President of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan has told the UK’s Financial Times (FT) newspaper that he would not resign as this would require him to hand power to the Speaker of Parliament, Dr Abdulla Shahid, “who got elected with just 2,000 votes”.
Dr Waheed’s own Gaumee Ithihaad Party (GIP) received 518 votes in the 2009 Parliamentary Election, and had 2625 members as of February 27.
“For me it would be easy to leave the country and go but I wouldn’t do that,” Dr Waheed told the FT. “[Voters] elected me with an expectation that if a situation like this arose, I would be there to help manage it. I feel responsible that I need to do that.”
Resigning and holding early elections would be “reckless and undemocratic”, Waheed said: “It would be irresponsible of me.”
Prominent Maldivian blogger and journalist Ismail ‘Hilath’ Rasheed is in a critical condition after he was stabbed in the neck near his house in Male’ on Monday evening.
Police Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that Rasheed was stabbed around 8:15pm and was undergoing emergency treatment in ADK hospital.
No arrests have been made, “however there is CCTV in the area and we are trying to get something on it,” Haneef stated.
Police had cordoned off the area around the blood-stained pavement at time of press. There was on Monday evening no indication as to the motivation of the attack.
An informed source at ADK hospital said Rasheed was bleeding but conscious when he was brought to the hospital, and that he was expected to remain in surgery until 2:30am.
“They slit his throat clean through the trachea, and missed a vital artery by millimetres,” the source said, around 11:30pm, giving Rasheed a “five percent chance … It doesn’t look good.”
Early on Tuesday morning the source reported that Rasheed’s condition had stabilised: “He’ll be in intensive care for a couple of days. He’s breathing through a tube now.”
Sub-Inspector Haneef said a second individual was stabbed in the back at 11:00pm near Male’s garbage dump and had been taken to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in a critical condition. Local media reported that the victim was believed to be a Bangladeshi national.
Second attack
Rasheed, a once outspoken blogger against extremism and former editor of newspaper Haveeru, was previously attacked by a group of men on December 10, 2011 – Human Rights Day – while attending a protest calling for religious tolerance.
A group of men attacked the protesters with stones, and Rasheed was taken to IGMH with a fractured skull.
He was subsequently arrested by police for questioning over his involvement in the protest gathering, and jailed for over three weeks.
Amnesty International declared him a ‘prisoner of conscience’, and said it was “dismayed that instead of defending Ismail ‘Khilath’ Rasheed, who has peacefully exercised his right to freedom of the expression, the government of Maldives has detained him. Moreover, the government has taken no action to bring to justice those who attacked the ‘silent’ demonstrators, even though there is credible photographic evidence of the attack.”
The Foreign Ministry subsequently called for an investigation “by relevant authorities” into the attack on the protest.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also condemned both the December 10 attack on Rasheed and his arrest, noting that he was not only one of the country’s leading free speech advocates, but one of the few Maldivians bloggers to write under his own name.
“The Maldivian constitution bans the promotion of any religion other than Islam but guarantees freedom of assembly and expression as long as it does not contravene Islam. Rasheed professes to be an adherent of Sufism, which emphasises the inner, spiritual dimension of Islam,” RSF stated at the time.
Censored blogger
Rasheed’s popular and controversial blog, www.hilath.com, was blocked in November 2011 by the Communications Authority of the Maldives (CAM) on the order of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs. The Ministry made the request on the grounds that the site contained anti-Islamic material, CAM confirmed at the time.
Hilath claimed he was being censored for expressing his version of Islam, and called for more freedom of interpretation within the faith.
“I call upon all concerned to amend the clause in the constitution which requires all Maldivians to be Sunni Muslims only,” his statement read. “‘Unto you your religion and unto me my religion,’ and ‘There is no compulsion in religion’,” he said, quoting Qur’an 109:6 and 2:256.
Hilath claimed at the time that the blocking of his website had a political edge: “If Sunni Muslims are the conservatives, then the Sufi Muslims are the liberals,” he told Minivan News. “I think this is a conservative attack on the site. They think if you’re not a Sunni, you’re an unbeliever.”
Following the blocking of his blog and his attack in December, Rasheed became less outspoken on the subject of religion and withdrew from the public spotlight.
On May 12 he tweeted his intention to stop blogging altogether, and stated that he had “repented and am now a Muslim. But a very tolerant one at that.”
Parties in the ruling coalition presented the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) with a list of 30 demands to “resolve the problem of public disturbances”, during the weekend’s All-Party Talks.
Resolving the country’s political turmoil was the first item on the six point agenda for the talks, which were to conclude with setting a date for fresh presidential elections.
The MDP has demanded early elections following the police-and-military led mutiny on February 7 that led to the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed in what the party alleges was a “coup d’état” orchestrated by parties loyal to former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
The list, obtained by Minivan News, includes demands that the MDP “stop practicing black magic and sorcery”, “stop the use of sexual and erotic tools”, and “not walk in groups of more than 10”.
The list also demands that the MDP “not keep crows and other animals in public areas”, “not participate in protests in an intoxicated condition“, and “not defame the country both domestically and internationally”.
MDP representative at the talks, former Tourism Minister Dr Mariyam Zulfa, said other parties involved in the talks “were adamant from the beginning that under no circumstances would there be early elections. There was a lot of rhetoric and mockery against the MDP,” she said.
“It was up to the party leaderships to ensure that the people who were present [at the talks] were open minded. MDP was the only party to go into the talks with any sort of professional preparation – we had our national leadership committee prepare a way forward for all items on the agenda,” she said.
“But the spirit of working together was not there. It manifested in their tone – mocking and sarcastic. They gave no seriousness to the discussion of any point.”
President’s Office Spokesperson and Jumhoree Party (JP) representative at the talks, Abbas Adil Riza, said he believed the drafting and discussion of the 30 points was itself a “major achievement”.
“I think the MDP are taking the talks seriously,” he said. “We have to understand that they have certain grievances, but they are having a difficult time with their leadership. They basically have to consult with Nasheed all the time. I was happy with their attitude, and I think things will be fast-tracked in the new few weeks.”
Riza said UN mediation expert Pierre Yves Monett, who assisted with the talks, was “very helpful and brought a lot of experience. If not for him we’d have walked out a long time before.”
“30 things that could be done to resolve the political turbulence in the country” (rough translation – original Dhivehi)
Stopping the attacks on security services, the media and the general public during protests held on streets and other public areas, which initiate from a certain area.
Not obstruct political party rallies and political figures who visit the islands
Not obstruct religious scholars during their visits to the islands
Not attack public property
Not harass political figures, physically or verbally
Not attack the media
Not conduct business without proper authorisation from the authorities
Stop conducting illicit activities in public parks after hoisting the party flag
Not make noises that disturb and obstruct pedestrians and drivers on the streets, and stop snatching things from them
Not to keep crows and other animals in public areas
Stop the use of sexual and erotic tools
Not make ‘Musaafiruhaanaa’ (a type of bed used by crews to sleep on Maldivian vessels) in public areas
Not hang swings that obstruct pavements
Not provoke and harass those visiting islands
Not participate in protests in an intoxicated condition
Not conduct political party activities on streets and on the street pavements
Not defame the country both domestically and locally
Not obstruct parliament sessions
Not provide false information to the public over TV and radio
Not involve minors in protests and not use any logos of foreign groups in protests
While coming and going from peaceful political rallies, to not to shout and disturb the public, and not to walk in groups of more than 10
Stop the use of mega phones in both protests and street activities
Not hold trials without submitting to the High Court
Not to mislead court actions
Stop interpreting laws on the streets
Not hold rallies on the street
All political parties to stop practicing black magic and sorcery
Stop arson attacks
Stop calling out filth in public neighborhoods
Stop political party leaders making false statements
Independent institutions play a pivotal role in a democracy. Their independence from political influences is one of the key reasons such institutions remain a vital part of democracy and a functional mechanism for check and balances of a democratic system.
One such institution established by the Maldivian constitution was the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM). An institution set up under the article 189 of the constitution to ensure that the Maldives has made the much needed necessary transition from the days of police brutality and human rights violations during the ‘Gayoom era’ to the present day, and to protect and uphold the values of human rights of all citizens.
But the tale seems to be going in the wrong way. It is going to be almost four months after the country’s first democratically elected president was ousted in what was an obvious coup d’etat. It is going to be four months from the day where a few petty politicians, with the financial backing of a few self-centered business tycoons and mendacious preachings of deceitful sheikhs, led to disillusioned patriots within the security forces make an absolute mockery of the people’s rule.
With the coup came not only a change of a regime, but a return to the nightmares of Gayoom’s 30 year long dictatorship that the Maldivians never ever wanted to see again. Nepotism has come back in full swing. Police brutality once again has become abundant. Reports of human rights violations are slowly re-surfacing.
On February 6, the night before Nasheed was forced out of office, a police platoon broke the chain of command and came storming into the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) ‘Haruge’ and ran riot in the premises, beating down anyone that unfortunately came into their way – a direct violation of the article 246 of the Constitution of the Maldives. The HRCM failed to come up with anything substantial.
On February 8, the day after the toppling of Nasheed’s administration, the ousted president and senior officials of his administration and several MPs, along thousands of citizens who were convinced that their vote had been ‘robbed’ by ousting their elected leader, took to the streets exercising the constitutional rights of freedom of expression and freedom assembly entitled in the articles 27 and 32.
The protesters were met with one of the most violent crackdowns in the history of the country. But the HRCM merely concluded with a condemnation statement and the publishing of a report.
But alas, they found it an utmost priority to investigate the matter of the arresting of the chief Judge of the Criminal Court, the notorious man who is the root of the problems of our crippled judiciary. Yes, I do not disagree that arresting of a Judge was indeed a controversial move, given how flawed the check and balance mechanism is in our system is.
But when one protecting a notorious Judge with a history of ‘bending justice’ for his own personal interest becomes more of a priority than to looking into the human rights violations of hundreds of ordinary people beaten down ruthlessly by the police and the military, who were supposed to serve and protect them?
On March 6, a country that boasts of working to empower and uphold the rights of women and advocate against gender disparity, suddenly forgot what they had been preaching, and found the respect and dignity of the women they advocated for blasted by saltwater cannons. A group of female protesters went to the president’s office with an innocent intention of delivering a petition to the regime leader. Despite having a female in the presidency of HRCM, what a shame it was when it barely made a move. Where were the rights of women that day?
On May 29, another wave of police brutality struck again, as the coup regime’s unprecedented sudden nightmares over a ‘cursed rooster’ lead to police sieging into the MDP protest camp at ‘Usfasgandu’ under the excuse of alleged practice of black magic and sorcery, only to find no substantial evidence that gave rise to any criminal activities going on in the camp.
Furious protesters again began protesting in front of the barricades and yet again the police barged into the crowds with batons and pepper spray, beat down protesters and even pepper sprayed a cameramen of a local TV station who had tried to film the violent arrests.
But it seemed that the officials of HRCM present during the police takeover of the camp were either not in sane mind, or blinded and deafened as the commission issued a statement applauding the actions of police for their ‘professional handling’ the situation. What a fantastic way to mock the people again as the video footages revealed the extent of barbarity of the police. When did violent brutality become professionalism?
The Human Rights Commission is bitterly failing. They are far behind in following up with the police brutality and human rights violations of the coup regime. They have become a deaf and blind toady of Gayoom, Waheed and the senior officials of the coup regime instead of being the lions of the throne. They ought to have been defending and upholding the rights and liberties of the Maldivian constitution. Indeed a disheartening story to tell.
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]
The Police Integrity Commission (PIC) has forwarded a case involving the assault by a police officer against an Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) protester on February 8 to the Prosecutor General’s office, reports Haveeru.
The PIC has alleged that Staff Sergeant Ali Ahmed assaulted Mohamed Niyaz of Fares-Mathoda in Gaaf Dhaal Atoll on February 8 is a display of excessive force. Video footage revealed Ahmed kicking the victim while he was on the ground, reported Haveeru.
Criminal charges had been filed against Ahmed following statements and other evidence, Haveeru reported.
Security forces last night began the dismantling the ousted Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s camp at Usfasgandu in Male’, shortly before being ordered to halt by the Civil Court after the MDP challenged the legality of the operation.
The police search of the area, which began at around 9:00am, was performed after police obtained a search warrant from the Criminal Court on the grounds that the MDP had been using the area as a hub for criminal activity and black magic.
The warrant alleged that people in the Usfasgandu area verbally abused police officers and damaged a police vehicle on April 20, obstructed a Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) exercise of May 9, and that, on May 25 “MDP protesters threw a cursed rooster at MNDF officers.”
The order did not, however, provide legal basis for the dismantling of the demonstration area, a point made by the MDP to the Civil Court.
“We submitted a case against the Maldives Police Service saying that they cannot ask the MDP to stop any political activities and they cannot act to evacuate the place,” said MDP lawyer Hisaan Hussain.
Deputy Mayor of Male’ City Council (MCC) Ahmed Falah said he had seen the court order and that it did not give the police scope to dismantle the area. Minivan News also saw the warrant and can confirm Falah’s assertions.
“This proves that they don’t care about what the court says. The police didn’t go to the Civil Courts because they knew they would lose,” said Falah.
Both the MCC and the Criminal Court had referred the government’s previous complaints to the Civil Court.
“The new [Civil] court order says neither the police, nor any other parties, can dismantle the area,” he continued.
Police announced on Tuesday that they would begin to dismantle the camp at 10:00pm in order to preserve public order.
Hisaan reported that, at 10:15pm, the Civil Court instructed the Attorney General (AG) to tell the government forces to halt their activities.
Hisaan said that this instruction was given in order to allow the judge time to consider the MDP’s complaint. Subsequently, the judge issued an injunction at 10:40pm, halting the polices activities until the Civil Court reacheda verdict on the case, she explained.
In a statement released late last night, police confirmed the receipt of the Civil Court order and announced they had ceased its activities. The statement did say that that the operation was close to being completed by the time the warrant to desist was received.
Minivan News witnessed Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) personnel working in the area at around 11:30pm, although they seemed only to be moving benches around the site. Nothing that could be described as dismantling was witnessed at this time.
Hisaan said that although the case was submitted against the police, it stipulated that all parties cease dismantling activities in the area.
Sun Online has reported that some items were returned to the camp after the Civil Court order was received. All the seating had been removed from the raised area and the stage had been fully dismantled.
Hisaan claimed that the dismantling of the camp continued after the court had ordered it to cease “in violation of the court order”, and that police were in contempt of court. She said that the MDP intended to make the courts aware of this.
The police statement said that it would take the 48 hours granted to it by the Criminal Court in order to complete its investigations. The area remained sealed off to the public at
The original Criminal Court order was shown to MDP MP Mariya Didi before the search commenced yesterday morning.
Members of Male’ City Council (MCC) were left furious, having themselves received no court order, nor any notification of the impending search.
When approached for comment during the police’s search, MCC Mayor Ali Manik said that he was “too angry to talk”.
Hisaan said that Mariya had asked to see the court order, but that legally speaking this did not amount to the warrant being officially served to the MDP.
The Usfasgandu area was one of 32 plots of public land handed over to the MCC as part of the decentralisation act in 2010. Recent months have seen a running feud between the council and the national government, which has made repeated attempts to reclaim a number of these plots.’
The leasing of the area to the MDP for its political activities has been used by the government as justification for its attempts to reclaim the area, alleging violation of the decentralisation statutes.
After having had a request for a warrant to clear the site turned down by the Criminal Court, the Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed told local media on May 27 that, in the period since the court had rejected the police’s request for a warrant on May 20, he had received several complaints regarding criminal activity in the area.
A Criminal Court order was obtained by the next afternoon – May 28 – and the search conducted early on May 29.
The details of the warrant, however, included incidents which allegedly occurred before the original request for a court order was made. Jameel told Haveeru on May 27 that no “No complaints of any criminal activities had been raised with us at the time [the police were asked to take the area – May 20].”
At a meeting of the MDP’s legal team today, the decision was made to send a letter to the police, asking them to respect the court order and to return any property removed from the site by 10:00pm tonight.
Hisaan added that the MDP, despite its requests, had still not received the items confiscated from the Rahlugandu camp on March 19.
The Commonwealth has issued a statement clarifying that neither the government or former President Mohamed Nasheed have yet agreed on a nominee to the Commission on National Inquiry (CNI).
The CNI was former by President Mohamed Waheed to investigate the controversial circumstances which brought him to power on February 7. Former President Nasheed resigned, allegedly under duress, after elements of the police and military joined opposition demonstrators in an assault on the main military base in Male’.
Nasheed and the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) – and subsequently the Commonwealth – criticised the independence of the three-member CNI, which is presently chaired by former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Defence Minister.
Pressured by the Commonwealth, the government agreed to allow a retired foreign judge and a representative for Nasheed sit on the panel, but imposed conditions on this nominee:
“Be a person of integrity with high ethical, moral and professional standards with at least an undergraduate degree from a recognised university”
Not have been politically active during the past two years;
“Not have held a Cabinet post or served as a member of the People’s Majlis during the past two years”
“Not have taken a public stand on the events of 7 February 2012.”
The government as of Monday had rejected all nominees put forward by Nasheed – who is currently attending the Executive Meeting of International Democrat Union (IDU) in New Zealand – however yesterday afternoon President’s Office spokesperson Abbas Adil Riza confirmed its acceptance of Mariyam Manaal Shihab. Local media subsequently reported that the nominee had been withdrawn.
The circumstances of Shihab’s nomination appeared further confused after Nasheed issued a press release today expressed “disappointment and concerns over leak of the nominee from him to the Commission of National Inquiry established to look into the events that led to the forceful resignation of President Nasheed on February 7 after a military and police-backed coup.”
“The understanding between the Commonwealth’s special envoy and President Nasheed was that the names proposed by him would not be revealed without discussing with him,” said MDP Spokesperson Hamid Abdul Ghafoor.
“However, the administration had publicly announced one of the nominees without consulting President Nasheed and this is unacceptable. The President has expressed disappointment and concern over the leak to the Commonwealth and we certainly hope such unprofessionalism would not continue in this process,” Ghafoor said.
The government meanwhile issued a statement condemning Ghafoor’s “misleading” statement, claiming that while “Nasheed’s latest nominee, Ms Mairyam Manal Shihab is an active member of the MDP and could have been rejected on these grounds, due to the nominee meeting all the other objective criteria, as set out by the Special Envoy of the Commonwealth, the Government accepted the nominee because they are committed to moving forward with the CNI.”
“The Government accepted Ms Manal Shihab and informed Sir Don McKinnon of this. Immediately after, Mr Nasheed withdrew Ms Manal Shihab as his nominee,” the government claimed.
“The Government is concerned by Mr Nasheed’s attempts to stall the work of the CNI by repeatedly proposing nominees who do not meet the criteria agreed between the Commonwealth and the Maldives Government. By withdrawing Ms Manal Shihab, his own nominee accepted by the Commonwealth and the Maldives Government, Mr Nasheed is showing contempt for the CNI.
“Mr Nasheed has claimed that the Government leaked Ms Manal Shihab’s name to the media – an accusation which is completely false. The Government conducts all of its communication with the Commonwealth to the highest standard, and does not release information to the media unless there is agreement with the Commonwealth to do so. As soon as the Government accepted Mr Nasheed’s nominee, they notified the Special Envoy of the Commonwealth.
“After withdrawing Ms Manal Shihab – his own nominee – Mr Nasheed has insisted that his uncle, Lieutenant Colonel Zubair Ahmed Manik should be appointed to the CNI which highlights Mr Nasheed’s disregard for the CNI. The Government urges Mr Nasheed to act immediately in accordance with the four point criteria agreed between the Commonwealth and the Government so that the CNI can continue with its important work,” it added.
The President’s Office further issued a list of all proposed candidates and their reason for rejection:
Mr Mohamed Aslam (Minister of Housing and Environment in Mr Nasheed’s Cabinet at the time of the resignation);
Ms Shifa Mohamed (Minister of Education in Mr Nasheed’s Cabinet at the time of the resignation and MDP activist);
Mr Hassan Latheef (Minister of Human Resources, Youth and Sports in Mr Nasheed’s Cabinet at the time of the resignation and MDP activist);
Hudha Ahmed (a cousin of Mr Nasheed and MDP activist)
Aishath Velezinee (a State Minister in Mr Nasheed’s Government at the time of the resignation and MDP activist)
Mr Bandhu Ibrahim Saleem (former Managing Director of Maldives Airport Company Limited, who is married to a close relative of Mr Nasheed),
Ms Fareesha Abdulla (former Under Secretary, Legal Affairs, at the President’s Office at the time of the resignation)
Ms Hisaan Hussain (former legal affairs Secretary at the President Nasheed administration and MDP activist)
Ms Mariya Didi- (former MDP Chairperson, current contender for the MDP President and MDP activist)
Lieutenant Colonel Zubair Ahmed Manik (uncle of Mr Nasheed and serving member of Maldives National Defense Force)
The Commonwealth Secretariat said in a statement today: “We would like to point out that the discussions between the Commonwealth Special Envoy, Hon Sir Donald McKinnon, the Government of Maldives and former President Nasheed on the appointment of a representative of Mr Nasheed to the Commission are still ongoing. No nominee has as yet been agreed upon between these parties.”
“Sir Donald is continuing his efforts to facilitate agreement between the Government and former President Nasheed on a suitable nominee,” the statement added.
Sir Donald said: “It is imperative that confidentiality is preserved while these sensitive discussions are ongoing in order to provide space for the parties to reach a desirable outcome.”
The demonstrations were sparked following a MDP National Council meeting held right next to the police barricades near the swimming tracks. The clustered meeting of 43 members of the council took the stand that “enough was enough” and that party should take to the streets to get their constitutional rights.
Immediately, 400 protesters gathered in the area to challenge the legitimacy of police and demand the return of Usfasgandu, saying that they had not done anything violent. Minivan News observed objects thrown at police barricades, which triggered a brutal police crackdown leading to arrests and injuries.
Minivan News observed one protester sustain a head injury after he was hit in the head by a police baton, and was taken to the hospital in a pickup truck refueling at the nearby petrol shed.
Minivan News also observed a cameraman from local TV station Raajje TV being pepper-sprayed by police while he was attempting to film police arresting a protester.
The confrontations between the police and the protesters continued up until around 6:45pm whereupon the protesters made several attempts to cross the police barricades towards Usfasgandu. The frustrated protesters threw two police barricades into the swimming tracks.
At around 8:45 pm the protesters left the area and headed towards the junction of Majeedhee Magu and Chaandhanee Magu in the centre of Male’.
Protesters gathered in the intersection calling for an end to police brutality and for the resignation of President Mohamed Waheed Hassan and senior officials of the government, including Home Minister Mohamed Jameel and Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim, claiming that that the government came to power by a coup d’état. The protesters also called for early elections.
Soon after the protesters gathered, a lorry arrived with a sound system and participants began chanting over a mega phone.
The protesters said they had gathered in the area because the police had taken over their protest camp at Usfasgandu, and called on police to leave the camp.
At about 10:00pm, two vehicles containing police in riot gear arrived at the protesting area and began dispersing the crowd, which lead to heated confrontations between the police and the protesters. The police resorted to tear gas and pepper spray, and more protesters were arrested.
During the confrontations, the window of a shop in Majeedhee Magu was smashed after it was hit by an by an object thrown during the confrontations.
During the crackdown, police were seen using pepper spray on several bystanders who were standing in front of their houses on Majeedhee Magu who had not taken part in the protest.
At about 11:30pm, an injured young protester was taken into a nearby house, and then to hospital.
At the same time, some protesters again began gathering near the swimming track and the petrol sheds on Boduthakurufaanu Magu, where the protests earlier began.
Earlier at about 9:30 pm, the Civil Court issued a temporary injunction ordering the police and the military to stop dismantling the protest camp at Usfasgandu. The Criminal Court had earlier issued police only a search warrant.
The police let two protesters inside the police barricades near Usfasgandu after they produced a copy of the court order.
At about 12:10am, a group of pro-government supporters arrived and confronted the protesters, leading to heated arguments.
The protests ended at about 12:40am in the morning. Police revealed that 56 arrests had been made during the clashes, out of which two had been released at time of press. Those arrested included MDP MP and Spokesperson Imthiyaz Fahmy, the wife of former Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, and two MDP councilors.
Confronted on twitter about the arrest of Naseem’s wife, President Mohamed Waheed tweeted back: “I am sorry to hear about Mana. I did all I can to expedite her release.”
Speaking to Minivan News, Police Media Official Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef confirmed that a total of 56 protesters were arrested. He confirmed that out of the 56 arrestees, two had been released.
During the skirmishes, Minivan News observed a 17 year-old boy being arrested by police. Police Spokesperson Sub-Inspector Hassan Haneef said that police had no record of the arrest of a minor.
“Even though it is not on our records, there may have been an arrest made, but he was not taken into custody,” said Haneef.
Minivan News understands the boy’s name is Hamdhaan Mohamed, who is at time of press was summoned to Criminal Court for extension of his detention period.
When Minivan News asked about the pepper spraying of Raajje TV Journalist, Haneef said that police would not have done it deliberately, and the cameraman may have been the unfortunate recipient of a pepper spraying that targeted at protesters.
“The police during such a time would not be able to distinguish between innocent observers and violent protesters. So there are chances that even someone who was observing might get pepper sprayed,” he explained.
“That is why we issue a warning before we begin dismantling the crowds. No one is supposed to stay after the warning is issued,” he added.
A photo of the incident on Sun Online appeared to show the cameraman was wearing a media pass and was directly targeted with the spray. Haneef maintained that it was difficult to identify a person.
“How can we see whether he had a MDP pass or DRP pass or a DhiTV pass?” he questioned.
He maintained that he was certain that the “boys” would not do such a thing deliberately, but he said if such a thing had happened, there was a mechanism to file a complaint.
“I am not saying such a thing happened but if it did, the person can lodge a complaint with Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM), the Police Intergrity Commission or even us, we would then look into it,” he added.
Not a good sign: MDP
Speaking to Minivan News, MDP Spokesperson MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor alleged that the police were cooperating with “thugs from the Progressive Party of the Maldives (PPM)”, accusing them of infiltrating the peaceful protests to incite violent responses from the police.
“We have experienced all this in 2005, we have dealt with this mentality before, but now a large section of the population is aware of their rights and the stage is huge,” he warned.
“Tensions are high because of frustrations around the party talks and the commission of national inquiry, and that the administration is fragmented and not in control – this could be headed to a fist fight,” he added.
Ghafoor claimed in addition that a number of people in the national council had decided that they would no longer recognise the authority of the police as they had mutinied, and that some people had walked through the barricades.
“Lots of people were very angry [over the police actions],” he remarked.
He said that the police were “not acting like police”.
“The institution has broken down so much that people are having trouble believing there are innocent police out there on the street. Police are acting with impunity and clearly breaking the law, by sealing off the Usfasgandu area,” he said.
“People are talking about standing up to police and this is not a good sign.”
A female protester told Minivan News that the actions of the police were “animalistic” and “barbarian”.
“They were like animals at that time. Brutality has gone way out of control. They would stay at a distance and then they would barge in like barbarians and take away those that even were not a part of the protests,” she said.
The protester alleged that police had pre-identified political targets and sought to arrest them in the chaos.
Police crackdown on demonstrators near the Usfasgandu barricades:
As the Maldives continues to experience the reversal of their democracy, the Maldives Police Service was out on the streets once again yesterday, demonstrating their tired old Gayoom-era tricks.
Early Tuesday morning, an unprecedented number of police arrived at Usfasgandu, the protest site on the south eastern side of Male’, where pro-democracy protesters led by the MDP have been demonstrating for months calling for early elections.
Armed with a search warrant, they forcibly evicted the protesters from the scene. Hundreds of police men and DED officials then combed through the area, later claiming to have recovered such criminal loot as a box of condoms and a potentially illegal “brown substance” – conveniently wrapped in MDP membership forms, lest anyone doubted their story.
The scenes evoked memories of March 19, when a joint police and military raid on the previous MDP protest camp at the nearby Raalhugandu area recovered more unlawful substances and cans of illegal alcohol, that were rather thoughtfully stored by the protestors in convenient MDP branded boxes, presumably with a large colourful arrow pointing towards it.
Those familiar with the Maldives’ painful transition to democracy would remember a time when the police were routinely employed by the state to harass and intimidate dissidents and crush all opposition.
Those times, it is evident, have come roaring back.
“Rule of law”
According to the Police narrative, the mutiny that culminated in the toppling of the first democratically elected government was ostensibly led by patriotic police officials who were disillusioned with the ‘unconstitutional orders’ they were being handed by the elected leaders.
In keeping with that noble spirit, hundreds of police officers publicly renewed their vows to “uphold the rule of law” in dramatic television footage captured at the Republican Square on that fateful morning.
It is the pride of any nation to have a Police Service that espouses such fanatical devotion to the “rule of law”.
Yet, one can’t help but call into question the sincerity of the Maldives Police Service’s newfound love for their constitution, and their hastily arranged commitment to the ‘rule of law’.
What is one to make of the brazen criminal actions of the rogue Police and military personnel who went on a public rampage, ransacking the MDP party quarters and beating up their activists?
How does one explain away the storming of the State broadcaster and airing on it content from a private TV propaganda outlet belonging to businessman politician Gasim Ibrahim – who is alleged to be among the primary financers of the coup d’état?
What does one make of the intensely politicised nature of a police department that appears to stop just short of publicly swearing allegiance to a certain political party run by a former dictator?
Exactly which law were the Maldives Police Service upholding when they threatened and physically assaulted elected MPs and the democratically elected President of the Nation? Under which clause of the Police Act did they assault some of their own senior officers inside the Police HQ on the day of the coup d’état?
Certainly, the rule of law could not be more violated than when the Police continued to dismantle the Usfasgandu camp site last night, in direct contravention of court orders forbidding them from doing exactly that? From their actions, it is plainly obvious that the Maldives Police Service couldn’t care less about “the rule of law” – which continues to be the ruse employed to explain away their treason on February 7.
For their part, Waheed and his newly appointed Commissioner Abdulla Riyaz have also publicly lauded the police for their unapologetic actions on February 7th, hailing it as a great example of ‘upholding the rule of law’.
There has been no investigation, and not a single police officer or military personnel has been booked for the brutality and wild excesses of that dark day.
Instead, in keeping with the Gayoom-era tradition, the Police have been richly rewarded for their services. For their troubles, the newly installed regime has lavished the Police and military with a record number of promotions, and monetary rewards.
Waheed – the problem, not the solution
With his various public utterances about ‘National unity’ and pledges to uphold the constitution, Waheed has attempted to project his regime as some kind of force for stability.
Unfortunately, Waheed’s appeal to ‘unity’ appears to be about as hollow as the Police Service’s professed love for the ‘rule of law’. He continues to eagerly defend the indefensible by refusing to take action against identified cops, who brutalised civilians in full public view and continue to do so with impunity.
While his helmeted riot cops continue to beat back thousands of angry protesters every week with their batons and shields, Waheed appears to not be interested in even acknowledging their sincere grievances. Instead, in the months following the coup d’état, he has lost no chance to colour the supporters of the MDP – by far the largest political party in the country – as ‘terrorists’.
It must be noted that the MDP led protests that have continued unabated since February have been largely non-violent, marked by weekly rallies and public forums – and often music, dancing, exhibits, videos, and speeches.
Yet, during the latest raid yesterday, Police again took into custody several MDP leaders, including MDP spokesperson and MP Imthiyaz ‘Inthi’ Fahmy, and a couple of elected MDP councillors. When enraged protesters poured out onto the streets again last night, the Maldives Police Service responded yet again with heavy-handed tactics.
Apparently pleased with this campaign of intimidation, Waheed’s Home Minister Mohamed Jameel Ahmed said on his public twitter account, “I commend the way our MPS attend (sic) Usfasgandu”.
From delaying tactics and misinformation, to harassment and intimidation, Waheed’s regime appears to have played all its cards since February 7th, and yet it is clear that the protesters simply aren’t willing to go back indoors until their demands are met.
The fact of the matter is that the continuing unrest – where a significant percentage of the population feels robbed of their legitimate government in highly questionable circumstances – can only be resolved by free and fair elections, and ensuring justice for the victims of mindless police violence.
These are absolutely essential for the public to restore their confidence in the government and heal the deep rifts with the security forces.
However, thus far, Waheed has shown no inclination to quit his stalling tactics, keep his erring ministers in check, ensure justice is served to the criminals in uniform, or stop his posturing against international bodies like the CMAG, or actually let the public have their say as a way out of the crisis.
Thus, it naturally follows that Waheed is the problem and not the solution – for he and his newly adopted network of Gayoom cronies are exactly what lies between the public and their vote.
To maintain this unsustainable status quo, Waheed has resorted to the same tactics that Gayoom did – namely, taking the Maldives Police Service off their leash and letting them loose upon the public, assigned with the singular task of cracking down on dissent with impunity.
Thus, the regime that was brought to power in a hail of batons, shields and tear gas continues to be sustained by the same ugly means and the country as a whole continues its free-fall into a dissolute police state.
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