Government “suppressing media”, MJA tells Asian Tribune

The government is suppressing media in the Maldives by “continuing the draconian measures of the previous dictatorship”, according to an interview with the Maldivian Journalists Association (MJA) by the Asian Tribune.

The MJA’s comments were prompted by the decision by the Department of Information to dock five points from the broadcast license of the radio station DhiFM, following its coverage of the protest outside the president’s residence on 28 January.

In the AT article the MJA called the Private Broadcasting regulation a “draconian law”, and accused the government of having “no genuine intention of amending the law.”

“Rather, it is now trying to act on the draconian measures that were all too common features of the previous dictatorship,” the MJA told AT.

Minister of Tourism Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, also responsible for the Department or Information, last week described the disciplinary procedures for broadcast media as “not ideal”, and noted that it was seeking the creation of an independent media council.