Gayyoom responds
to Amnesty International; It's not true, simply not true! -
The Government of
Maldives has responded to Amnesty International’s 2004 Report,
pointing out a number of "inaccuracies and misrepresentations"
in the section on the Maldives. Quoted below is the text of
that response. read more
Khaasa Majlis
Election Results -
Following are some of the results of the Upper House
Parliamentary election held on the 28th May 2004 in Maldives.
More results will be published as we receive it. DO
wishes to publish a profile of all elected members and hence
would like to request for all readers and visitors to write to
us with details of any member that they know. Tell us what you
know about them. You may email to us on
dhivehiobserver@gmail.com or simply send us the
information on the
post form
or by fax + 44 808 208 3494. DO will try and get
as many of these MPs to be contact by email and get them to
contribute to the debate on constitutional amendments. In
addition to that, DO will ensure that all
suggestions on the related forum will be forwarded at regular
intervals to these elected MPs as well as MPs of the Lower
House. view the results
DO
Salutes Naube'
“Horrifying
Tales of Torture” illustrated by Naushad Waheed -
Naushad
Waheed, one of the most prominent artists in the Maldives has
been in an out of Maldives jail; his crime was that he
vehemently opposed Gayyoom's dictatorship; he spoke his mind.
Naushad is now serving a 15 year sentence passed at a grossly
unfair trial in 2002, he was charged with treason. He had no
access to lawyers, despite his constitutional rights. From the
vivid memory of his time in Maafushi and Dhoonidhoo jails, he
draws and illustrates the torturing and suffering of inmates
at these notorious prisons. Abu Ghuraib is better than
Maafushi Jail in Maldives where last September 4 young inmates
were murdered in cold blood by Maldives National Security
forces. Suffice to say, Gayyoom stands in a league of his own
when it comes to oppressive and brutal treatment of his own
subjects.
DO salutes Naushad (Naube’), for his
selflessness, courage and determination to stand tall and
strong in the face of Gayyoom's tyranny. Indebted to you and
with appreciation, we say Thank You Naube’! For
illustrations, please visit
www.naushadarts.com
BLAST
FROM THE PAST
"In
my life I have never experienced anything remotely close to
this" Naushad -
Naushad
Waheed had been an outspoken critic of the government and also
one of the signatories of the application for the
establishment of the MDP. On 14 October 2002, he was tried in
the Criminal Court without access to a lawyer or the
opportunity to defend himself. Some 10 days after his trial,
he was told he had been sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.
He was transferred to Maafushi where he is now held in Block
G, Cell 3 (there are 5 cells in this block). He shares this
cell with about 20 other prisoners. He has family visits for
one hour each month. He has reportedly lost a lot of weight
and has become mentally unstable. The authorities have
reportedly not provided him with adequate medical treatment?
We demand his immediate and unconditional release. Gayoom, you
must now hear the pleas of thousand of people and release him
and other prisoners of conscience. You stand to loose more
from keeping him behind bars. This is not justice; it is the
law of the jungle.
read
more
Maldives student
spills her heart hoping for change
- My mother was sent home
after two days, and placed under house arrest. During this
time she wrote again to Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and told him how
she was treated inside NSS. Next day my mother was again taken
to the police station and sent to Dhoonidhoo and after a week
sent to Maafushi jail.
read more
Heroin on the white sandy beach of Villingili -
A large quantity of heroin (popularly
know as Brown Sugar in Maldives) have been washing up on the
shores of Villingili Island near Male' since last evening. It
is reported that there were more than 400 policemen working to
collect these bags, including a team of divers. Customs
officers and some residents of the Villingili Island also
helped in collecting the drugs. Each bag contained several
ready-to-sell small packets of heroin designed to look like
“bullets”. Many of the bullets were being washed up separately
as well. There
is reason to believe that this shipment could have been dumped
by a ship in the harbour of Male'. However, if the police were
not aware of it, why should they dump a shipment worth
thousands of dollars? Perhaps this question will remain
unanswered like so many others in the Maldives.
read more
Mr. Gayyoom guilty of High
Treason? -
Constitution of Maldives - Chapter I – Clause 12. (a) Any
person who, by the threat or use of force or in violation of
the Constitutions, abrogates or attempts to abrogate (to
repeal or abolish) the Constitution or attempts to undermine
the Constitution or conspires to commit any of the said acts
shall be guilty of high treason.
read more
BLAST
FROM THE PAST
An Islamic Constitution for Maldives? -
The head of state will be a
Khalifa. He will be nominated by the outgoing (or dying)
Khalifa. Others will give assent to him through "baiyath",
which will be held in the form of a long line of people coming
to Theemuge and shaking the hands of the new Khalifa. Once the
"baiyath" is approved, a special messenger will be sent to the
Custodian of the two Harams in Saudi Arabia for issuing his
Decree Appointment. Decree of Appointment.
read more
Dr. Saeed, Attorney General is an expert on
Freedom of Expression - The young
Attorney General of Maldives, Dr Saeed, holds a Bachelor of
Laws and Master of Comparative Laws from the International
Islamic University in Malaysia and a Doctorate from University
of Queensland, Brisbane Australia. How can such an expert [on
Freedom of Expression] on the topic make such an outrageous
claim that letting loose of the control on freedom of press so
suddenly may not be good. It is not up to the Government of
Maldives to decide or even debate whether Freedom of the Press
should be let loose. It is enshrined in the constitution.
Governments must run the state in accordance with the
constitution. He should know that. It is his duty is to uphold
the constitution despite being a member of the cabinet.
read more
Dhivehi
Observer Digest 2 Released
Articles in this issue
include:
-
Democratic reform: un-Islamic and a grand
conspiracy by Christian missionaries, not by Maldivians –
President Gayyoom
-
Why was Ismail Saadiq arrested?
The Maldivian League for Democracy (MLD) was
formed in 1993
-
Letter to Gayyoom from Mrs.
Saadiq
-
Maze of Power - 25 years of rampant nepotism
in the Maldives
-
How Ilyas Ibrahim made millions from
government coffers
-
The history of the Male' militia and the NSS
Dhivehi Observer Supplement 2
Human Rights in the Maldives
The Constitution
of the Maldives "A Structure Built on Loose Sand" -
by Maldives
Culture -
The Constitution of the Republic of Maldives that came into
force in 1968 (and amended in 1970, 1972, and 1975) has been
repealed and replaced by a new Constitution assented to by the
President of the Republic on 27 November 1997. The new
Constitution came into force on 1 January 1998. The President
of the Republic proclaimed in assenting to the Constitution
that it was written with a desire to encourage the people of
the country to live in friendship, amity and co-operation, and
to encourage good deeds and respect among one another and
being just, and to live in equality and fraternity. Hence, the
Constitution was enacted to enhance the prosperity of the
country, the affluence and the happiness of the people. This
article looks at different dimensions of the Constitution and
raises some constitutional issues that may lead to an answer
that "the Constitution is a structure built on loose sand".
read
more
Human Rights
Commission stops study on identifying laws and regulations
which may undermine Constitutional rights -
Chairperson Ahmed Mujuthaba told
reporters that the study was stopped following President
Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's decision to bring amendments to the
present Constitution. “From the studies we had conducted so
far, we did not come across any laws or regulations which
flaunted any Constitutional rights guaranteed to the Maldives
people,” Mujuthaba said. read
more
Will
Gayyoom consolidate and strengthen the democratic
institutions? -
DO's biggest fear is that Gayyoom
might even do a "Niyazov" trick and appoint himself as
President-for-Life. His parliament unanimously voted to make
him the President-for-Life.
Reporters
without Borders reported that no press freedom is allowed in
Turkmenistan, where the media are a propaganda tool used by
President-for-Life Separmurad Niyazov. The newspapers carry a
photo of the "Father of the Turkmen" on the front page. The TV
channels show his picture on the side of the screen. He
determines their editorial line. Many have been imprisoned in
very harsh conditions for daring to criticise him. Journalists
must choose between self-censorship or exile. Does this sound
familiar to any of us? read
more
SPECIAL REPORT
Maldives NSS - from militia to
torturers -
by
Maldives
Culture -
Below is a short history of the
Maldives NSS. A version of the first part of the article was
published on this website many months ago. Additions from
Buraara's folk history, and Pyrard's sixteenth century
observations of the Male' militia, have been made to that
original article, and it now includes the period of Gayyoom's
rule. read more
Should Qasim
Ibrahim be the next
President of Maldives? -
Maldives is
now in a situation where people are disillusioned and lost. So
many leaders and public figures have let them down immensely.
The country is in need of a strong public figure who has a
proven track record as a people's person. There is no doubt
that there will be not be a single person in the country who
has not heard of Mr. Qasim (popularly known as Burumaa Qasim)
not for his business activities but more for his philanthropic
work. Thousands of Maldivians have benefited from his welfare
system and charities and hundreds of Maldivians are being sent
abroad by Mr. Qasim for education under the Villa Scholarship
Scheme. There is no doubt that a great majority of Maldivians
see Mr. Qasim as someone they can rally behind, most
importantly as someone who genuinely cares about them.
read more
Who is Mr. Qasim
Ibrahim? - “Mr. Qasim
Ibrahim is indeed a self-made man, displaying the virtues of
hard work, versatility and vision. He has been involved in
trading and shipping for over two decades. Today he is a major
Maldivian ship owner and operator. In recent years he has also
become a key player in the tourism industry. He now owns or
operates a number of resort hotels in the Maldives with a
combined bed capacity of over 1,700. I am pleased to note that
Mr. Qasim Ibrahim is the first Maldivian to secure a loan from
the International Finance Co-operation (IFC), which has an
impressive track record in identifying and backing
commercially viable enterprises. He is also the winner of
three national awards for his outstanding contributions to
trade and tourism development. His achievements show that
opportunity awaits those with vision, energy and drive.
Starting from almost scratch, he has set a fine example for
others to emulate.”
read more
Dhiraagu
Internet award tomorrow night -
An official speaking from the
company said that the most popular local website would also be
chosen this year also. Other categories up for awards are 1st
2nd and 3rd place from among students of
Primary and Secondary Schools.
read more
Corruption in the Tourism
Ministry; Will the best bidder get an Island for resort
development? - 'Tourism
is the hen which lays golden eggs', said president Gayyoom in
one of his state addresses. In 90's dominant fisheries
industry was replaced by the tourism industry as the country's
major economic activity. Since, then industry has attracted
people from all backgrounds. Let's hope that no one related to
Gayyoom is bidding for any of the islands. They always have
the best bids and tend to win no matter what.
read
more
Maldivian National Congress
(MNC) Speaks again -
In the MNC organisation we are,
and will be working to build aims to guarantee genuine freedom
for all Maldivian people in condition of peace, national unity
and a shared destiny. All of this would signify, that after
our long and painful experience of supremacy, suppression, and
oppression, we will continue to work perpetually, to realise
the goals set in our Constitution of building a prosperous and
democratic society. read more
A 27 year old man dies whilst in
care -
The family of the man was not
informed of his untimely death and
he was buried last night at mid-night in Guraidhoo without the
knowledge of the parents . His family is
now concerned that he could have died under suspicious
circumstances. read more
BREAKING
NEWS - Sea plane crash in Maldives; 17 on board, 10
Germans, 4 Swiss and 3 Maldivians -
Reports coming in that there
has been a sea plane crash in the Maldives this morning at
about 08:10 Maldives time (05:10 GMT). Confirmed reports say
that its a TMA (Trans Maldivian Airways) plane carrying
about 14 passengers to Velaavaru from Male' International
Airport and crashed onto the airport runway whilst taking
off. One passenger and the pilot is critically injured. Many
have been taken to hospital. The airport is closed off.
To add to the disaster, the whole area is now cordoned off
for President Gayyoom to visit the scene and resort owners
are furious because they cannot attend to their other guests
who are waiting to be air lifted to the numerous resorts.
read more
We present to you... Mr.
Ismail Saadiq -
Due to overwhelming
requests by email, phone calls directly, fax messages, and
countless requests in our open forum to publish a picture of
Ismail Saadiq Dhivehi Observer
is proud to publish the following newspaper clipping picture
more
Dhivehi
Observer Supplement 1
released - MLD Development Program (Draft)
Is the current regime value
creating or destroying? -
Ever wonder why number of
people with tertiary training is increasing but
inefficiencies and mismanagement is rampant. The trained
human resources are most of the time neither used, nor
recognized and are sidelined. They are often told not to
rock the boat and do the things as it is done before. If
they come up with any suggestion for improving, that will be
discouraged and slaughtered within minutes. It has gotten so
bad that knowledge and education has no place in the public
sector but loyalty and being a relative of the President is
what counts. For the latter, you will get respect, praises
and special treatment even if it violates the law.
read more
EXCLUSIVE
- Letter to Gayyoom from Mrs Sodiq -
As revealed by Dhivehi
Observer yesterday, Mr. Sodiq became a threat to Gayyoom's
government and he was therefore defamed and locked. This
letter is clear evidence of the unlawful attempts by Gayyoom
to assassinate Mr. Sodiq, which ended in the poisoning of
his young daughter. "As
you may know my house was set ablaze, my car shot and my
daughter poisoned by your government during the last 10
years and I have no alternative but to let the whole world
know about these brutal actions and human rights violations
by your country." writes Mrs. Sodiq.
read more
EXCLUSIVE
-
Why was Ismail Sodiq arrested? The Maldivian League for
Democracy (MLD) was formed in 1993
- Dhivehi Observer has obtained detailed information about the
formation of Maldivian League for Democracy back in 1993 by
the prominent Maldivian businessman Mr. Ismail Sodiq. This
classified information was provided to Dhivehi Observer by an
NSS informant.
Ismail
Sodiq, chairman of the Maldivian Fisherman Association and
MLD, said:
"It may well be time to put people into the
parliament that will actually deal with these issues."
"There
has got to be a stand against this because this government and
selected parliament is letting us down badly in all areas."
"When
this government was set up, I honestly believed it was going
to be a positive thing for the Fishing communities."
read
EXCLUSIVE - Maldivian League for
Democracy (MLD) - Development Program (Draft)
by Ismail Sodiq - President of Maldivian League for Democracy
"The future is in our hands and we must carry forward the
work needed to finally liberate ourselves from the evils of
Gayyoom and his brutal regime. Lets do it and together we can
provide our children a better MALDIVES."
read the full
report
SPECIAL
REPORT - Are fair elections held in the Maldives?
-
In the Maldives the elections are closely monitored in a
‘command center’ where the votes are counted. Ordinary civil
servants are included in the counting process but the final
decisions are made by people who are very close to the ruling
regime. Sometimes the results are announced after a long
delay, in which the results are tampered with.
read more
SPECIAL
REPORT - Maze of Power - 25 years of rampant nepotism
in the Maldives -
Maumoon's government consist
of family and friends who appear to have no other obligation
except to serve one of the world's most evil dictators. A
small island nation of less than 300,000 people, their
livelihood, basic human rights and liberty are taken for
granted by the ruling elite.
read more
Journalist protection group awaits response
from Maldives president -
'Although your government
claims that the four received a fair trial, Luthfee told CPJ
that their request for legal representation at the time of the
trial was denied. A Maldives government representative in
London sent a statement to the BBC last year claiming that the
charges against Didi, Luthfee, Nisreen, and Zaki were "purely
criminal" because their publication was not officially
registered, and that the four were found guilty of inciting
people "to violence...against a lawfully elected government"
read more
World Press
Freedom Day - 3rd May
-
The Maldivian Democratic Party
(MDP) calls upon the Government of Maldives to release all
artists and writers, including, Mohamed Zaki, Ahamed Didi,
Fathmath Nisreen and Naushad Waheed. The MDP further require
the government to substantially reform its censorship laws and
regulations. The MDP particularly insists the government to
abolish the censorship and text approval functions of the
present Public Examination Board and breach of law be
contested in open court.
read more
BREAKING NEWS
-
Democratic reform: un-Islamic
and a grand conspiracy by Christian
missionaries,
not by Maldivians – President Gayyoom
-
President Gayyoom declares that those who are opposing his
government, calling for democratic reform and trying to bring
it to disrepute are funded and brainwashed by Christian
missionaries from around the world. He went on to state that
the activities of reformists were not only illegal, but
sacrilegious (un-Islamic). He then instructed the high ranking
staff of National Security Service (NSS) that they must hunt
down those is the Maldives who are participating and
supporting these illegal, immoral and sacrilegious activities.
read more
SPECIAL REPORT - Human Rights in
the Maldives - Maldivian
state has continued to politically repress its people in the
name of Islam. Human Rights are caste aside and the greed for
power is at the helm of politics. Human rights and fundamental
freedoms are considered a western norm and its universality
denounced. read more
SPECIAL
REPORT
- How Ilyas Ibrahim made millions from government coffers
-
Ilyas Ibrahim is the current Minister of Transport and Civil
Aviation, the famous brother in law of President Gayoom.
Former Velaanaage accountant, and current SBI/STO/MTSL senior
executives and his Ex wife contributed to this report.
read more
Expatriates in the Maldives: The
Untold Story
-
Maldivians have been noted as hospitable people by various
visitors. While Maldives is enjoying a lucrative income as a
tourist destination, recent reports have raised doubts about
the level of hospitality we extend to foreigners. A blast from
the past
read
more
EU
considering what action to take regarding human rights abuses
in Maldives -
"The Maldivian
Democratic Party has raised concerns with us regarding the
activities of the National Security Service in the
Maldives,
particularly relating to its role during the civil
disturbances in Male' on 19 and 20 September 2003. We continue
to monitor reports of human rights abuses in the
Maldives, and are
considering with our European partners what further action we
might take."
say UK Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs Minister
Rt. Hon. Mark O'Brien
read more
Naushad
Arts... wasted talents of Maldives -
"In my life I have never experienced anything
remotely close to this"
A Tribute to Naushad Waheed
read more
Fareed is set free -
After nearly 22 months in
custody for speaking his mind about the extent of corruption
in Gayyoom's government, Mr. Fareed has been released from
house arrest today. He is still not allowed to leave Male'.
Confirmed reports say that it was the judge who decided to
release him and no excuse was given for keeping him in custody
for almost 2 years. Mr. Fareed has been detained arbitrarily
without a trial for all this time. It is widely believed that
the international pressure on the government of Maldives is
producing the desired results. 01/04/2004
Yameen blasting out!
-
A taxi
driver has lost his license and is still in custody for
parking his taxi in front of Yameen's house today. Yameen is
the Minister of Trade & Industry and is seen to be a powerful
figure because he is the brother of Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom.
People who witnessed the incident say that Yameen was barking
like a mad dog at the young taxi driver "this area
belongs to me and there is no authorization to park in front
of my house. I am the Trade Minster here in the Maldives!"
The taxi driver was wise told him to act like a Minister and
not link a maniac. 01/04/2004
Maldivian
Democratic
Party Newsletter 9 - MDP under
attack : Since the inception of Maldivian Democratic Party
(MDP), the government of Maldives, headed by Mr. Gayyoom, in
his 26th year in power, has been relentlessly intimidating,
harassing, arresting and ill-treating its members.
read more
Thinadhoo Mass Grave: a crime against humanity
-
After a poor effort by the government in the
rescue mission, the many who perished
were buried in a mass grave in Thinadhoo, in
total contempt of human ethics. The government generously
announced that it will take on the expenses for the “state
funeral” held to bury the deceased. A state sponsored mass
grave! This must be a first!
read more
By Muzaffar M.
Naeem (Muju) and A.S.I.Moosa (Sappe’)
24th March 2004
Worst reported
sea disaster in Maldives – passenger ferry boat capsized (22
dead) -
Unconfirmed reports say that Enamaa Boat was carrying
approximately 135 people according to a person who was on the
boat at the time of the incident. , including children, mostly
from Thinadhoo. Some reports say that the exact number of
people on board is not really known yet. This tragic incident
has so far claimed over 22 lives and many are missing, mostly
children. The passengers were football fans, travelling home
after watching a match. read more
Updated at
09/12/2005 07:26:17
GMT
SPECIAL REPORT
British Government shows concern -
"We have concerns about the
protection of human rights in the
Maldives,
including the right of freedom of expression. We will continue
to raise these concerns with the Government of the
Maldives."
says British Government British Government will not turn a
blind eye to the issues in Maldives. It is in their interest
to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law
read
more
Maldivian National Congress: The Vision
-
In the MNC organization we are, and will be,
working to build aims to guarantee genuine freedom for all
Maldivian people in conditions of peace, national unity and a
shared destiny. All of this would signify, that after our long
and painful experience of supremacy, suppression, and
oppression, we will continue to work perpetually, to realise
the goals set in our Constitution of building a prosperous and
democratic society. read more
British Government raising the
Maldives Issues
-
As a result of the
representation made by delegation of the Maldivian Democratic
Party about the human rights abuses by Gayyoom's government
and the need for pluralistic democracy in the Maldives,
British Parliament Member for Salisbury, Rt. Hon. Robert Key
has tabled the following questions to the government of the
United Kingdom. read more
SPECIAL REPORT
Maldivian Democratic Party building alliances abroad
- MDP is
encouraged by the support and cooperation from all parties in
it’s quest to exert pressure on the government of Maldives to
uphold the Rule of Law and refrain from any furthers acts of
infringing on the rights of its citizens and to release all
prisoners of conscience and allow freedom of expression and
association in the Maldives as guaranteed by the adopted
constitution. read more
Sandhaanu 10 out
- It has been nearly 2
years since Maumoon banned Sandhaanu and put everyone away for
years and years. Mr. Luthfy escaped and commenced work on
Switzerland. Bravo and well done! Many Maldivians enjoyed
reading this magazine. They will be pleased to know that
Sandhaanu will be regular now.
Meeting with
Human Rights Activists -
Alluding to other
incidents of
Human Rights abuse in the Maldives, Mr. Nasheed pondered on
the question of why torture the apolitical. He stated that
“there is a crude logic to torture and ill-treat those who
challenge the regime, but the reasons behind torturing those
arrested on petty crimes and substance abuse will elude any
normal mind”. According to Mr. Nasheed, torturing the
apolitical is necessary if any dictator is hell bent on
staying in power for as long as humanly possible. An
atmosphere of fear and intimidation is the most required
ingredient to regimentalise society and keep them under
control.
read
more
MDP
Personnel in Colombo
Harassed by Agents of Maldivian Government (PRESS RELEASE)
- Mr. Latheef
nor the MDP has committed any crime under Sri Lankan law and
therefore the MDP was obliged to make further inquiries in to
the matter. MDP has learned from sources that the President of
Sri-Lanka Her Excellency Mrs. Chandrika Kumarathunga
Bandaranaika has not instructed any Maldivian to be deported
or “Black Listed”. MDP is left with no option but to believe
that this situation has been brought upon us through the
illegal operations of hardened Maldivian criminals in Sri
Lanka . read more
MDP delegation meets with
British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (PRESS RELEASE) -
The delegation of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) in
the United Kingdom, Members of the General Council, Mr.
Mohamed Nasheed and Mr. Ahmed Shafeeq Ibrahim Moosa, met with
the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London on 23rd
February 2003. The meeting was headed by Mr. James Dauris,
Deputy Head, South Asian Department.
read more
Sri Lanka to
expel Maldives activist -
The Sri Lankan government has given a well-known political
activist from the Maldives, Mohammad Latheef, a week to leave
the country. Mr Latheef said he believed the Sri Lankan
government had succumbed to pressure from the Maldives where
opposition parties are illegal.
read more
Country Reports
on Human Rights Practices -
"The Government imposed limits on freedom of association. The
Government registers clubs and other private associations if
they do not contravene Islamic or civil law. While not
prohibited by law, the President officially discouraged
political parties on the grounds that they were inappropriate
to the homogeneous nature of society, and none exist. In 2001,
a group of 42 people petitioned the Minister of Home Affairs
to request permission to set up the Maldivian Democratic
Party." Released by U.S. State Department - the Bureau of
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor February 25, 2004
read more
Maldives to prosecute opposition party members
for inciting riots
- MALE, Feb 16 -- Maldives State Prosecutor on
Monday filed proceedings at the Criminal Court to prosecute
six people, including members of the opposition Maldives
Democratic Party, for inciting riots in the capital Male in
September last year. read more
Democracy - Yes,
but Terrorism - No! -
Let me tell Mr .Go-Go
and his henchmen something: if you want to criticize the
government and its policies, please go ahead. Nobody is going
to harm you. Every Maldivian citizen has the right to express
his views within the parameters of the law, as is the case in
other countries. But, if you want to take the law into your
own hands, or terrorize our peaceful country, we will not let
you or anybody else do that. We will never allow you to
destroy our flourishing tourism and our longstanding social
harmony. And we will never allow you and your fellow
anarchists to turn the Maldives into a Haiti or a Rwanda!
Read more on Haveeru Daily Saturday, 21 February 2004 By
Ahmed Hameed
Maldivian
Democratic Party Press Release
-
"Key
characteristics of this tyranny are, rampant nepotism,
suppression of any form of political opposition, complete
control of media and communication, arbitrary arrests, torture
and death in custody, endemic corruption and misuse of public
funds, no respect for the rule of law, idolism of his self,
intimidation of the parliament reducing it to a rubberstamp
body, ballot rigging and total mismanagement of public
services."
read more
Maldives
government slams Amnesty International statement
Haveeru Daily News Paper (Maldives) Tuesday, 17 February 2004
"We expect death penalty for these 12" Dr.
Saeed, Attorney General -
Maldives State Prosecutor also on Monday filed
legal proceedings against 12 National Security Services
officers for the torture and death in custody of inmate Evan
Naseem on 19 Sept 2003 which resulted in the widespread riots
in Male the next day. From our senior correspondent in
Maldives. read more
Barbarism of Maumoon …. Mass arrests in the
name of national security - “They
are coming in lorries and going into the houses, drag them in
anyway they can, handcuff them and throwing them in the back
of lorries." read more
MDP General Council Elected
-
Elections
Update as of 13/02/2004 Sri Lanka Time: 4:30
The deteriorating law and
order situation in Male’
Maldivian Democratic Party
- Press Statement
-
For Immediate Release -
12th February, 2004
more
Fire
in Male' - Majeedhiyaa Carnival
BREAKING
NEWS
Sammarey Campaign leads to fight in Dhiddoo
Post from
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newmaldives by
freemaldives2003@yahoo.com 09/02/2004
Show
of hands or a secret ballot?
- The procedural
arrangements for electing a President to the Citizens’ Special
Majlis have come under intense scrutiny over the past several
days. To distinguish the issue more specifically:
Under present constitutional
arrangements, should the election be carried out by a) a show
of hands, or b) secret ballot
There is no question that the
matter is one of constitutional interpretation, hence, as
such, let me make a few salient prefatory remarks.
read more
HULHUMALE' - A useless project
- Is it necessary for us
to create a new island? We have more than 900 uninhabited
islands. There is plenty of land in Villingili which is not
used at all. Let me ask you a question, is it really so
important for us to spend millions and millions of Rufiyaa on
Hulhumale' project?
read more
Some are
calling for multi-party democracy, others want rights, justice
and accountability, but what are the pro-reform meetings
really saying? -
Some things just don’t go together:
Rukkuri
and
Rihaakuru;
Adolf Hitler and compassion; and Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom and
democracy.
read more
Jihad is not only limited
to the use of sword but also word. You've only got
to remove the "s" from sword -
In reference to the recent
articles on constitutional matters and how Maumoon does not
respect the law, I wish to state that it is not only the
constitution that is law or considered law in the Maldives.
Something far more powerful and influential is the, "Raeeesul
Jumhooriyya ge Ofeehuge Dhennevun (Announcements of the
Presidents’ Office)" All the Government run offices are bound
by this "Dhennevun (announcement)". Simply the President
announces any of his views, requests or demands or wishes,
they become law.
read more
Summer-Ray must
go -
Efforts by the Dhivehi Observer and other campaigns by exiles
certainly seem to have caught the attention of the
international media and, put the heat on foreign governments
to re-evaluate their relations with Gayyoom's government. But
within the Maldives and, in particular, the rural islands,
little has changed. read
more
The need for a
workable plan for an emergency governance in the immediate
post GDP period -
The NSS I am sure would have plans to maintain security within
the capital, and to keep the country safe from foreign
aggression during such volatile and vulnerable times. What I
am also sure is that some of the officers at NSS also have
plans to step in to fill that vacuum. This is not what the
people want, NSS should know this.
read more
Need for a
reconciliation plan -
GDP (Gayyoom's
Dictatorial Party) government has employed the majority of
educated and capable Maldivians into its work force. Many of
these people are in powerful positions of decision making.
Some of them are even included in the political decision
making on matters of education, economy, health, tourism etc.
It is clear that not all of them are in the inner circle of
the GDP. However because of their connections within the
government they are used by the GDP to make party political
decisions. read more
Why we
need party system in Maldives
- My opinion has changed over the years. I was once a very
strong supporter and advocate of the "No Political Party"
movement. I have had a complete and full reversal in opinion
since then and now whole-heartedly and vigorously campaign
for a multi party approach.
read more
A Look at the problems at IGMH
- always room for change -
Hospital Management and
Administration is a field in itself and we need people
trained for that. I am surprised at times how things are
mismanaged....it is as if they say that this is the best
possible anywhere.
read more
Maldives in need
of a press law -
Presently, there is no law regarding the press in Maldives.
There is only the registration procedures for newspapers and
magazines. Currently, no laws exist regarding press ethics and
responsibilities of journalists, protection of state secrets,
and the rights of the public for access to information. Due to
this, journalists are unable to receive vital information,
regardless of the relevance of certain issues to the public.
Not only do certain officials refrain from speaking to
journalists, but they also do not provide even written answers
to questions sent by journalists.
read more
Is justice only reserved for the
rich?
-
As we enter a
new era of how the criminal justice system of the Maldives is
going to be operated, we are left with many lingering
questions. How does the use of a lawyer affect the common
everyday person in a country where 60% of the population lives
under the poverty line? Does this mean that justice is only
reserved for the wealthy few who can afford lawyers to
represent them? read more
"Press Freedom in Maldives has been
traditionally very strictly controlled , so letting loose of
such controls suddenly will not be very good. However, public
opinion can best be amassed by giving press freedom” Dr.
Saeed, Attorney General - The media as
of now is a Government poodle and has no conscious of it self.
It need not be. The proposals to allow media as the
springboard for public opinion and debate are intrinsically
not what the public is demanding. We need free media to assist
us in the process of discourse and rational debate. The
Government needs to regulate the media so that it is free from
bias arising from economic interests or vested interests of
owners of the enterprise.
read more
Questions, questions and more
questions that people want answers to -
If I may can I say a few words
to Gayyoom? You were the apparent "savior" the last time
around. You got your chance, and
plenty of time too. I might get many people to roll theirs
eyes at this but thank you for what you have done, and
you have done
some good things, but the bad far out weighs the good.
You are an intelligent man, at least I think you were, and I
am sure that you do realize that it
is now time for you to go.
read more
The
responsibility of Parliament members
- Some of the bills
submitted to the parliament are quite technical. For example,
the bill submitted on April 25 highlights issues regarding
monetary security. But members did not even spend five minutes
in discussing this bill -- it was immediately decided that
this bill be sent to a committee. There are economists and
business professionals in the Maldives. But the question is,
how many members took the initiative to discuss this bill with
such an expert?
read
more
Love, Grief
and Taking Responsibility - A mothers
lament - My
deepest sorrows lie in the state of my country. Beauty has
been hiding a great monster. As clear as it is that every
society has monsters, it is more than disappointing that in my
own country where there are so few people there is such a
great monster. This monster is not an individual but a system
that has festered for too long. For our country to call itself
a democracy is misleading since even today it is being run as
a fundamentalism blighted nation.
read more
Gayyoom,
Hitler and Mussolini -
Gayyoom's tactics are very similar to that of Adolf Hitler and
Mussolini. If there is any difference between them, perhaps
it might be that those two European chaps did not lead any of
the Friday prayers in one of the Mosques of their respective
country. read
more
Gayyoom's Lies
- President Maumoon
Abdul Gayyoom of Maldives and his supporters accuse Maldivian
Democratic Party (MDP) and all pro-reform Maldivians of
chasing a dream of wealth and riches and life in the
Presidential palace, even though he has shown that he cannot
bear to live his life in an ordinary house or even a palace (Muliaage)
by building a super palace fit for a millionaire with all the
worldly comforts and riches while 40% of our population is
living below poverty. read
more
The story of State Electric Company (STELCO),
Maldives -
For a second, think of what
will happen if we were able to save at least half of that
money and start our own business. Imagine the economic growth
it will result, not to mention increasing income for your
family to live a decent life. Don’t shake your head. This is
the facts of our life. This is development for you, with love
from current regime. read more
Isthafa Ibrahim
Manik resigns? -
Following is an email sent to me regarding Mr. Isthafa Ibrahim
Manik who resigned from his post as Director General of
Defence Ministry on 3rd April 2004. Isthafa Ibrahim Manik is
known to many Maldivians as being a ruthless person who took
maximum advantage of his position under Gayyoom's tyranny.
read more
Proud of our
drug dealers - Has Maumoon gone completely potty?-
"Well done my boys? You must be
as qualified as me now? fancy a cabinet post?" Come on
Gayyoom, really, this is just too much!
read more
Someone (maumoon@hotmail.com) replies to my
questions -
I rest my case themaldivian.org
speaks for itself.
A Message to themaldivian.org
(New) "Come on
guys.. corruption, nepotism and complete abuse of human
rights... time is up.. you tell him that.."
Read their reply here
Will
Kuoni pullout of Maldives? -
Unless the government of the
Maldives brings an immediate end to human rights abuses,
release all prisoners of conscience, start respecting the rule
of law, freedom of expression, freedom of association, a
campaigns calling to stay away from Maldives can be launched.
This will have a significant impact of the economy of the
Maldives, something that this government cannot withstand.
President Gayyoom has a thing or two to think about rather
than spend his evenings enjoying the Shaam E' Rangeen show at
Majeedhiyaa Carnival in Male'.
read more
Mr. Gayyoom unleashes his
militia upon the people
- Mr.
Shafeeu garbing himself as a Home Minister went up on TV
Maldives and announced the ludicrous words to the effect that
exercising the constitutional rights of the people as being
illegal. On the 14th February 2004 Mr. Sahfeeu
stated that being a member of the MDP and engaging in party
activity is unlawful. By this act and many other that he has
committed as the regimes Home Minister Mr. Shafeeu has brought
himself down to criminal levels. It is understood that a
variety of NGO’s are exploring the possibilities of bringing
Mr. Shafeeu to a court of justice.
read
more
Luthfy
advises Gayyoom to rid the government of nepotism and
apologise to the people of Maldives and then resign
- Luthfy does not
want Gayyoom to resign immediately. He wants to ensure that
the corrupt elements in this government is ejected, a civil
society is installed before Gayyoom apologises to the people
of Maldives and then resign from office. This is the correct
sequence which will ensure that once and for all, our country
will rid herself from the claws of tyranny, ignorance and
fear, as most political analysts would agree.
read more
Amnesty
International letters to Maumoon remain unanswered?
- " The following Amnesty
International letters addressed to President Maumoon Abdul
Gayyoom and copied to the Maldives High Commissioner in London
have remained unanswered: letter date 21 January 2003
regarding the reported death of a young man as a result of
torture while in the custody of the NSS; letter dated 6
November 2002 on concerns about the charges, trial and
conviction of Naushad Waheed;"
read
more
Letter
from a correspondent
Gayyoom and Drug
Dealers -
Dear Editor, I travelled with Gayyoom's entourage to Egypt
several times during the early 80 and 90s and among the
trivial topics he took up with Egyptian authority, was to
obtain release of Maldivian drug dealers in Egyptian jails.
read more
Paris
Principles made sacrificial lamb -
After MDP press releases and
newsletters have made the human rights document a household
word among the Maldivian intelligentsia, the Paris Principles
must have been Gayoom’s public enemy number one, giving him
nightmares in his sleep and haunting his waking hours. He
must have really taken time to think and plan a good
strategy. As it turned out, this public circus organized in
the form of a ‘Workshop on Human Rights and the Paris
Principles’, held with the ostensible objective of informing
and educating officials and senior functionaries in the
private sector on human rights issues and principles, was the
perfect setting he carefully chose for smothering all hopes of
human rights in the near future.
By Freemaldives
read more
Salvaged the regime; claims the saviour
-
by a correspondent - The regime in Maldives could not meet the
resistance and the foreign pressure created by the human
rights and pro-democracy forces any longer. The main force
raising the issue of recent incidents of brutality is
Maldivian Democratic Party, working in exile. They are the
main voice fighting for the constitutional rights of freedom
of expression and association in the Maldives.
read more
Freedom
is in the air (by Freemaldives)
-
After sweeping Evan Naseem under Sattar
Commission’s carpet, washing one’s own small hands with all
the oceans of the world and dabbing it with all the perfumes
of Arabia, the smell is still there; but it’s not Evan’s
corpse rotting. It’s the sweet fragrance of freedom. Freedom
is in the air..
read
more
Rhetoric to
buy time: Another G-Constitution
-
Gayyoom can get the special Majlis packed
with his loyalists and supporters with heavy ballot rigging
and intimidations. The recent threats by the commissioner of
elections saying that he believes that certain elements are
acting contrary to the elections regulations, and therefore
will act against them, is a more clear indication of the make
up of the new Special Majlis.
read more
Drug Abuse in Maldives
- By Dylan / Some of the messages on
this guestbook have suggested that we kill all drug users - of
course we may be able to get rid of some individuals, but drug
abuse would still persist as a social problem. There would be
waves of new drug addicts to fill the places of those we
'kill', and as such, 'killing' drug users would be most absurd
and futile, if we are to deal with the issue rather than
target specific individuals.
read more
Gayyoom sheds his sheep's
clothing
- The wolf has now bared its fangs.
As a last resort, Maumoon has been forced to take open help
from the criminal nexus that he had carefully kept hidden from
the Maldivian public for over a quarter of a century. Yes,
Maumoon has finally revealed the real power behind his
criminal rule – Koli Ali Manik. Who
is he, many young Maldivians will ask?
read more
Ilthimaas letter
translated
by www.maldivescultures.com
"My loyalty lies with the people of Maldives and to the
nation, not to Maumoon"
Sappe' 10/12/2003
An
Islamic Constitution for Maldives?
from
newmaldives group posted by
freemaldives2003@yahoo.com
The
death of Eevan could have been prevented!
by a Maldivian
Sea of
Change
by
Ahmed Naseer -
Fithuroanu Villa, Male'
Inshaa Allah we will hand
power back to people
by an NSS officer
"We
appeal to you ... help my father Mohamad Zaki and the others."
Miss. A. Mazeena Zaki
up
