has initiated a basic diving program to be used by international military personnel, local media have reported.

Entitled ‘MNDF Coast Guard Basic Diving Course’, Defence Minister Colonel Mohamed Nazim told local media that the course is the first to be organised by the MNDF and used by foreign ministry personnel.

“The first course will include personnel from the Indian Coast Guard, Sri Lankan Navy, Nepalese Special Forces, and 12 personnel from MNDF. I believe that this course will be successful in every way, and that more countries will participate in the future,” Nazim was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

Lieutenant Mohamed Shareef of the MNDF coast guard told members of the press that the diving course will continue for a period of two months, during which participants will learn how to appropriately handle situations they may face underwater.

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Education Ministry warns of student loan shortage

The Education Ministry may be unable to issue loans to 1000 students due to its “significantly lower” budget, Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed has told local media.

Ahmed emphasised that the Education Ministry would continue to issue loans, while students selected for the loan scheme in 2012 would still receive funds. Only 526 students applied in 2012, reported Haveeru.

The number of student loans available in 2013 remains unclear, as discussions with the Finance Ministry are ongoing. The Education Ministry previously announced loan applications would become available in February.

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Footage leaked of museum vandals destroying pre-Islamic artifacts

Private broadcaster Raajje TV has aired leaked security camera footage showing a group of men vandalising pre-Islamic artifacts in the national museum on February 7, 2012.

Around 35 exhibits were destroyed when  half a dozen men stormed into the museum amid the political chaos of February 7, after former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned under controversial circumstances during a police and army mutiny.

The footage shows a group of men entering the museum, knocking over glass cases and smashing Buddhist-era statues.

Local daily Haveeru reported today that it had learned the men were “religious extremists” who belonged to a local group.

In May 2012, police forwarded cases against four suspects involved in the vandalism to the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO). Police at the time declined to reveal any information regarding the identity of the four suspects.

Officials at the PGO were unable to confirm today if the cases had been filed at the Criminal Court.

According to museum director Ali Waheed, the vandals destroyed “99 percent” of the evidence of the Maldives’ pre-Islamic history prior to the 12th century, including a 1.5-foot-wide representation of the Buddha’s head – one of the most historically significant pieces at the museum.

An official at the museum told Minivan News following the incident that the group “deliberately targeted the Buddhist relics and ruins of monasteries exhibited in the pre-Islamic collection, destroying most items beyond repair.”

“This is not like a glass we use at home that can be replaced by buying a new one from a shop. These are originals from our ancestors’ time. These cannot be replaced ever again,” the official said.

In September 2012, the United States government donated US$ 20,000 (MVR 308,400) to help restore and repair the damaged artifacts.

The vandalism was reminiscent of the Taliban’s demolition of the great carved Buddhas of Bamiyan in Afghanistan in early 2001 and raised fears that extremists were gaining ground in the Maldives, the New York Times reported in February.

AFP meanwhile reported former President Nasheed as saying that the vandals included Islamist hardliners who had attacked the museum because they believed some of the statues inside were “idolatrous”.

In the weeks leading up to the transfer of presidential power on February 7, former President Nasheed’s administration was accused by a coalition of religious NGOs and opposition parties of weakening Islam in the Maldives under the influence of “Jews and Christian priests.”

On December 23, 2011, the opposition alliance held a massive rally in the capital Male’ to “defend Islam” from Nasheed’s allegedly liberal policies and securalisation agenda.

In November 2011, monuments gifted by the South Asian countries to the Maldives ahead of the 17th summit of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC), hosted in Addu City, were denounced as idolatrous and vandalised.

Removal of the contentious monuments was one of the five demands of the December 23 coalition, who also demanded that the government prohibit Israeli airlines from operating in the Maldives, shut down brothels doubling as massage parlours, reverse policies to allow sale of alcohol in city hotels and condemn United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay for her suggestion that flogging be abolished as a punishment for extra-marital sex.

After coming to power, the ruling coalition withdrew the demands in the People’s Majlis.

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PPM MP Abdulla Yameen’s campaign team will “accept defeat” should they lose party congress

Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) MP Abdulla Yameen’s campaign team have said they will accept defeat and follow the winner should they lose in the party congress this month, local media reports.

The first congress of PPM is to be held on January 17 and will see both Umar Naseer’s campaign team and Yameen’s ‘Yageen Team’ compete in the congress, Sun Online reported.

PPM Spokesperson Ahmed Mahloof told local media that PPM will hold debates between contestants in line with the principles of democracy.

Mahloof said that party members will not become enemies, adding that disagreements such as those arising between members of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) will not arise between members of PPM, local media reported.

“This party has over 30,000 members. The party will always follow the decisions made by them. The major concern of our party members would be that we may end up like DRP. God willing, that won’t happen to us,” Mahloof was quoted as saying in Sun Online.

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Court sentences Lance Corporal Adam Haleem’s murderer to death

The Criminal Court has found Ahmed Samah of Kaashidhoo guilty of murdering Police Lance Corporal Adam Haleem and sentenced him to death.

The Criminal Court ruling stated that the court had obtained statements from three of the four heirs of Adam Haleem, all of whom who had informed the court that they approved the passing of the death sentence against Samah if the court were to find him guilty.

According to the ruling, the fourth heir of Adam Haleem was his one year-old child, and stated that according to the Hanifee and Maalikee Sects of Islam, the other heirs could approve the death sentence on behalf of the infant.

On July 23, Adam Haleem was stabbed to death by Mohamed Samah at 12:00 am while Haleem was on his way to report for duty.

On July 31 last year, Samah confessed in the Criminal Court to attacking Lance Corporal Adam Haleem, stating that he was under the influence of alcohol after drinking cologne.

According to local media, Samah told the court he attacked Haleem with the intention of frightening him but not to kill him, and told the court he wished to repent and apologise to Haleem’s family.

On November 12, a second hearing of the case was held during which Samah said that the confession he made during the previous hearing was a result of police torture while in custody.

The presiding judge asked if Samah could prove the allegation to the court, but Samah said he could not.

Last year after completing the investigation into the case police told media the incident occurred while Haleem was on the way to the police station. The officer had spotted Mohamed Samah outside while he was supposed to be under house arrest.

According to police, Haleem followed Samah to his house and asked him to get ready to come with him to the police station.

According to police procedure, a person under house arrest who fails to comply with court order is to be arrested and taken to the court, and transferred to a pre-trial detention centre.

Samah refused to go to the police station and became angry. He entered his house and took an eight inch knife from the kitchen, which he used to stab Haleem in the left side of his chest, according to police.

Before Haleem was attacked, he called the police station had informed officers on duty that Samah was breaching his house arrest, and asked them to attend the scene. However by the time the other police officers arrived Samah had stabbed Haleem and his body was lying on the ground.

Police officers took Haleem to Kaashidhoo Health Centre, but Haleem failed to survive the deep wound in his chest and died at 12:10am that night.

Samah was arrested the next day and was suspected of being under the influence of illegal drugs. The test results showed his body contained THC (cannabis) and AMP (amphetamines), police said.

Recently, Attorney General Azima Shukoor drafted a bill on how the death sentence should be implemented in the Maldives, and proposed using a lethal injection.

The bill is now open for public comments and has not been yet sent to the parliament. Currently there are no laws that state how to execute death sentences – such sentences have traditionally been commuted to 25 year life sentences by presidential decree.

The last person to be judicially executed in the Maldives was Hakim Didi, who was executed by firing squad in 1953 after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder using black magic.

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Maldives marks 70th National Day

Official speeches, flag hoisting and military events marked the 70th National Day in the Maldives on Sunday, which celebrates Mohammed Thakurufaanu ending the country’s 15-year Portuguese occupation.

Festivities took place on the island of Fonadhoo in Laamu Atoll with speeches by President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik and Minister of Home Affairs Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed.

President Waheed focused on the migrant worker threat to “Maldivianness, culture and nationhood”, while Ahmed stressed the importance of not complaining or questioning what the country has done for Maldivians, local media reported.

These speeches were accompanied by a flag raising ceremony, ceremonial march by the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), stage show and Children’s Evening on Fonadhoo, reported local media. A fireworks display on the same island is planned on Monday night (January 14). The MNDF and Fonadhoo community undertook extensive preparations for the festivities.

Additional flag hoisting ceremonies, including in the capital Male’, were led by the MNDF on various islands nationwide in celebration of Thakurufaanu liberating the Maldives from the Portuguese in 1573.

Former President Mohamed Nasheed also made a National Day statement emphasising the need for an “impartial and honest” security force, and calling for recognition that the Maldivian people were “the true guardians of the system.”

“The nationalism that defended [our] freedom [in the past] should be beneficial to the people and their progress,” Nasheed said.

Not so ancient history

Mohamed Thakurufaanu is hailed as “one of the most illustrious heroes of the nation” for his victory over the Portuguese and his influence is embedded in the heart of Maldivian culture. He coined the traditional title of the State “Ad-Dawlat Al-Mahaldheebiyya” – which can be found on the Maldivian national emblem – and his namesake literally encircles Male’ as “Boduthakurufaanu Magu.”

Originally from a royal family on Utheemu in Haa Alif Atoll (traditionally known as Thiladhunmathi) Thakurufaanu traveled to Male’ with supporters from his island and defeated the Portuguese colonisers on the first day of Rabee ul Awwal, the third month in the Hijree (Islamic) calendar. This date is now commemorated annually as National Day.

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Rising migrant worker population threat to “Maldivianness, culture and nationhood”: President Waheed

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has warned the Maldives will face difficulties in seeking foreign assistance should it descend to Tier 3 of the US State Department’s human-trafficking watch list.

Speaking at a ceremony to celebrate National Day, Waheed stated the Maldives is now “forced” to take measures against changes to the “national character” due to the rising number of migrant workers in the country.

The Maldives has been listed on the tier 2 watch list for human trafficking for three years in a row. Waheed stated that if the country descends to Tier 3, “it would face difficulties, among other issues, in seeking foreign assistance”.

In 2012, the Maldives only narrowly avoided a descent to Tier 3 – the worst category – after presenting a written plan that, “if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.”

In his speech today (January 13), Waheed said the government was taking measures to prevent the country from falling into Tier 3 category of human trafficking, by initiating an awareness campaign underway and a draft bill on anti-trafficking submitted to the People’s Majlis.

Foreign influence threatens “Maldivianness”: President Waheed

In his National Day speech, Waheed also warned that the Maldivian population risks being overtaken by the migrant population in just six years if immigration continues to grow at its current rate.

Waheed stated that this was something “no Maldivian can and will, want to accept”.

“If the number of migrant workers continues to increase, [Maldivian] national character will be lost,” the President was reported as saying on the island of Fonadhoo in Laamu Atoll.

“If the influence of foreigners grows, [the] threat of negative impacts on Maldivianness, culture and nationhood is not unrealistic,” he added.

Border control system crucial in addressing human-trafficking

At the National Day speech, the President was reported as saying that an effective border control system was crucial for addressing trafficking.

Last month, parliament voted unanimously to instruct the government to terminate the border control project agreement with Malaysia-based IT group Nexbis, over allegations of corruption.

Speaking about the BSC project last month, Majlis Finance Committee member Ahmed Hamza told Minivan News at the time there was a “worry” within the immigration department that their own border control system would not be sufficient.

Furthermore, Hamza stated there was a “possibility” that human trafficking could increase should the Nexbis contract be cancelled, and to combat this parliament will need to provide a “sufficient solution to deal with these problems”.

Speaking at National Day, President Waheed claimed there were approximately 111,000 migrant workers using work visas and over 40,000 illegal migrant workers in the Maldives.

‘Blue Ribbon Campaign Against Human Trafficking’

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently inaugurated an initiative targeted at raising awareness of the human trafficking issue in the Maldives.

The strategy, entitled ‘Blue Ribbon Campaign Against Human Trafficking’ is expected to include activities to try and raise awareness among students and the business community.

The Foreign Ministry announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with multiple local media outlets in the country as part of the campaign’s aim to raising awareness of human trafficking and other related issues.

The MOU states that the media outlets will produce and broadcast programmes aimed at disseminating information on the issue of human trafficking.

Nasheed’s National Day statement

Meanwhile, former President Mohamed Nasheed gave his own National Day statement calling for a security force that is “impartial and honest” to help build the nation.

“The nationalism that had defended [our] freedom [in the past] should be beneficial to the people and their progress.

“The true guardians of this system are the people. Today, due to an uninvited interference by the security forces to the people’s rightfully elected government and their interference to the progress of the nation has resulted in re-emergence of the old political culture,” Nasheed said, in a statement.

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Maldives falls 40,000 short of million tourist target for 2012

The Maldivian government has narrowly failed to reach its target of one million tourist arrivals for 2012, according to figures released by Ministry of Tourism, after a year of political turmoil and an economic slump in key markets.

Despite arrivals falling short by roughly 42,000 tourists, figures released by the ministry have shown that overall arrivals rose 2.9 percent from 931,333 in 2011 to 958,027 in 2012.

Prior to the release of the figures, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb predicted that while there may be a shortfall of roughly 20,000 in 2012, he was confident the ministry could achieve the one million mark in 2013.

“There were a lot of hiccups last year with the political turmoil that the country experienced. It is important that we do not compare ourselves to other destinations like Sri Lanka or Seychelles, as our tourism market is very different. We have a high-value tourism market.

“We will formulate a strategy to go forward this year and later this month [January] we are going to finalise the fourth master plan of tourism. I am sure we will get one million tourists in 2013. I can assure you of it,” Adheeb told Minivan News earlier this month.

Figures released by the  tourism ministry show that Europe, which accounted for 54 percent of all tourist arrivals in 2012, fell by 3.7 percent from 537,757 in 2011 to 517,809 in 2012. Arrivals from the United Kingdom – the second highest share of European arrivals to the Maldives this year – continued to fall from 104,508 in 2011 to 91,776 in 2012 – a 12.2 percent  drop.

Germany took over the UK in 2012 as having the largest share of European arrivals to the Maldives, growing by an extra 7,834 arrivals from 90,517 in 2011. The 8.7 percent increase in arrival numbers, meant that Germany was accountable for 10.3 percent of all tourist arrivals in 2012.

Italy, which had the second highest arrival share of European tourists in 2010, fell drastically in 2012 by 24.4 percent from 83,088 arrivals to 62,782.

Meanwhile, tourist arrivals from ‘Asia and Pacific’ regions continued year-on-year growth from 2010, increasing by 10.2 percent from 2011 and accounting for a 40.1 percent share in the overall market at 384,506 arrivals in 2012.

Shift to ‘low yield’ Chinese tourists

Chinese arrivals continued to grow in 2012, with a 15.6 percent increase from 198,655 in 2011 to 229,551 in 2012.

Chinese tourists now account for the largest share of arrivals from any nation in 2012 standing at 24 percent, a massive increase from Chinese arrival figures in 2009 which stood at 60,666.

Despite the high number of Chinese tourists, tourism experts stated back in 2010 that Chinese guests were relatively ‘low yield’ despite their high numbers.

Speaking to Minivan News in 2010, the now former Secretary General Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), Sim Mohamed Ibrahim, said Chinese tourists tended to spend less than their European counterparts.

“The Chinese who come do not come for the sun and the beach – they come because the Maldives is a novelty, a safe destination, and because of their new-found freedom to travel. Resorts are saying there are not many repeat visitors from China,” he said at at he time.

Tourism growth slowed to less than one percent in 2012

Tourism growth meanwhile slowed to less than one percent in 2012. While the tourism industry grew by 15.8 percent in 2010 and 9.1 percent in 2011, the industry’s growth in 2012 was expected to be 0.7 percent.

The two main reasons cited by the Finance Ministry for the anaemic growth were “the political turmoil the country faced in February” and a decline in the average number of nights tourists spend in the country “as a result of a decline in the average number of days a tourist spent in the Maldives.”

On average, tourism accounted for 28 percent of GDP during the past 10 years.

Despite the widely reported Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) dispute between the Indian infrastructure giant GMR and the Maldivian Government in December last year – as well as claims of anti-India sentiment within the country – arrivals from India  increased by 34 percent in December compared to the same month in 2011.

The largest increase in tourist arrivals compared to 2011 was from the Middle East, which saw close to a 50 percent rise in arrivals for 2012 at 21,843 from 14,570 in 2011.

Arrivals from United Arab Emirates grew the highest in percentage from 2011 by 76.6 percent. Despite the high percentage growth however, the number of tourists was comparatively low to other countries standing at 4,047 in 2012.

MVR 70 million tourism marketing budget in 2012

The Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC) was allocated a budget of MVR 70 million (US$4.5 million) in 2012 to conduct marketing activities for the year, almost double the 2011 budget of US$2.3 million, which saw the country receive 900,000 tourist arrivals.

Following February’s controversial transfer of power, the incoming government of President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan sought to utilise public relations groups and advertising to try and offset the impact of negative news headlines resulting from the controversial nature of the change in government.

That focus included a US$250,000 (MVR3.8million) advertising deal to promote the country’s tourism industry on the BBC through sponsorship of its weather services, as well as signing a £93,000 per month (US$150,000) contract with public relations group Ruder Finn to try and improve the country’s image internationally.

Maldives tourism authorities said back in October that they were confident the country would meet its one million visitor target, despite ongoing “political turmoil”.

Registered beds up, occupancy rates down

According to the 2012 statistics released by the Tourism Ministry, the average number of registered beds between resorts, hotels, guest houses and safari vessels stood at 27,702 in 2012 – an increase of 1,346 from 2011.

Despite the increases in tourism arrivals, bed nights fell from 6,529,200 in 2011 to 6,450,794 – a total drop of 1.2 percent – and the average days spent in the Maldives by tourists fell from 7.0 days in 2011 to 6.7 days in 2012.

Occupany rates also fell across all types of accommodation aside from a 1.9 percent increase on safari vessels. Altogether the occupancy rates fell from 73.1 in 2011 to 70.6 in 2012.

Maldives top five markets by visitor numbers (2012)

China: 229,551

Germany: 98,351

United Kingdom: 91,776

Russia: 66,378

Italy: 62,782

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Police fire head of Drug Enforcement Department

Former Head of the Police Drug Enforcement Department (DED), Mohamed Jinah, was relieved of police duty last Thursday January 10.

Speaking to Minivan News, Jinah said police had called him and informed him that he had been dismissed from police.

‘’They did not tell me why the decision was made, but they said they will send me documents containing information as to why I have been dismissed,’’ Jinah said. ‘’I don’t have much to say before I get the documents.’’

Jinah said he has not yet decided to file the matter in court.

‘’I will make a decision after I receive the documents clarifying why I was dismissed,’’ he added.

After the controversial transfer of power in February, Jinah was demoted to Chief Inspector of Police from his position as Police Chief Superintendent.

Jinah was the Head of the Drug Enforce Department (DED), but following February 7 was changed to the police planning department.

Jinah, former Chief Superintendent ‘MC’ Mohamed Hameed, former Superintendent Ibrahim Adnan Anees and Superintendent ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik were among a few senior officer who did not join a police revolt against the government on February 7, that led to the resignation of then President Mohamed Nasheed.

With the dismissal of Jinah, almost all senior police officers who did not take to the streets demanding Nasheed’s resignation on February 7 have now been dismissed.

On August 8 last year, the Police Disciplinary Board decided to relieve Chief Superintendent ‘MC’ Mohamed Hameed and Superintendent Ibrahim Adnan of duty.

Superintendent ‘Lady’ Ibrahim Manik was also demoted to Chief Inspector of Police, and the disciplinary badge on his uniform was removed.

Adhnan Anees, Ibrahim Manik and Mohamed Jinah were among senior officers allegedly assaulted by ordinary officers on February 7.

Video footage available on Youtube shows the former head of the Drug Enforcement Departmen being handcuffed and taken to the detention island Dhoonidhoo on the morning of February 7.

On June 14, police arrested Chief Superintendent Hameed following his contribution to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s report into the controversial transfer of power on February 7.

According to the MDP’s report, the attacks were carried out by police officers outside police headquarters on the instructions of Police Superintendent Abdulla Nawaz and Sub-Inspector Azeem Waheed.

The report stated that Corporal Ahmed Vikram ‘Viki’ hit Superintendent Anees with a wooden chair in the back, and struck Anees in the genitals with his leg.

Anees was then taken upstairs to the third floor of police headquarters and locked inside the DED’s storage room, along with Deputy Commissioner Ismail Atheef and Superintendent Ibrahim Manik, the report claimed.

According to the report, mutinying police officers subsequently broke open the door of the storage room and again attacked the three senior officers, before taking them downstairs.

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