Tag: minivan news

Police task force formed to combat gang activity

The Maldives Police Service has announced the formation of a special task force designed to try and combat gang activity across the country.

A police spokesperson confirmed today that the task force, which will aim to tackle activities “criminal or otherwise” carried out by suspected gangs, has been linked to several separate stabbing incidents that have occurred in the capital in recent days.

Working under the Specialist Crime Command, the task force has been devised to monitor gang activity, while also working to hasten prosecutions of guilty parties, according to police.

Combining members of the police Forensics Directorate, Intelligence and Covert Policing Command, Information and Communication Directorate, Central Operations Command, as well as technical staff from the Divisional Operations Command, police have said the task force was now active in areas where gangs were suspected of operating.

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Maldivian will begin flights to China in June

Maldivian airlines will begin flights to China beginning June 23, reports local media.

Managing Director of Island Aviation Services Abdul Haarish signed the agreement on behalf of Maldivian with the President of the Chinese travel company Chengdu Universal International Travel Service (CUITS).

Maldivian’s first flight destination in China will be Chongqing City, Haarish told local media.

“Maldivian cannot neglect prominent tourism markets, such as China,” Haarish said.

Marketing studies conducted prior to signing the agreement with CUITS predicted “reasonable financial gain from the venture”, according to Haarish.

Under the agreement, Maldivian will act as the operating carrier, while CUITS will handle all marketing responsibilities.

Maldivian will conduct two flights to China weekly, on aircraft providing 14 business class seats, 18 premier seats, and 120 economy class seats, explained Haarish.

CUITS’s President told local media he believes the new venture with Maldivian has a “bright future” and if “all goes well” CUITS will work toward broadening the business.

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Indian teachers request transfer, quit posts after Kumundhoo school attack

Almost a dozen Indian teachers on Kumundhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll have either resigned from their posts or requested transfers to another island following the assault of a colleague on school premises last week, diplomatic officials have confirmed.

Diplomatic sources said Indian High Commissioner Rajeev Shahare was meanwhile in the process of arranging talks with Maldivian education authorities to discuss the issue of teacher safety.

The Indian High Commission in the Maldives told Minivan News it received requests from eight Indian nationals currently working as teachers on Kumundhoo to be transferred to another island over concerns about their safety.

According to the commission, two other expatriate teachers on the island have also handed in their resignation after physics teacher Neelakantan Pappukutty Subash Kumar was assaulted in the school on May 14 by an angry mob accusing him of hitting a student in the chest.

One expatriate teacher on the island, who has since handed in their resignation, was also claimed to have received minor injuries trying to prevent the assault, an Indian diplomatic official told Minivan News this week.

Despite the concerns about teacher safety, the high commission said yesterday (May 19) that the response of the education ministry had so far been “positive” in terms of their handling of the attack on the Indian national.

Kumundhoo Island Councilor Ali Anwar claimed on May 15 that islanders had destroyed a a power distribution unit outside the school to cut off its electricity, before then entering and attacking the teacher, despite efforts by staff to try and prevent the assault.

So far eight suspects are being held in police custody over the attack, police confirmed today.

After being initially hospitalised after the assault, Kumar’s condition is not thought to be critical.  The high commission has claimed the teacher was now waiting for the Education Ministry to renew his work visa that expired last month, so that he can be returned to India for treatment.

A “mutual time” was also being sought for High Commissioner Shahare to meet with the country’s education officials to discuss the issue of “better security” for expatriate teachers.

Minivan News was awaiting a response from the Ministry of Education at time of press.

Ongoing concerns

Despite the high commission’s praise for the education ministry this week, one Indian diplomatic source said following the attack that the injured teacher’s treatment continued to highlight ongoing concerns over the Maldives’ treatment of foreign workers.

These concerns were said to be based around issues such as the retention of passports and travel documents by private and state employers.

“The fact remains that [Kumar’s] work permit has not been renewed. He was a government employee –  they should have renewed his documents before they expired, not afterwards,” the diplomatic source said last week.  ”This [issue] has been going on for over one and a half years now.”

A senior Indian doctor in the Maldives has also previously alleged that expatriate professionals regullarly  face intimidation and fraud in the country from employers and the public.

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Search for four men lost at sea “downgraded”

The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has halted aerial search and rescue operations to locate four individuals who went missing at sea earlier this month.

Search and rescue operations for the four men lost at sea have been downgraded, not terminated, MNDF Spokesperson Colonel Abdul Raheem told Minivan News today (May 20).

He explained that although aerial operations have ceased, the reduced search efforts are being continued. An Indian Navy aircraft was previously assisting the MNDF Kurangi Helicopter with aerial search and rescue operations, but has recently departed the Maldives.

“This is the procedure – when a search is prolonged, we change our method and try to find other ways and means to locate the missing persons and vessels,” said Raheem.

“We are coordinating with vessels and islands in the area as well as other agencies. We are trying to search new areas, on land and at sea,” he added.

Raheem explained that inhabited islands and boats traveling near the areas which the men went missing have been informed about the search, while uninhabited islands are also being checked.

“Still we haven’t given up hope, we won’t stand down until we find some information about the missing men,” stated Raheem.

Local rescue efforts led by boats from the missing persons’ respective islands are also being continued, according to local media.

Mohamed Sammoon, a 21 year-old surfer from Kolamaafushi Island in Gaafu Alif Atoll (the north-eastern half of Huvadhoo Atoll), was reported missing around 4:30pm on May 4. He allegedly entered the ocean with a surfboard and was swept away by the current.

Kolamaafushi Island Council Vice President Abdulla Atheef told local media that “hope is still alive he will be located. Although it has been 14 days that Shamoon has been missing at sea, we will stop the search only after considering what the relevant authorities inform us.”

Two fisherman also went missing on May 4 aboard the fishing vessel “Azum”. They were identified as 39 year-old Hassan Rasheed from Maamigili Island in Alif Dhaalu Atoll and 32 year-old Abdulla Waheed from Maavashu Island in Laamu Atoll. The two crewmen and the 40 foot light-green fishing boat disappeared after departing from Mulak Island in Meemu Atoll en route to Maavah Island in Laamu Atoll.

Additionally, 30 year-old Mohamed Falah, from Fares-Maathoda Island in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll (the south-western half of Huvadhoo Atoll), has not been seen since he departed via dinghy for the small uninhabited island of Uhehuttaa to collect sand on May 9.

The MNDF Coast Guard can be contacted through the toll free number 191, 339-8898, 339-5981, or via fax 339-1665, with any information regarding the missing persons.

Take travel precautions

Ongoing extreme weather conditions have hampered search efforts to find the men lost at sea, explained Raheem.

“Even on the first day [of the search] we were unable to operate the MNDF helicopter due to really bad weather. The wind has been so heavy and the sea very rough, it has been very, very difficult to conduct operations,” he said.

“The MNDF has been advising people to take the necessary precautions. We urge people to be cautious and take care that all the necessary equipment is onboard before traveling. In particular, people should not travel without life-jackets, communications equipment, and fuel,” he continued.

“It is very important to have a working communications radio onboard. Most of the time incidents occur because [the means of] communications are not enough,” he emphasised.

“Some people depend on mobile phones, however service at sea is limited. The Transportation Ministry also mandates that vessels have radio equipment be onboard,” said Raheem.

Three weeks of communities being battered by extreme weather has prompted Maldivian government authorities to provide emergency services and relief funds, as well as issue multiple travel and weather advisories.

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Maldives Green Fund to merge “scattered” climate finance

Transparency Maldives has called for stronger anti-corruption climate finance safeguards, following the government’s declaration it would establish a ‘green fund’ that would merge all climate change, conservation, and sustainable development project trust-funds.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s cabinet proposed a Maldives “Green Fund” be established, which would merge all the currently established trust funds in accordance with the government’s Biosphere Reserve sustainable development policy.

The purpose for merging the funds would be to enable cost reductions and strengthen operational efficiency for foreign investments for waste management, water management and renewable energy projects.

Shortly following this April 30 announcement, Transparency Maldives called for “stronger anti-corruption safeguards in climate finance” as part of the civil society recommendations presented to the Minister of Environment and Energy Dr Mariyam Shakeela during the “NGO Forum on Environment and Sustainable Development 2013” held May 5.

During the NGO forum, Transparency Maldives Chairperson Mohamed Rasheed Bari called on the government to strengthen governance mechanisms by including stronger standards of transparency, accountability and integrity.

Currently, climate funds are “scattered” because there is no consolidated national governance mechanism with a proper internationally governed governance structure in the Maldives, Transparency Maldives Climate Governance Senior Project Manager Azim Zahir told Minivan News today (May 19).

“In principle establishing a ‘green fund’ to consolidate climate change mitigation and adaptation money is ‘ok’ as long as it adheres to international best practices and good governance standards,” said Zahir.

The Environment Ministry had not responded to inquiries at time of press.

No overarching climate policy

“The government lacks an overarching climate change policy,” a civil society source familiar with the challenges facing climate governance in the Maldives, told Minivan News. “There are no specific goals, which has resulted in project-based, ad hoc and climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives.”

The source explained that conflicting ministerial mandates and unclear rules have created redundancies and left civil servants “confused”.

“The root cause of the problem is administrative – the lack of clear mandates between who is doing what,” the source said. “There are also ministerial rivalries regarding certain projects because clear mandates are lacking.”

“I find it strange the Ministry of Environment does not have a climate change department, considering they are the people in charge of the entire amount of funds,” the source added.

“One person is in charge of massive [amounts] of funds. There is a lack of human resources within the Environment Ministry. Only a couple of people have dominated [climate change projects] since the 1990’s,” claimed the source.

Some people within the ministry working on foreign aid projects write themselves in as project staff as well to in order supplement their “really low” monthly government salaries of MVR 6000 to MVR 8000 (US$ 389 to US$ 519), alleged the source.

“The same people work on each project, they don’t have new people,” the source claimed.

“These senior civil servants say the Environment Ministry lacks capacity and young people with knowledge and technical skills, however they are not providing training and opportunities [to the newer civil servants].

“They have a complete monopoly on knowledge” which is not being properly diffused, the source added.

Politics and bureaucracy

After the Foreign Ministry has signed a bilateral agreement the funds are transferred to the Finance Ministry, which then allocates the money to the applicable ministry or government agency, according to the source.

Most climate projects were handled under the Ministry of Housing and Environment during former President Mohamed Nasheed’s administration, the source explained. Additionally, the President’s Office also undertook many climate change initiatives and established the Presidential Advisory Council on Climate Change in 2009.

“The council still exists on paper and while some people within the President’s Office said the council members have been changed [following the controversial transfer of power February 7, 2012], no one has been informed if they have been fired. They have no idea what’s going on,” alleged the source.

Additionally, the National Planning Council (NPC) – chaired by the president and consisting of various ministers and civil society representatives – was formed in February 2009 to coordinate equitable sustainable development nationwide.

Currently the NPC website states: “Due to the change of the Government , the work of the National Planning Council is currently under reform. Therefore all proposals and issues submitted to Department of National Planning/ National Planning Council is on hold for the time being.”

Under President Waheed’s government the Ministry of Housing and Environment was split to form two new entities, the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure as well as Energy and Environment.

Due to the these changes and ongoing government instability “There has been a significant change in the process of how the project [cycle] works,” explained the source.

“For various political reasons – and the delicate nature of politics since February 2012 – climate change funds have not been consolidated,” the source continued. “It takes a lot of work to channel climate funds. Even under Nasheed’s previous administration there were the same problems.”

An additional reason Waheed’s administration “differs” from Nasheed’s is the current government “has not been ‘very keen’ on cooperating with civil society,” alleged the source.

“Previously they behaved really unprofessionally toward certain NGOs, however since the latter half of 2012, the government has started to try and engage NGOs and civil society – maybe to increase the administration’s legitimacy,” the source continued.

“A positive is the Environment Ministry under Waheed’s administration has been very active. They actually try to do things,” the source noted.

“However, the government consults civil society stakeholders after they’ve already decided everything. They invite NGOs to listen to their opinions, but do not seek their input during the project planning phase,” the source added.

“Ultimately, most [climate finance] problems apply to both administrations, under Nasheed and Waheed,” the source added.

Existing trust funds

“There are three umbrellas – the Maldives Environmental Management Project (MEMP), the Climate Change Trust Fund (CCTF), the Sustainable Renewable Energy Project (SREP) – under each there are different components,” Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environment and Social Safeguards Coordinator Ibrahim Mohamed told Minivan News earlier this month.

“The idea is that these projects be developed in such a way that the entire nation becomes a biosphere reserve, that’s the overall goal,” he added.

The MEMP umbrella is a US$ 13.88 million World Bank loan, approved in 2008 and set to close in 2014.

“The MEMP is a soft loan in the sense the interest is very less, and this project also has several components,” said Mohamed.

“Only one component is solid waste management, focused in Ari Atoll. Other areas include environmental monitoring, training and capacity building, and a bachelor of environmental science was established at the Maldives National University (MNU),” he continued.

“There is also a renewable energy component to install solar roofing of public buildings on Thinadhoo [Island in Huvadhoo Atoll], so at least 25 percent of their energy will come from solar. That component also has awareness and training on energy efficiency and conservation of energy.

The US$ 9.5 million CCTF picks up where MEMP left off, according to Mohamed.

“Under the CCTF umbrella we have three components: clean energy for climate mitigation, wetland conservation and coral reef monitoring, as well as solid waste management,” Mohamed explained.

“The World Bank is managing the donor money from the CCTF. They don’t finance directly to the government, because they want it to be managed by a reliable, transparent, international fiduciary system.

“The CCTF idea is that the project(s) we develop becomes an exemplary example for other small island states,” he added.

The CCTF was established in 2010 after the signing of an MOU between the Maldives government, the World Bank Group and the European Union with the aim of targeting solid waste management, capacity building for environmental management, and technical assistance for monitoring and managing key natural assets.

The US$138 million SREP was established in 2012 to generate 16 megawatts of renewable energy on 50 islands in the next five years.

The SREP scheme was directly related to the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program (SREP) originally planned to be submitted to the World Bank in February 2012, but was not due to the political upheaval that resulted from Nasheed’s controversial resignation February 7, 2012.

Additionally, the Maldives has received Global Environment Facility (GEF) grants totaling US$14,443,426 – that leveraged US$35,176,820 in co-financing resources – for 10 national projects, four regional projects, and eight small grants. The project areas focus on climate change, biodiversity, international waters, land degradation, persistent organic pollutants, and the ozone layer.

The GEF is an independently operating financial organisation that supports national sustainable development initiatives and addresses global environmental issues by working in partnership with the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Asian Development Bank (ADB) as well as civil society organisations and the private sector.

The GEF “unites” 183 countries with these actors and claims to be the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment.

“The EU has suggested that the Maldives’ government look at one atoll with the potential for populations to move and to live and do more projects there – such as waste management, clean energy, protection, preservation, adaptation – all things in one big area, so that these things will be more visible,” said Mohamed.

“If all the components go into one atoll they will become more climate resilient,” he added.

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Police confirm fourth stabbing incident in Male’ within 48 hours

The Maldives Police Service has confirmed that a man has been stabbed by a sharp object in Male’ this evening, the fourth such attack to have occurred during the last 48 hours.

However, authorities have said it remains too early to tell if the incidents may be linked.

A police spokesperson confirmed to Minivan News today that a male had been taken to ADK Hospital on Sosun Magu for treatment following the stabbing attack, but did not have further details on the victim or his condition at time of press.

According to local media, the victim was alleged to have been attacked with a “sharp object” by a group of attackers at about 6:20pm this evening.

Sun Online has reported that the victim fled into an electronics store in Male’, where he tried to shelter from his attackers. The attack was reported to have occurred in the store.

Police have said investigations are continuing, though no suspects had so far been identified in regards to today’s attack.

The attack marks the fourth stabbing incident to occur in Male’ within 48 hours, resulting a total of five people injured as police continue to search for suspects.

Two young men, 18 and 21 years-old, were stabbed near Azmi-Naeem Medical & Diagnostic Centre (AMDC) in Male’s Maafanu neighborhood at approximately 3:30pm yesterday (May 18) afternoon, a police media official told Minivan News at the time.

Meanwhile, two young men were also injured in separate stabbing incidents in Male’ on Friday (May 17).

The first stabbing took place near Star Cinema in Male’s Maafanu neighbourhood and was reported to police around 6:30pm. The 20 year-old victim suffered stab wounds to his chest and back, according to local media.

The second attack was reported to police at 7:00pm and occurred near Petrel cafe in Male’s Machangolhi neighbourhood. The victim, also a 20 year-old man, was stabbed in the back.

Since the start of 2013, 506 incidents of assault have been reported to police, with 51 cases having occurred so far this May.

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Maafushi parents pull students from preschool over playing of nursery rhymes, lack of gender segregation

A preschool on the island of Maafushi in Kaafu Atoll has alleged a number of parents have stopped students from attending school, claiming “differences in religious views.”

Parents have so far pulled six students from the preschool, while two more have been officially expelled on parental request. Parents of two older students attending the Maafushi School have also submitted letters informing the school management that their children will no longer be attending classes.

Maafushi Preschool’s Head Teacher Aminath Shiuna has expressed concern that the new trend is depriving children of their right to education.

“Two children, both from the same family, have been officially taken out of school. There are six more who have stopped coming. Although their parents have not informed us directly, we have heard through other mediums that they will not be sending them to school again,” Shiuna said.

“This is the only preschool on the island. We have 125 students aged between two and six years, some of whom are from other islands while some are non-Maldivians. If the students are taken out from this school, there are no other alternatives available on this island where these children can be sent,” she said.

“Therefore, we as the school management, are very concerned that decisions like this are depriving innocent children from the right to an education. We are doing all we can to hold discussions with these parents and find some sort of a solution where the children can be allowed to study again,” Shiuna stated.

A teacher from the preschool has told local media that although no official explanations had been given to the school, some of the parents had expressed disapproval after the school had held Children’s Day celebrations.

According to the teacher, a number of parents complained that the school had involved their children in Children’s Day activities in which music, in the form of nursery rhymes, had been played.

Parents have also further complained that the preschoolers were not taught in gender-segregated classes.

President of the Maafushi Women’s Development Committee (MWDC), which runs the island’s preschool, Badhurunisa Ibrahim has also expressed concern about the matter.

“They stopped sending their children to school without having discussed it with us at all. Depriving them from an education is an abuse of these children’s rights. This immensely worries us,” she said.

Badhurunisa suggested that parents try to find solutions through discourse rather than preventing children from attending classes. She said that arrangements could be made where parents so inclined can request teachers to not involve their children in activities they find inappropriate, such as the singing of nursery rhymes.

“Even in the other school, which is attended by students age 7 to 16 years, parents have recently prevented two from attending classes. The parents of one of these girls has even submitted a letter informing the school of their decision,” Ibrahim said.

An official from Maafushi School confirmed that the letter requesting dismissal had been submitted by the parent of the current school captain, a girl studying in the tenth grade.

The other student is currently in the second grade, and eight years of age.

“They are no longer being sent to school, and we are very worried that their own parents are taking away a constitutional right from them. There are no other schools in this island, so it’s not like they are just changing them from one place to another. We have heard, unofficially, that the parents intend to educate them at a private Quran class run by a Sheikh instead,” the official said.

Following the Sheikh

Multiple sources from the island of Maafushi have expressed concerns about a “Sheikh” from another atoll who has been preaching in the island for just over an year, which they allege is leading to events such as the increase in children being deprived of standard education.

“Keeping children away from school and blaming it on religious differences is certainly worrying. We are seeing that there is a separate faction that is being formed within the population of Maafushi, a faction that is growing at alarming speed. This factor, or group, adheres to a much more conservative form of Islam that contradicts with our traditional ways. More women are donning the niqab now, and more men are growing their beards longer,” said Ali Shaheen from the Kaafu Atoll Council.

MDWC President Badurunisa Ibrahim alleged the Sheikh was creating a rift among the island’s citizens, alleging he was converting more and more people to join his “more extreme version of religion” and abide by rules he defined.

“He calls himself Sheikh Ibrahim Rasheed, and originally comes from the island of Thulhaadhoo in Baa Atoll. He stayed in Thulusdhoo before but was sent off for creating problems similar to what we are seeing here on this island now,” Badurunisa explained.

“He has been preaching to those who listen to him that playing nursery rhymes in preschool is the same as playing music, which he claims is haram. He has been advising parents to not let girls and boys mix together in school, saying it is anti-islamic. This is leading to parents taking their kids out of school, which is so very worrying,” Badurunisa said.

“He initially came to teach Quran at the Children’s Centre here, and then when he got fired, he started teaching private Quran and Tawheed classes,” she said.

“It seems ridiculous that he convinces parents to take children out of school as they are not gender segregated, and then himself proceeds to hold mixed classes for all ages,” she alleged.

Another source from the island, on condition of anonymity, said the Sheikh’s preachings were leading to a lot of dissent among the previously unified people of the island.

He said that Sheikh Rasheed “acts as though he owns the island’s mosque”, and that he has been verbally harassing mosque-goers with taunts like ‘laadheenee’ (irreligious) and ‘kafir’.

He said that a group of islanders had approached the Islamic Ministry asking for action against the Sheikh.

A Maafushi school official said that it was known that both the students who were being kept away from school were now attending the Quran and Tawhid classes run by Sheikh Rasheed.

Government response

Abdulla Ibrahim from the Minister of Education’s Bureau said the ministry is “highly concerned as this will negatively effect the education of these children.”

He however said that the ministry has not yet decided on a way to address the specific incidents.

“Preschools are run by women’s development committees or councils. However, we will soon be discussing how to address this matter,” he said.

Minivan News was unable to contact Sheikh Ibrahim Rasheed at the time of press.

Minister of Islamic Affairs, Sheikh Shaheem Ali Saeed, was also not available for comment.

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Tourism Ministry searching for ‘celebrity ambassador’ to promote the Maldives

The Ministry of Tourism has announced it is seeking the appointment of a celebrity ambassador for the Maldives, through a company based in Singapore.

Deputy Tourism Minister and head of the Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation (MMPRC), Mohamed Maleeh Jamal, told local media the government was in the process of selecting the most suitable celebrity on offer.

“We are currently holding discussions, the most suitable celebrities for Maldives and the prices they offer, we are discussing such things now,” Maleeh told Sun Online.

Maleeh and Adheeb were not responding to calls at time of press to speculate on the qualities the Maldives would look for in its celebrity ambassador, or the potential cost of such an endorsement.

Former Secretary General of the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI), ‘Sim’ Mohamed Ibrahim, told Minivan News the proposal was a good idea – “it will generate sound bites, column inches and other publicity” – but suggested the government seek a “goodwill ambassador” rather than a paid celebrity.

“I don’t know how much the government has in their marketing budget, but I’ve heard there is an issue with low funds. If they have the money, then why not [go ahead]? But if they don’t, there’s other basic marketing to spend the limited resources on,” he said.

“[The ambassador] should not be financially-motivated; it should be someone who has a warmth for the country. Someone like Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, or Bill Gates,” he suggested.

Following a reported £250,000 visit in December to the One and Only resort by football star David Beckham, Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb told Minivan News the Maldives was prized by celebrities because of the seclusion and privacy of the country’s ‘one island, one resort’ model.

“Right now we are formulating policies to encourage more VVIPs to the Maldives. They can add a lot of value to a destination solely on the grounds that so many people follow them,” Adheeb said.

”We want to let the world know how unique a destination it is. How safe it is. How can we then give mores exclusivity to VVIPs? We offer privacy, the islands are free of paparazzi, that’s how we have made the Maldives unique. It is a celebrity destination,” he added.

The tourism budget for 2013 was increased from MVR 20 million (US$1.2 million) to MVR 80 million (US$5.1 million) at the start of the year, following criticism from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) that the amount was too low.

The initial sum of money allocated was the lowest in eight years, according to a statement from MATI at the time.

Tourism Minister Ahmed Adheeb told local media at the time that the ministry had initially requested a budget of MVR 200 million (US$12.9 million) to carry out tourism promotion for the year, however parliament had “erased a zero” from the figure when finalising the budget.

Adheeb noted that while tourism promotion is expensive, the revenue generated from the industry “drives the entire engine”.

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Indian teacher attacked in Maldives requires visa renewal before travelling home for treatment

The Indian High Commission in the Maldives has said an expatriate teacher hospitalised after being attacked on the island of Kumundhoo in Haa Dhaalu Atoll is waiting on education authorities to renew his visa before he can return to India for treatment.

Physics teacher Neelakantan Pappukutty Subash Kumar, who was attacked on May 14 over allegations he hit a student in the chest, had still been working for the Ministry of Education despite his work visa having expired the previous month.  The teacher is not thought to be in a critical condition, according to diplomatic sources.

Kumundhoo Island Councilor Ali Anwar claimed Wednesday (May 15) that islanders had destroyed a a power distribution unit outside the school to cut off its electricity, before then entering and attacking the teacher, despite efforts by staff to try and prevent the assault.

“Yesterday afternoon the expat teacher hit a 13 year-old student in the chest and the child fell and couldn’t breathe and was taken to the health centre,” Anwar said. “The islanders became angry at the teacher and gathered outside the school. The security guard and school staff were unable to control them.”

Arrests

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) confirmed today that five people had now been arrested in connection to the attack on the teacher, with investigations ongoing into the matter. A police spokesperson said the teacher had since been transferred to Male’ following the attack, although the MPS had no further details about his status at time of press.

Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission told Minivan News today that although the expatriate teacher’s condition was not believed to be critical, efforts to return him to India for additional treatment had been impeded as a result of education authorities failing to renew his visa on time.

“His visa expired in April and is not yet renewed. The Education Ministry will send him back as soon as his visa is renewed,” the commission confirmed.

Education Minister Dr Asim Ahmed was not responding to calls from Minivan News at time of press.

An Indian diplomatic source said that it was likely Maldives authorities would have sent the expatriate back to India immediately had he been in a critical condition.

However, the same source claimed the teacher’s treatment continued to highlight ongoing concerns raised by the High Commission over the Maldives’ treatment of foreign workers, notably the retention of passports and travel documents by private and state employers.

“The fact remains that his work permit has not been renewed. He was a government employee –  they should have renewed his documents before they expired, not afterwards,” the diplomatic source said.  “This [issue] has been going on for over one and a half years now.”

A senior Indian medical with experience of working in the country previously alleged that expatriate professionals were regularly facing intimidation and fraud in the country from employers and some members of the public.

Strain

The Maldives’ relationship with India has appeared strained since President Dr Mohamed Waheed’s government took the decision last November to evict Indian infrastructure giant GMR from the country with seven days notice.

The US$511 concession agreement to develop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was declared ‘void from the start’.  However, the government’s sudden eviction of the Indian investor did not however appear on a list of 11 grievances handed to all senior Maldivian reporters by the Indian High Commission this January.

The list of Consular issues affecting the India-Maldives relationship included a number of concerns: discrimination against Indian expatriates, the keeping of passports of Indian nationals by employers, exploitation of Indian workers and repatriation of mortal remains.

Threats towards the country’s diplomats, a disparity in visa charges between the two countries and the repatriation of salaries were also raised as issues.  The list’s release was followed by the Indian High Commission issuing a statement in early February slamming local media in the Maldives for “misrepresentation and twisting of issues”.

“The High Commission has noted a recent trend in a section of local media to publish negative, unsubstantiated reports, while blacking out objective and positive news on Indian issues,” the commission said at the time.

Despite admitting that every country has high and lows in their bilateral relations with neighbours, the new Indian High Commissioner to the Maldives Rajeev Shahare last month emphasised what he called the country’s “unshakable” long-standing relationship with the Maldives.

“During my tenure, I will endeavour to further strengthen the relationship between India and the Maldives, which is already very strong with an unshakable foundation,” he said on April 10, shortly after his appointment.

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