Tag: maldives

Comment: Political parties will not resolve current conflicts

The killer headlines these days are about the standstill to Maldives political party peace talks.

The UN has spent more than US$40,000 to recruit a peace negotiator, and the resources allocated towards this are justifiable. There have to be efforts made to resolve the bickering and barking of the political parties.

In my graduate studies in human rights and peace studies, I was asked in one course to research a paper on how to connect human rights and peace. It was challenging as these were two varied disciplines and the advocates of both notions have different discourses.

Oftentimes during conflicts, the human rights advocators desire to settle scores with the human rights violators and bring justice. If the human rights violators are the past regime or the government, the government will reject all peace talks.

At the same time, peace keepers may show some indifference to human rights violators as their main aim is to resolve disputes and conflicts so that peace processes and peace talks can resume. When you study the history of peace negotiations in conflicting countries, each country has undergone dissimilar transformations.

We can consider the examples of good peace negotiations and try to adapt a workable methodology that may be appropriate to Maldives.

No external expert can resolve the case without internal and domestic willingness to resolve the political differences to accord peace to the citizens of the Maldives.

Maldivian context

The international community has been adamant that the Maldivian politicians would be able to settle their differences for the sake of the Maldivian people. I was skeptical and shared my views with the international diplomatic missions, statesmen or whoever came during the past few months to influence the Maldives politicians to resolve our domestic political affairs.

At the beginning there were reservations by Maldivians and politicians that the good name of the peace talks could be stolen by external experts and foreign countries. When Assistant Secretary of US State Robert Blakes met us in July, I was critical and open.

I shook my head negatively at his hypothesis that political parties will resolve the conflict.

There was a series of successive visits by foreign diplomats before his visit and afterwards. Another visit was a mission from UN Department of Political Affairs who met stakeholders but kept nodding off through nearly all the meetings.

I predicted at the time that the peace talks will be boycotted sequentially. I predicted that the sudden quick agreements will stall if there are no international negotiation facilitations. I suggested having an international negotiation facilitation team of 2-3 members with local consultants.

It will be a costly affair but I felt it has to be done.

Psychological warfare

Do you know what happens when two kids starts fighting over a toy? Each kid will tug at the toy, trying to gain control and power. The stronger kid will always win.

A smart kid knows how to cajole, and sweet talk will win over the other kid. Nice is manipulative and always wins. We need this kind of approach in the resolution of politics in the Maldives.

Nobody wins at all rounds, some lose and some win. We have to learn to accept defeat sometimes.

Immature political games

The deadlock in parliament’s deliberations has been challenged several times, at a cost in public spending of Rf400,000 a day. When the deadlocks are at climax, the pressure rises from the public. The general public starts calling for the resignation of MPs through radio and television channels, which are their only outlet.

Local television polls have shown that the public believes the MPs are not doing their jobs, although the political parties do not take these polls seriously are claim this is work of the opposition or government.

Again, are there any laws where the public, ultimately the highest authority in the Maldives, can make the MPs accountable?

Unfortunately, there seems to be no such laws and the MPs seem to be above law. They have failed many times to pass the required laws as per the Constitution. The public has witnessed the MPs name-calling on the parliament floor, accusing everybody of corruption without citing credible sources, accusing each other of fraud, vulgarity and theft.

Many times we have seen the MPs committing criminal offenses in parliament by hitting each other, but none of these cases have been put to trial.

Each MP – not to be outdone – presents that he talks on behalf of the public. This is an old story we are sick of hearing.

How many MPs can truly say that they have talked and understood the voices of the public? The general public elected the MPs with high expectations and hopes for a better democracy.

Way forward

Dialogue, dialogue and more dialogue.  We understand the Maldivian context, we are going through a democratising process and there will be many political hurdles, but not at the cost of public spending, our public life, and political peace.

The MPs are paid large amounts of public money for their salaries and they have to fulfill their obligations. How can, the ruling Government, the opposition or the independent candidates say that they are not ready for dialogue or peace talks?

The only way forward to any political solution in the Maldives is to keep up the dialogue. Ask any Maldivian citizen and you will hear same thing: we need the politicians to talk and bring solutions to the political conflicts.

Also, the peace expert should climb down from his chair and talk to the average citizens to hear our grievances. To the politicians, if you are not ready to dialogue, please resign from the political scenario and give peace to average citizens.

We have bigger issues in trying to make ends meet and earn a living, what with the high rents, spike in food prices and living costs. In addition to this, we have to deal with drug and gang warlords, fear, and sadly a society disintegrating moral values.

All comment pieces are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to write an opinion piece, please send proposals to [email protected]

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Transport authority prohibits vehicles on the day of Eid

The Transport Authority of the Maldives has prohibited vehicles from 4:00pm to 1:00am during the day of Fitr Eid, reported local newspaper Haveeru.

Haveeru reported that only vehicles of the armed forces, ambulances, wheel chairs of disabled people, permitted taxis and vehicles used for entertainment purposes on the day are allowed to ride between the mentioned times.

Any person who violated the statement would be fined Rf750 (US$ 50), reported Haveeru.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Chinese woman dies while snorkeling at Paradise Island

A 48-year old Chinese woman who had been snorkeling at Paradise Island Resort and Spa was pronounced dead this morning.

The woman was pulled from the water and rushed to ADK Hospital in nearby Male’ around 10:45am.

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said ADK confirmed the woman was dead on arrival, and that the police investigation was now focusing on whether she was dead when she was pulled from the water.

The resort said it could not give any information on the matter until the conclusion of the police investigation.

The death of the Chinese woman comes just days after a top UK transplant surgeon died in the water while snorkeling at the Adaaran Meedhupparu Resort in Raa Atoll.

61 year-old Ali Bakran was on holiday with his wife Diane and daughter Miriam when he was pulled from the water and pronounced dead on August 27. The resort’s management would not confirm or deny the report.

Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’ from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) said yesterday that Chinese guests in particular needed to be made more aware of the dangers of snorkeling in the Maldives, “because it is a totally different environment than what they are used to.”

While UK tour operators passed on advice and information to tourists, China was a relatively new market “and the operators need to be made aware also,” Sim added.

“Few resorts have reception staff or guides who speak Mandarin.”

In mid-August a Chinese couple holidaying in the Maldives disappeared from their resort after they went for a swim.

The 38 year old woman and 40 year old man were holidaying with their 13 year-old daughter on the Hilton Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll.

On March 14, police received a report that a Chinese national, Rui Dai, died while snorkelling at Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort, South Malé Atoll.

Earlier that same month another Chinese man died while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German tourist died in a snorkeling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

IFJ alarmed at MJA claims of spike in hostility towards media

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has issued a press statement expressing alarm at “increasing hostile actions against independent media in the Maldives.”

Verbal attacks and vandalism by unknown persons against private broadcaster VTV had contributed to “a climate of intolerance” against the broadcaster, the IFJ said, “according to information received from IFJ affiliate, the Maldives Journalists’ Association (MJA).”

The IFJ statement also noted that “the MJA has drawn attention to a threat of action held out against VTV by ‘Reeko’ Moosa Manik, leader of the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) parliamentary group, following what the MDP leader characterised as ‘repeated’ broadcasts of news stories critical of his party.”

The IFJ further repeated claims by the MJA that Head of the Male’ Municipality Adam Manik had “reportedly attacked” a cameraman belonging to private broadcaster DhiTV, and confiscated his camera.

Manik admitted taking the camera but denied attacking the cameraman, following the incident last week, and returned the item in the presence of police.

“Cameramen are not allowed to film on government property without authorisation,” he said, adding that “the media is too occupied with making the news instead of reporting it.”

IFJ Asia Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said the international organisation “supports the MJA’s effort to dissuade the officials responsible for these incidents, and indeed all individuals, from persisting with such hostile actions against journalists and media organisations.”

“The physical and verbal attacks on media organisations that have been recurring in the Maldives could create an environment that would be adverse to press freedom in the country,” she added.

Press Secretary for the President, Mohamed Zuhair, said he believed “the facts have been overblown and the IFJ misled.”

“The IFJ ought to know that that media in the Maldives was a state monopoly for 30 years and remains exactly as it was under the former regime, with the only change that it can now report freely,” he said. “This is a new concept for them and is why they feel so uncomfortable being taken to task.”

“The government no longer sponsors private media, and while some public officials may show hostility to the media, there is a broader picture – they are immediately accountable.”

Zuhair further alleged that the majority of the members of the MJA “are apologists and sympathisers of the former regime. I don’t think a single journalist involved in the reform process is in the MJA.”

He also claimed that MDP MP Reeko Moosa’s claims regarding the corruption of media “voiced the allegations of many in his party” that private media was being subverted to serve the political interests of its owners.

“I don’t believe people should invest in media for political purposes,” he said. “You don’t go fishing for political purposes – you go fishing for fish.”

PIC report

The MJA has meanwhile also called for the Department of Information to retract a decision to deduct five points from DhiFM’s broadcasting license, after the Police Integrity Commission (PIC) ruled that a police order for the station to cease covering a riot outside the presidential residence on January 28 violated the police act.

Police claimed that the order was given because the DhiFM coverage was broadcast in such a manner that it was a potential threat to national security, however police failed to convince the commission.

Following the incident, the government’s Department of Information docked five points from DhiFM’s broadcasting license for eight contract violations, with the content review committee claiming that DhiFM’s coverage breached aspects of the code including failing to distinguish between fact and opinion, produce unbiased and balance coverage of controversial/political events, and promoting criminal activities as “something good or acceptable.”

Then-Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dr Ahmed Ali Sawad, under whose jurisdiction the Department of Information fells, agreed that “in principle this is not something the executive should be doing. But because there is an existing broadcasting contract [under the former administration’s licensing system] we have to fulfil our duty.

He told Minivan News at the time that the five point deduction out of a possible 100 amounted “to a symbolic gesture”.

The MJA meanwhile called on the government to withdraw the decision after viewing the report published by the Police Integrity Commission, and dissolve the Content Committee of the Department of Information.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Letter on baibalaa and gang violence

Dear President,

Why do you have to appease to the thugs and gangs that rule or streets? Do you have to personally fight for the cause that has been the single main reason for increase in mob rule and gang violence?

Do you remember the thugs that held bats and clubs on the day returned from your self-exile? The police that day took no action and these are the same people that are trying to hold this mayhem festival called “baibalaa”.

The people that you shook hands with were the same people who have been arrested and charged, and then set free due to lack of evidence. What evidence will be there with the intimidation?

The judges then were the same people who were rumored to be corrupt remnants of the previous regime.

When the government does not get its way it’s always corrupt judges and incapable police work. I know there is an election on the horizon, but do you have to be able to control these gangs just like you accuse the previous regime?

It’s time you teach Maldivians to vote in elections, not through fear. How do you think these gangs come up with the amounts that they pay the players with? When will the countless number of murdered people ever get justice or their families closure when the current government takes up the cause of these thugs and starts fighting the police for their cause?

We hope for much better from you Mr President. So much hope for change for the better.

I know I’m writing a lost cause as a law abiding citizen in this country I carry no POLITICAL WEIGHT to influence the current government’s thought process.

The press secretary mentioned that you will listen to arguments against it, but the current state of lawlessness makes it impossible to speak out against these thugs. I know for one thing that I will be beaten up and stabbed if they know who I am. This is the reality of law enforcement in this small little country of ours.

No sensible citizen of this country wants to see the deaths of these youths on the streets, and now it’s not something that causes outrage amongst the people? Every month a youth gets killed right in the open and how many convictions have there been during the past five years?

I don’t want to see a bleeding kid on the pavement. The people who are against it won’t speak out – how many eyewitnesses come out to give evidence? Why would anyone speak out because they know they will be attacked and probably stabbed?

The police and law enforcement are incapable of dealing with these people and that’s why they are against the event. The opposition won’t say a single word as they are in bed with these gangs as well. How many MPs even from the ruling clan have these groups on the payroll?

You talk about their word. Why is the weight of the word of these thugs so important to us?

I voted for you because I believed in you, not because my neighborhood gang head said to vote for you. Not because the “geydhoshu haru meehun buneema”. Protect the rights of the people who live by the law.

Thanks,

Aishath Maleesha

All letters are the sole view of the author and do not reflect the editorial policy of Minivan News. If you would like to submit a letter, please send it to [email protected]

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Same lawyer acting as defence and prosecution in Qary Thaufeeg child molestation case

Police have complained that the defence lawyer of Al-Qary Hussain Thaufeeq, a renowned reciter of the Quran who was recently arrested on multiple charges of child sex abuse,  also served as the prosecution lawyer for one of Thaufeeq’s alleged victims.

Thaufeeq formerly hosted a daily Quran teaching programme on Television Maldives (TVM) for school children every evening after Isha prayers. Prior to his arrest, he also led Friday prayers and conducted sermons.

A police media official said that police would not disclose details regarding the case, but said the lawyer Abdulla Shiyaz had appeared as both Thaufeeq’s defence and as prosecution for one of the girls he allegedly molested.

Legal Officer of the Criminal Court, Mohamed Amir, said the police concerns had been presented to the Criminal Court.

“There were two defence lawyers for Thaufeeq, Abdulla Shiyaz and Ali Shah,” he said. “Police have claimed Abdulla Shiyaz appeared in court as the prosecution lawyer for an alleged victim of the accused. When the investigation is ongoing, the victim has the right to present her own lawyer if she wishes so.’’

Amir said the police investigation team have claimed that the issue could obstruct the police investigation and influence the witnesses.

‘’It is against the code of ethics of lawyers to appear as both prosecution and defence lawyer at the same case,’’ Amir noted.

However Abdulla Shiyaz told local news paper Haveeru that he denied the charges and claimed it was an attempt by police to denigrate his reputation.

He said that when he appeared in court on the victim’s side, he did not know that it was a case related to Thaufeeq.

Likes(0)Dislikes(0)

Government to support Baibala tournament despite police objections

The Maldives Police Service has appealed for those participating in an upcoming ‘Baibala’ tournament, a traditional Maldivian sport, to conduct the activity peacefully in accordance with the law.

Baibala is played by two teams, one inside a circle and one outside. The group outside must run into the ring, tag an opponent and escape without being tagged in return. Any person tagged is disqualified from that round. It is traditionally played following Eid-Al-fithur, and requires speed and agility.

A group of 150 players last week petitioned the President outside his residence to hold the tournament. Police earlier have objected to the tournament because of its popularity with gangs and the potential for violence.

It is common for gangs to compete in teams under their gang name, and even print T-shirts with their gang logos for players and supporters.

A police media official told Minivan News that police objected to the Baibala tournament because in recent years disputes in the sport have triggered gang wars.

“We have two main concerns,” said the police media official. “The teams in it are mainly funded by money obtained through robbery and thieving, and because following the Baibala tournament, a series of gang wars usually commences.”

He said he would not comment on whether police would be providing security during the tournament.

The government has meanwhile requested concerned authorities give permission to the youths.

Press Secretary for the President’s Office Mohamed Zuhair said the government would assist in anyway way it could.

“It is a permanent responsibility of police to maintain peace and law and order, especially in places where something may happen,” Zuhair said. “The Municipality Council, the youth ministry and the police are now discussing how to maintain the security of the area during the tournament.’’

“Police are concerned because during a recent football match, a boy was stabbed to death,’’ he said. “However security will be maintained during the Baibala tournament.’’

It is played between two groups and is often attended by youths.

Likes(4)Dislikes(2)