Day: October 25, 2014

Masked men chop down city council’s areca palm trees

A group of masked men wielding machetes cut down areca nut palm trees across Malé in the early hours of Friday morning.

Eyewitnesses told local media that the group felled about 25 palm trees planted by the city council in late 2011 on both sides of the capital’s main thoroughfare Majeedhee Magu.

On the previous night, (October 22), two trees in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office and one near the Amity shop were also chopped down.

Credible sources have suggested that the trees were felled by Specialist Operations (SO) police officers in plain clothes, with the incident causing a rift between the SO and capital divisions of the service.

Police have said the incident was reported around 3:30am on Friday morning and that no arrests have been made yet.

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party-majority (MDP) city council has since called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“This revolting, abhorrent and unlawful act was an injury caused to all citizens of the Maldives and especially the beloved people of Malé,” reads a press release issued by Mayor Mohamed Shihab yesterday.

Such acts would not deter either the council’s efforts to beautify the capital or calls to ensure peace and security, the statement added.

The Indian High Commission had donated the areca palm trees in October 2011.

Former Police Commissioner and sitting Jumhoree Party MP Abdulla Riyaz told local media yesterday that the police should have stopped the group in the act.

If not, he added, police have the competence and the technology to find and arrest the perpetrators, referring to an extensive network of security cameras in the capital.

Rumours of police involvement in the vandalism have circulated online, with a photo purportedly of one of the perpetrators in the act being shared on social media.

Patrolling officers from the capital police command allegedly followed the group, intercepted one cycle and baton charged two suspects.

However, the men fled and were seen entering the police Iskandhar Koshi barracks.

The group allegedly used police radios to verbally abuse the duty officer at the command centre and the SO SWAT team has since been transferred to the training island Feydhoo Finolhu.

The police media official has, however, dismissed the allegations today as baseless and intended to bring the Maldives Police Service into disrepute.

Anti-government protesters cut down the areca palm trees during demonstrations in January 2012 against the MDP government’s decision to detain Criminal Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Speaking to reporters last night, former President Mohamed Nasheed criticised the failure of police to apprehend the perpetrators despite video and photographic evidence.

“The safety and security of the public have been lost today to an unprecedented extent. This is something we are all very concerned about,” he said.

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MDP condemns MNDF decision to cease providing security to MPs

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has condemned the Maldives National Defence Force’s (MNDF) decision to cease providing security to MPs despite continuing death threats.

“We note with concern that security provided by MNDF to members of the People’s Majlis from [October] 20 to 23 was stopped while death threats were made repeatedly to MDP MPs and without the security services investigating the threats and taking action and despite the present danger to the MPs,” read a press statement issued by the main opposition party last night (October 24).

The party contended that providing security to MPs was not optional as Article 105 (b) stipulates that “the security services of the state shall ensure the protection and safety of all members of the People’s Majlis.”

The MDP accused senior officials of the security services of ordering the military to cease providing protection and criticised Speaker Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed for failing to ensure the safety of opposition MPs.

The decision was made to intimidate and obstruct opposition MPs from “freely fulfilling their legal responsibilities” as elected representatives, the statement added.

The parliament secretariat sent a text message to MPs on Thursday (October 23) stating that the MNDF would cease providing security as of midnight.

The MNDF informed parliament that the decision was made after assessing the current situation, the message read.

Meanwhile, death threats were sent via text message from an unlisted number to several MDP MPs and senior members yesterday.

“Tomorrow is the last day for all of you. Watch and see. [We] will kill you,” read the message.

An MDP rally is due to take place at the carnival area of Malé tonight.

On October 19, the MNDF urged MPs to stay in at night and offered to provide personal security upon request.

The move followed the escape of two dangerous convicts from Maafushi jail, who were both apprehended in Malé last week.

The MDP said at the time that the MNDF’s offer for protection indicated the “loss of domestic security and extreme levels of fear.”

“It also shows the extent to which senior officials of the government responsible for ensuring public safety and security have lost control of terrorist activities,” the party said in a press release.

A series of attacks against the MDP’s premises and upon the homes of some of its members in late September followed months of death threats, described as too numerous to publicise by the party’s spokesman.

The Inter Parliamentary Union has previously said the government’s reaction to the death threats would be a test of its democratic credentials.

A delegation from the IPU visited the Maldives late last year, requesting an urgent assessment of the political situation following repeated allegations of threats and intimidation against Majlis members.

“The frequent intimidation, harassment and attack of MPs as they go about their work have been deeply worrying,” read an IPU press release after the delegation’s visit last November.

After meeting with the IPU earlier this month, union member and MDP MP Eva Abdulla raised concerns over the personal safety of MPs and journalists in the Maldives.

Eva – who has been in personal receipt of threats against both herself and her family members – also received a threat suggesting the MDP’s next gathering would be targeted by suicide bombers.

A subsequent rally held in Addu City was disrupted by youths with wooden planks and rocks before the party’s office in Hithadhoo was set on fire.

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Public should be informed about president’s health, says Nasheed

The Maldivian public should be duly informed about President Abdulla Yameen’s health to allay fears and prevent speculation, former President Mohamed Nasheed has said.

Speaking to reporters last night (October 24) upon returning from a visit to Abu Dhabi and Japan, the opposition leader referred to the President’s Office denying rumours last week of President Yameen undergoing brain surgery in Singapore.

“If the president is unwell, I am certain that all of us would be worried. In my view, giving clear information about it to the public is absolutely essential,” Nasheed said.

President Yameen and First Lady Fathmath Ibrahim departed on an unofficial visit to Singapore on October 15.

“Rumours being spread about the president’s health are false,” President’s Office Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali tweeted on Thursday (October 23).

Since assuming office in November, Yameen has made numerous unofficial trips to Singapore. The President’s Office has not revealed when the president is expected to return.

Nasheed meanwhile questioned Yameen spending weeks overseas, noting that there were rules for government employees to take leave.

In the absence of answers, Nasheed said “doubt and fear” were increasing.

“We keep hearing that another coup d’etat is developing again in the Maldives. While we keep hearing that, we are seeing the president not fulfilling the responsibilities of his office,” Nasheed claimed.

The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) as the main opposition party was very concerned about the president’s absence, Nasheed continued, adding that the president should be working at his office to perform his duties to the public.

The MDP’s role as an opposition party was bringing issues to the public’s attention and holding the government accountable through parliament, Nasheed said.

“We are a party that holds peaceful political activities,” he said.

After serving on the panel of judges of the Zayed Future Energy at Abu Dhabi last week, Nasheed delivered the keynote address at the International Bar Association ‘annual conference showcase session on climate change and human rights’ in Tokyo on Wednesday.

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Survey team for Malé-Hulhulé bridge arrives in Maldives

A Chinese survey team arrived in the Maldives today (October 25) to conduct a detailed survey for the Malé-Hulhulé  bridge project.

The team which was due to arrive on Thursday (October 23) and start the survey work yesterday is now believed to be starting work on the technical survey in the coming week.

The survey will determine the pier points for the proposed bridge which will link the capital island Malé with the airport island of Hulhulé.

Tourism Minister and Economic Council Co-Chair Ahmed Adeeb told Haveeru last week that the survey is to be completed in the time frame of four months and is conducted with the aid of the Chinese government amounting to US$4 Million.

Adeeb also said that the construction of the bridge, which Chinese President Xi Jinpeng has suggested be called the ‘China-Maldives friendship bridge’, is scheduled to start next year with aims of completion by 2017.

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Maldivian judge re-elected for second term on UN anti-torture subcommittee

Maldives Civil Court Judge Aisha Shujoon Mohamed has been re-elected to the UN subcommittee on the prevention of torture and other inhuman treatment or punishment.

Shujoon was first elected for the sub-committee in 2010 and won re-election by winning 63 of the 70 valid ballots cast at a vote held in Geneva.

Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon congratulated Judge Shujune, saying that the re-election “is a true testament to Judge Shujune’s performance in the sub-committee, her integrity and conviction.”

Shujoon is one of the founding members of the Maldives Detainee Network – now the Maldives Democracy Network – as well as being outspoken on issues of bribery within the judiciary.

The 20 member UN subcommittee works with governments to prevent torture and makes unannounced visits to prisons and detention centres to ensure detainees are not being mistreated.

Late last year, the Maldives passed its first anti-torture legislation. The Anti-Torture Act declares freedom from torture as a fundamental right, penalises torture, ensures respect for human rights of criminal suspects, and prohibits torture in state custody.

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