15 Minutes with Shadow Minister for Community Development and Public Infrastructure, Dr. Waheed
MN: Why are you involved in the leadership of the demonstration?
W: I am part of the leadership of the Maldivian Democratic Part and I believe that people have the right to peaceful assembly as enshrined in the Article 26 of the Constitution. True democracy cannot prevail unless we exercise the freedom to assemble and express our feelings.
MN: What situation has prompted this demonstration?
W: The security situation in Maldives is deteriorating and civil rights of the people are being violated on a daily basis. The purpose of this demonstration is to persuade the government of Maldives to stop the mounting violence against the people, especially members of the Party. Multi party democracy is not possible without minimum respect for human rights and political freedoms. The following events and continuing aggression of the regime against the democracy workers necessitate collective action because repeated appeals to the government to cease all anti democracy activities have failed.
1. Continued incarceration and intimidation of political activists. The chairman of the MDP was arrested months ago and remains under house arrest and is being charged with terrorism and sedition for having exercised his constitutional rights to freedom of assembly. Jennifer Latheef the leading human rights activist in the Party has been sentenced for 10 years in prison for having participated in a demonstration against the murder of an inmate in hands of the prison guards. Naushad Waheed, my brother and Ahmed Didi both for having written articles critical of the government are serving jail sentences for 15 years and life respectively. Despite repeated appeals by the party and the international community they have not been released.
2. There is mounting violence against political activists, especially members of the MDP. MDP meeting in Addu Atoll in the South of the country was brutally dispersed causing many injuries. A non political demonstration over the construction of the inner harbor in Fares Mathoda Island in the south by island inhabitants was suppressed by riot police causing injuries to women and children. A chairman and vice chairman of two branches of the MDP have been assaulted by thugs financed allegedly by the police chief and senior government officials. The houses of senior Party members have been attacked twice in Male.
3. Political persecution of MDP members continues to affect civil servants. Many members of MDP have been removed from their office, removed or demoted, as retribution by the government which is now controlled by the minority political party formed by the President.
MN: So, what are your specific goals?
W: We are demanding things we are confident the government can deliver. Although the sentiments of the people are to call for greater demands we have prevailed on making them more manageable. The above situation has compelled the governing body of the MDP to call for mass action against these injustices. Peaceful protests called for the 24th January are meant to address the above situation. There are three demands corresponding to the above issues. They are 1) The immediate release of all political prisoners, especially the four mentioned above, 2) Removal from office of the Commissioner of Police and 3) Reinstatement of all civil servants who have been transferred or dismissed for political reasons. We believe that these are reasonable demands.
MN: What are the risks of this action? Are you in any personal danger?
W: We called for a peaceful demonstration. We do not expect any violence from member of the Party. The situation can get complicated if the government allows drug addicts and goons to disrupt the gathering. In the past senior officials in the government have been implicated in organizing confusion and destabilizing the situation through privately financed hooligans and then used that as an excuse to crack down on the opposition. This time the government is especially concerned because it is the first time a nation wide demonstration has been organized by the opposition.
I think the senior leadership of the party is in grave danger of being persecuted for this. It is a risk we are ready to take for the sake of democracy in the country.
MN: We hear that MDP called for participation of women and children in the demonstration? Is that true?
W: One of the documents had mentioned that women and children can participate? This was a mistake. The party has corrected it by calling upon all party members to prevent the attendance of children. It is a mistake and we admit it so we have corrected it. The problem is this government has always used children for political purposes. We have documentary evidence of such activities and the people sometimes take it for granted that it is something allowable. We will not allow children to be used to achieve out political objectives. I will personally make every effort in this regard.
MN: Do you think that the international community is sufficiently tuned to what is happening in Maldives?
W: Yes I am quite sure. I have been getting letters of support from people all over the world who are following this situation. These are my ex-UN friends, former class mates in the US and other well wishers. I know for a fact that many Western governments are following the situation closely and will not let down the people’s struggle for democracy in Maldives.
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