Tag: maldives

MNDF assists police in sea search for missing Minivan News journalist

The Maldives National Defense Forces (MNDF) is helping the Maldives Police Services in searching the Hulhumalé lagoon for signs of missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla, Home Minister Umar Naseer has said.

Speaking at a press conference at noon, Naseer said a team of 40 police officers, including senior officials, and MNDF divers are involved in the “top priority case.”

The Home Ministry did not inform or invite Minivan News to the press conference.

The police are conducting a land search of Malé’s suburb island Hulhumalé with court warrants and MNDF divers are conducting a search of the waters around the island, Naseer said.

Minivan News believes Rilwan, 28-years-old, has been abducted. Two eyewitnesses told Minivan News they saw a man being forced into a car in front of Rilwan’s apartment building at knifepoint in Hulhumalé at the time Rilwan is believed to have gone missing.

“Such an incident happened and was reported to the police. But it is not yet established if the incident is related to Rilwan,” Naseer said adding that the police is considering multiple courses in its investigation.

He assured the Maldives media and the public the government is “taking all necessary steps.”

The police have now deployed all resources for the search, Naseer added. He also appealed to the public to come forward with any information and contact the police via emergency number 911, hotline number 3322111 and mobile number 9888999.

Rilwan was last seen on the Malé – Hulhumalé ferry on August 8. However, his family and friends only reported him as missing on August 13 as he is known to drop out of contact for a few days periodically.

When asked if religious extremists were involved in Rilwan’s disappearance, Naseer said “it is not the time point fingers at specific groups.”

Rilwan had received threats from online anonymous Islamist groups for his social media activity. However, he did not report having received threats in the week leading up to his disappearance.

Blogger and journalist Ismail Hilath Rasheed had his throat slit in 2012 after publicly calling for religious tolerance. He narrowly survived, and has now sought asylum abroad. His attackers were never prosecuted and remain at large.

Security experts, with experience in counter terrorism, have told Minivan News that Rilwan was also considered a target.

Journalists and politicians have reported a spike in anonymous death threats in recent weeks. Authorities have failed to take any action regarding such threats.

The security experts have also alleged an alliance between radicals and gangs in the Maldives, as evident by a number of abductions in June. At the time, two men were briefly held and interrogated on their faith and accused of homosexuality and atheism.

The experts also suggested that many within the security forces had indeed themselves become radicalised – a claim previously made by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

On Friday (August 15), members of Rilwan’s family received phone calls and were also approached outside a mosque with anonymous warnings to call off the search efforts of around 30 friends and relatives.

International groups including the UN’s Office of the Commissioner of Human Rights (OCHR) have called for a speedy and thorough investigation.

The OCHR has also called on the authorities to address any threats and initimidation and “do their utmost to ensure that they are able to operate without fear for their safety.”

Vice President Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed in a tweet today said: “We give full assurance to the family & public that everything possible is being done to find missing journalist.”

Representatives of Minivan News today met with diplomats representing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Switzerland and representatives from the EU delegation in Colombo regarding Rilwan’s disappearance.

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International concern over missing journalist grows while threats continue

Politicians and journalists have continued to receive death threats as international groups express concern regarding the disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan 12 days ago.

“We call upon all parties to refrain from threatening media activists for performing their professional duties,” read a statement released by the Office for the United Nations Commissioner of Human Rights yesterday.

The statement also expressed concern at Rilwan’s disappearance while hoping for a prompt resolution to police investigations.

“We also urge the relevant authorities to address any threats and intimidation directed at journalists and other civil society activists and to do their utmost to ensure that they are able to operate without fear for their safety.”

Meanwhile, a text message sent to Minivan 97 journalist Aishath Aniya at 12.20pm today, from a sender identified as ‘ISIS’, read as follows:

“You are next on our hit list. Be careful when you walk alone. #fuckmoyameehaa.”

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) MP Mariya Didi also reported a threat, apparently received from the same sender at 12:25pm warning, “we will not hesitate to disappear you. Have you forgotten you have a small daughter?”

Both politicians and journalists reported receiving threats earlier this month, with Rilwan himself reporting on the latter threats.

Representatives of Minivan News in Colombo met today with diplomats representing Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Canada, Switzerland and representatives from the EU delegation regarding Rilwan’s disappearance.

Growing concern

Evidence obtained by Minivan News strongly suggests Rilwan, known as @moyameehaa on Twitter, may have been abducted. Security experts have suggested he was targetted as a result of his activities as a journalist and micro-blogger.

The Home Ministry has updated local media today on the progress of the investigation, with Home Minister Umar Naseer assuring that 40 of the country’s best officers were working on the case.

Yesterday also saw further statements on Rilwan’s case from the International Federation for Journalists (IFJ) with the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The IFJ and SAMSN noted that Rilwan’s disappearance had come “at a time of increased tension in the Maldives with a spike in threats against the media by criminal gangs and religious extremists in recent weeks.”

A number of abductions and attacks targeting perceived secularists and homosexuals were reported prior to the Ramadan period, with a rise in gang violence following the Eid holidays.

“The disappearance of Ahmed Rilwan has now become a matter of grave concern as his whereabouts have not been known for 11 days. We urge the Maldivian government and concerned agencies to do everything possible to find him,” read the joint statement.

The IFJ and SAMSN comprise all major journalists’ trade unions and press freedom organisations in South Asia.

“Critical time has been lost in the search for Ahmed and if the government hopes to ensure journalists can continue in their duties to report freely and without fear in the Maldives.”

“For the sake of Ahmed’s family and media freedom, the circumstances of his disappearance must be determined as a matter of urgency and if there has been misadventure or deliberate intervention, then every effort must be put to locate those responsible,” the statement continued.

Additionally, the New York-based CPJ noted that Rilwan had been particularly critical of local politicians and Islamists, urging a thorough investigation.

“We are deeply concerned for the well-being of our colleague Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla,” said CPJ Deputy Director Robert Mahoney.

“We urge the authorities to leave no stone unturned in their efforts to find him.”

Reporters Without Borders have already lent their voice to calls for an expedited search for the 28-year-old human rights advocate.

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Maldives’ economy hardest hit by climate change: Asian Development Bank

Climate change could cause annual economic losses of over 12% of the Maldives’ GDP by the end of this century, says a new Asian Development Bank (ADB) climate and economics report released today (August 19).

“A potential ocean rise of up to 1 meter by 2100 will have devastating consequences for this island archipelago, where the highest natural point is only a little over 2 meters above sea level,” said Bindu Lohani, ADB Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development.

The Maldives is the most at-risk country in South Asia from climate change impacts, said the report titled ‘Assessing the Costs of Climate Change and Adaptation in South Asia’.

Given the uncertainties of climate change, there is a slight possibility that the losses could swell to more than 38%. But if mitigation and adaptation steps are taken, the Maldives will benefit the most in the region, with annual losses limited to around 3.5% of GDP by 2100, the report concluded.

Programmes and Advocacy Manager at local environmental NGO Ecocare Maeed Mohamed Zahir, however, believes the government is currently far from taking such steps.

“There is no clear-cut adaptation strategy,” he added.

Energy supplies at risk

According to the report, the Maldives’ energy supplies are particularly at risk from climate change.

The Maldives’ energy vulnerabilities are related to the low elevation and small size of islands, the report explains. Their low elevation and narrow width makes powerhouses and associated infrastructure vulnerable to flooding and damage from severe weather events.

The report also notes that, with the commitment to become carbon neutral by 2020, the country is increasingly investing in renewable energy technologies, particularly solar power, for which there is abundant solar energy — 400 million MW per annum.

The environment ministry has recently announced a number of initiatives to minimise the country’s dependence on fossil fuels, including a pledge to convert 30 percent of all electrical use to renewable energy, and the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Programme (SREP) set to “transform the Maldives energy sector.”

However, President Abdulla Yameen has also pledged to explore for crude oil in the Maldives as an alternative means of diversifying the economy and supplementing fuel supply.

Vector-borne diseases

In addition, the report highlighted that vector-borne diseases could be a major public health concern for the Maldives in the future.

Dengue is now endemic in the country with seasonal outbreaks, observed the report. Epidemiological data shows changes in the seasonal nature of dengue, spreading across the atolls, and leading finally to epidemic proportions.

Morbidity from dengue by 2090 could increase to 34,539, with 324 deaths per year, the report stated.

Moreover, although malaria is not prevalent in the Maldives, it could be future concern if left unchecked said the ADB.

During 1990–2003, the number of malaria cases averaged 16 per year, with no fatalities. However, the report warns that annual morbidity due to malaria incidence by 2090 could reach more than 200.

Unprepared

Ecocare’s Zahir argued that the government is at best unclear, and at worst unprepared, for climate change. Speaking with Minivan News, Zahir appealed to the government to reveal their policy for adaptation in the face of climate change.

He went on to explain that in the last four to five years there has been no clear stance on climate change from the government.

“The number one priority is to make everyone aware if they have one,” he said.

Back in 2009, former president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, unveiled a plan to make the Maldives carbon-neutral within a decade. Zahir suggested that the following administration’s have been less clear on the issue.

“In the last two governments we don’t have a clear-cut climate change plans,” he argued. “From 2009 to now – it’s a disaster for us.”

Ecocare has previously accused the Maldives as being “not prepared at all” for the projected acceleration of sea level rise caused by the collapse of a glacier system in Western Antarctica.

Officials from the Ministry of Environment and Energy were not responding to Minivan News at the time of publishing.

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RSF urges government to deploy all necessary resources to find missing journalist

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Maldives government to deploy all necessary resources to find missing Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

Minivan News strongly believes Rilwan was abducted in the early hours of August 8. The paper has received multiple eyewitness statements claiming they saw a man being forced into a car at knifepoint around 2 am on August 8 in front of Rilwan’s building.

“We are extremely worried by Rilwan’s disappearance and urge the authorities to step up their efforts to find him as quickly as possible,” said Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Christophe Deloire.

“There is every reason to be concerned about Rilwan, especially as gangs and religious extremists are very often responsible for threats to journalists. Ismail Hilath Rasheed, a freelance journalist known for his support for religious tolerance, only narrowly survived a murder attempt in June 2012.”

The press freedom advocacy group said they are “very concerned” about Rilwan’s disappearance and has urged “the Maldives authorities to deploy whatever resources are necessary to find him.”

The Maldives Police Services at a press conference on Sunday night said Rilwan’s case was of “high priority,” but declined to reveal details of the investigation.

Abduction

CCTV footage from the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in Malé, obtained by Minivan News, shows Rilwan entering the waiting area at 12:44am wearing a black shirt.

A tweet from Rilwan’s account @moyameeha at 1:02am implies he was on the one oclock ferry, suggesting he would have reached his apartment building between 1:30am and 2am on August 8. Another man who claimed to have sat next to Rilwan on the ferry has also been identified entering the ferry terminal at 12:45am on CCTV footage.

Neighbors claimed they heard screaming and rushed out on to their balcony. They saw a man being forced into a vehicle, from just 20 feet away.

The abductor described as a tall thin man dropped something on the ground as he got into the car after the captive. The car sped off, its door still open, eyewitnesses said.

A third neighbor went down to the street and found a knife on the ground. He subsequently notified the police, who took statements and confiscated the weapon.

Minivan News understands no other person has been reported missing from Hulhumalé.

Security experts with experience in counter terrorism have alleged an “unholy alliance” between gangs and religious radicals following a number of abductions in June, and told Minivan News Rilwan has been considered a target for his outspoken views.

Rilwan regularly reports on religious issues, politics and the environment.

The RSF has ranked Maldives 108th of 180 countries in the 2014 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, marking a decline in press freedom for the third consecutive year.

The downgrading came after Raajje TV journalist Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed was nearly beaten to death in February 2013 and the station’s offices and equipment were destroyed in an arson attack in October.

A staggering 84 percent of journalists in the Maldives in May reported receiving threats, from political parties, gangs and religious extremists.

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Minivan News journalist feared abducted

Information gathered by Minivan News strongly suggests that journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla was abducted in the early hours of August 8 in Hulhumalé.

Two eyewitnesses in Hulhumalé have reported seeing a man in dark clothes being forced into a vehicle at knifepoint outside Rilwan’s apartment at around 2am.

CCTV footage of the Malé ferry terminal obtained earlier by Minivan News shows Rilwan entering the waiting area at 12:44am wearing a black shirt, rather than turquoise, as had previously been reported.

A tweet from Rilwan’s account @moyameeha at 1:02am implies he was on the one o’clock ferry, suggesting he would have reached his apartment between 1:30am and 2am on August 8. Another man who claimed to have sat next to Rilwan on the ferry has also been positively identified on CCTV footage, entering the waiting area at 12:54am.

Neighbours claim to have heard screaming before seeing a man being forced into a vehicle. From a balcony 20 feet away they reported seeing a tall thin man holding his right hand over the captive’s mouth from behind.

The thin man was then seen to drop something before the car sped off, its door still open. One observer subsequently went down to the street and found the weapon before alerting police, who took statements and confiscated the weapon.

Further statements were taken from the witnesses after Rilwan’s family reported his disappearance on August 13. Minivan News understands that no other persons have been reported missing from Hulhumalé.

Minivan News has consulted with police regarding the disclosure of this information for fear of hindering the ongoing investigation. It is released now only after its appearance in other media.

Further analysis of CCTV footage from the Malé ferry terminal – conducted with security experts with experience in counter-terrorism – also shows a number of men who appear to be tracking Rilwan’s movements before boarding the same 1:00am ferry.

The experts also alleged an “unholy alliance” between gangs and religious radicals, as evident by a number of abductions in June. Two men were briefly held and accused of being ‘secularists’.

Blogger and journalist Ismail Hilath Rasheed had his throat slit in 2012 by a similar group after publicly calling for religious tolerance. He narrowly survived, and fled the country seeking asylum abroad. His attackers were never prosecuted and remain at large. The security experts informed Minivan News that Rilwan was also considered a target.

Hulhumalé – the location for the government’s ambitious youth-city ‘mega-project’ – has become attractive to radical groups due to its low levels of policing in comparison to the crowded capital island across the channel, they explained.

Residents of the Hulhumalé suburb interviewed during Minivan’s investigation reported an atmosphere of fear, with little trust in the police’s ability to protect them from the radical groups said to be increasingly common on the island.

The security experts suggested that many within the security forces had indeed themselves become radicalised – a claim previously made by the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).

On Friday (August 15), members of Rilwan’s family received phone calls and were also approached outside a mosque with anonymous warnings to call off the search efforts of around 30 friends and relatives.

The International Federation of Journalists, the Progressive Party of Maldives, and the MDP have all called on the government to speed up its investigations, with the MDP demonstrating outside the UN for greater pressure on the government.

President Abdulla Yameen’s Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali said the government is “deeply saddened and concerned” over Rilwan’s disappearance, while police continue to appeal for public assistance in the search.

Minivan News is grateful for all the police’s efforts and urges the public to work closely to coordinate search efforts with the Maldives Police Service.

Images of the suspicious individuals has not been included, in accordance with the police’s wishes

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Maldivians not allowed to express or assemble freely: Maldivian Democracy Network

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and the Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) jointly reiterated their call on the government of Maldives to make substantial changes to the laws on assembly and association at a press conference held yesterday (August 17).

“The people of Maldives are not allowed to express or assemble freely, which is a fundamental right they are taking away from them,” argued Shahinda Ismail, Executive Director of MDN.

Changes need to be made in order to meet the country’s constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights and legal obligations under international human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Maldives is party, read a press release from FORUM-ASIA.

One of the main issues raised at the press conference was the freedom of association law. According to this law, protests cannot take place near schools, mosques, or hospitals, Shahinda told Minivan News.

Malé – the capital of the Maldives – is home to approximately 150,000 residents in 6 square kilometers of land, making it among the most densely populated capitals of the world. Therefore, facilities like schools and mosques are abundant.

“When you really look at Malé, there’s a mosque on every block,” Shahinda argued, “there is hardly any space left for people to demonstrate.”

“The restrictions on protesting must be made in consideration with the geography of the landscape,” she added.

Restriction not regulation

Another point highlighted at the conference was the wide range of powers given to police in controlling demonstrations.

“The problem we see is it doesn’t provide for police to protect demonstrators. It doesn’t regulate the right, it curbs the right [to demonstrate],” Shahinda stated.

“There must be a provision where police engage with demonstrators and try to bring order before deciding to disperse,” she added.

Furthermore, Shahinda the highlighted vague phrases in the legislation, which she fears are open to numerous interpretations.

“The word ‘reasonable’ used many times. It’s very subjective and we don’t feel it’s appropriate to use in the law.”

Another line could be interpreted as restricting right to assembly solely to police, added Shahinda.

“It’s just one line, a sub-section off a sub-section,” she notes, “but it can be interpreted in a number of ways.”

“The right to freedom of assembly doesn’t not stand alone, it has to come with freedom expression and association,” Shahinda warned.

Shahinda went on to connect the issues raised to the recent disappearance and feared abduction of Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla.

“The problems that people face in freedom of expression – Rilwan is at the height of it,” said Shahinda.

“We opened the press conference raising concern and calling on authorities to speed up the investigation, and we ended on the same note.”

Systemic Failures: Transparency Maldives

Earlier this month, a press release from local NGO Transparency Maldives (TM) revealed they are currently working to reform the Associations Act in order to create a more enabling environment for civil society.

“Governance, transparency and functioning of CBO’s [community based organisations] will improve if the systemic issues in the regulatory framework are addressed,” TM announced.

Christopher Roberts, TM’s consultant on freedom of association, released a set of comments and recommendations discussing the international best practices of freedom of association legislation and to share his experience of freedom of association in transitional democracies.

The report addresses several legal issues with the 2003 Associations Act of the Maldives.

“The definition of associations provided by article 39(a) of the act is circular and inadequate,” states Christopher Roberts, legal expert on freedom of association.

“The law should instead adopt the definition used at the international level,” argued Roberts.

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Maldives’ interrupted former president again fighting for political foothold: Irish Times

“Down a narrow alley and up the stairs of an unglamorous building in the bustling island city of Malé, a slight-framed, bespectacled man sits alone at a polished boardroom table. His minute stature, reflected on the vast wooden surface under drab lighting, is accentuated,” writes Mary Boland for the Irish Times.

“It is a scene redolent both of the new political reality in which he is swamped and his preparedness, shirtsleeves rolled, to continue pushing a controversial agenda regardless of who comes or does not come to the table.

Mohamed Nasheed, the democracy campaigner, journalist and environmental activist who in 2008 became the first democratically elected president of the Maldives – and the darling of the climate change protest movement – is once again fighting for a political foothold.

“It’s not easy to overcome a dictatorship,” he says, his high-pitched voice rising often to a squeal, his body twitching with energy. “You can change the ruler, you can change the dictator, but it’s difficult to uproot it unless you have some time in between, and unless you have a fair amount of support from others also: from the international community, from international agencies, from NGOs, from everyone. We were not able to muster that kind of international support to nurture democracy in the Maldives.”

The saga of the rise and fall of Nasheed (47), the most popular politician in this south Asian resort archipelago of 1,192 tiny, precariously low-lying coral islands necklaced in the Indian Ocean, reads like a political thriller.”

Read more

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Finding missing journalist of “high priority,” says police

The Maldives Police Services have said finding Minivan News journalist Ahmed Rilwan Abdulla – believed to have been missing since August 8 – is of “high priority.”

The police held a press conference at 9pm on Sunday night (August 18) and confirmed Rilwan has been seen on CCTV footage wearing black near to the Friday mosque at 12:40am and later around 12:45am at the Hulhumalé ferry terminal in Malé.

However, head of Serious and Organised Crime Department Chief Inspector Abdulla Shatheeh revealed no new information on Rilwan’s disappearance.

According to phone records, Rilwan’s last phone call was made at 10:19pm on August 7 and his last phone activity was at 2:30am on August 8, possibly in the Henveiru ward of Malé.

The phone location conflicts with evidence that points to Rilwan having boarded the Malé – Hulhumalé ferry, including a tweet made at 1:02am reporting seeing local actor Yoosuf Shafeeu onboard the ferry.

Minivan News asked the police if phone records show Rilwan using his phone in Hulhumalé that night, though police declined to comment saying investigations are ongoing.

The police also declined to comment on whether Rilwan may have left the ferry terminal after arriving there. Shatheeh said police are considering all evidence and following all leads.

A police team has been conducting a search in Hulhumalé for the past three days, Shatheeh said, adding that regional police stations have been informed of Rilwan’s disappearance.

The chief inspector called on the public report any new information and pledged protection to any informers or witnesses.

Meanwhile, President Abdulla Yameen’s Spokesperson Ibrahim Muaz Ali said the government is “deeply saddened and concerned” over Rilwan’s disappearance.

President Yameen and Muaz are both in China on an official state visit at the moment.

The ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM) also expressed concern over Rilwan’s prolonged disappearance and called on law enforcement agencies to expedite investigations.

The party also called on the public and its supporters to support the search.

Pressure

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) meanwhile held a protest outside the United Nations (UN) head office in Malé on Saturday night calling for assistance in the investigation of Rilwan’s disappearance.

Speaking at the demonstration, MDP MP Imthiyaz Fahmy called on the UN to “pressure” the government to conduct a speedy and thorough investigation.

“We call on the UN to provide cooperation to all of us, the Maldivian people, in investigating [the disappearance] because we are certain that the government of Yameen Abdul Gayoom cannot investigate the abduction of people, intimidation of journalists, intimidation and death threats to members of parliament, and death threats to ordinary citizens,” Imthiyaz said.

Imthiyaz noted that the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has brought the matter to the attention of UN and that the MDP has alerted the international community over the disappearance.

“We know that the only party to stand up when the rights of the Maldivian people are violated is the MDP,” he said.

The MDP would not sow discord in society or incite strife, he added, but was protesting over a real and serious issue.

“The reason we suspect that a journalist has been abducted is because that journalist himself has previously received death threats. And the journalist had told the paper that he had been followed,” he said.

He also referred to death threats sent to a number of journalists via text message earlier this month as well as the arson attack against opposition-aligned private broadcaster Raajje TV and near-fatal assault of Raajje TV journalist Ibrahim ‘Asward’ Waheed.

“We don’t see a full investigation being conducted into any of this or [police] finding those behind [the attacks]. This is why we want to bring this to the UN’s attention,” he said.

Fahmy said he had also raised concerns at a workshop organised by the UN yesterday.

While writers who criticised the government were jailed without due process in the past, Imthiyaz contended that journalists were facing the same intimidation and fear after the “toppling” of the MDP government in February 2012.

The government should properly investigate Rilwan’s disappearance “if only to show” that it was not involved, he continued, and called on the police and the Maldives National Defence Force to launch a joint search operation to find Rilwan.

“MDP wishes for the blessing of Allah and for success in the efforts of Rilwan’s friends and family [to find him],” he said, adding that the MDP would do “whatever we can” to ensure that the missing journalist is found.

A free press was essential for good governance, he said, accusing the government of attempting to undermine to “destroy” free media out of fear that its “atrocities” would be exposed to the world.

After rising to 51st in the Reporters Without Borders’ Press Freedom Index in 2009 under the MDP government, Imthiyaz noted that the Maldives plummeted to 103rd “after the coup government took over”.

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China lends Maldives 100 million Yuan as free aid

The Presidents Office has announced China’s decision to lend 100 million Yuan (around MVR250 million or US$16 million) as free aid to the Maldives.

The agreement was signed yesterday (August 16), after President Abdullah Yameen departed on an official visit to China to attend the opening ceremony of the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, and to hold discussions with Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

In addition, an agreement was made to provide the Maldives Police Service with 150 motorcycles.

According to the statement, the grant aid is to be used for developmental projects in the Maldives.

At separate meetings held on Saturday afternoon, discussions were focused on the investment opportunities in Maldives, and the mega development projects proposed by the government.

Furthermore, Yameen met officials from Tuniu, one of China’s top travel agencies, and attended a lunch hosted by the group.

China Bridge

During the discussion on Saturday, Xi also conveyed his government’s ‎commitment to propel bilateral relations with the Maldives onto a higher ‎plane.

In addition, Yameen outlined the key ‎developmental projects envisaged for commencement in the time ahead, and ‎emphasised that no project is as important or pertinent as the Male-Hulhulé bridge.

Yameen expressed his satisfaction that the ‎interest of corporate China towards the bridge project and other key ‎economic manifesto projects. He went on to note that he desired in time, for ‎the new bridge to be known as the “China Bridge” to symbolise the friendly ‎ties between the two countries. ‎

Xi thanked Yameen for briefing him on his ‎economic agenda and assured that he would alert Chinese authorities to ‎collaborate closely with the Maldives in ensuring the key development ‎projects, including the bridge can be implemented with due urgency.

Silk Road

Yameen noted that the Maldives had always been a ‎standing supporter of the one-China policy and the Five Principals of ‎Peaceful Coexistence governing relations between states. He also commended President Xi on his 21st Century ‎Maritime Silk Road. ‎

In return, Xi noted that the Maldives would feature among ‎the countries that are included within the Silk Road sphere.

Referring to the Chinese ‘New Silk Road’ project, Yameen told reporters prior to the trip that the government was “very interested” in participating in the initiative.

Yameen also revealed that a number of bilateral agreements would be signed during the visit, including a framework agreement on trade assistance, while Chinese assistance in providing police vehicles would be “formalised”.

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported yesterday that China’s maritime ‘Silk Route’ would pass through the Ihavandhippolhu Integrated Development Project – or ‘iHavan’ – in the northernmost atoll in the Maldives.

“The design of the project seeks to capitalise on the location of the atoll, which lies on the seven-degree channel through which the main East-West shipping routes connecting Southeast Asia and China to the Middle East and Europe,” reported Xinhua.

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