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Friends Of Maldives - Press Release

64 Milford Street

Salisbury

SP1 2BP

01722 504 330

United Kingdom

www.friendsofmaldives.co.uk

13 August 2004 14:56 (BST)

Members of Parliament arrested after Maldives protests

After a heavy police crackdown on peaceful reformist protestors following demonstrations in the capital Male’ throughout the night, it has now been confirmed that at least 5 members of the Citizens’ Special Majlis have been arrested. Some have been led away in handcuffs after their homes were entered forcibly by National Security Service officers.

The five members are:

Ibrahim Ismail (Male’ constituency)

Ibrahim Hussain Zaki (Alif Dhaal)

Gasim Ibrahim (Alif Dhaal)

Mohamed Shihab (Dhall)

Dr. Mohamed Munawwar (Seenu)

Police in the capital Male’ used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds of demonstrators who had been protesting in their thousand all night. The crowd has now dispersed and the recriminations are beginning.

The 5 Members are amongst those 23 who walked out in protest at the government’s obstruction of the first session of the citizen’s Majlis on July.

The protesters started to gather outside the Head Quarters of the National Security Service at around 6 o’clock last night. Early reports suggested that initially the crowd numbered 6,000 but it was claimed that by midnight it had grown to around 20,000. People remained on the streets throughout the night before the NSS moved in at around 3pm this afternoon.

A BBC report compiled with the help of the Reuters News Agency quotes government sources who claim that there were only 1500 people on the streets and that this was due to the usual Friday Prayer meets, which got out of hand. They claimed that they are taking a ‘non-confrontational’ stance despite reports flooding in of police heavv-handedness.

Contact details:

Friends of Maldives is a group concerned with promoting cultural links with Maldives and addressing Human Rights Abuses in the country.

Friends of Maldives - 64 Milford Street,

Salisbury,

SP1 2BP.

Tel. 01722 504 330

Email: admin@friendsofmaldives.co.uk

Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman in the UK - Mohamed Nasheed - 00 44 7833 127 529

Maldivian Democratic Party HQ in Sri Lanka - 00 94 11288 3448

Maldivian Democratic Party spokesman in Sri Lanka - Mohamed Latheef - 0094 777 281 918

Maldivian political commentators: Ahmed Naseer - Mob: 0044 7981 148479

Ahmed Shafeeq Ibrahim Moosa - Mob (UK): 07932939103

Ahmed Nazim Sattar - 00 960 788 719