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Editorials
Editorial
 Coincidence or Stage-managed: possibly with a view to frame the
opposition?
The late eighties
and Gayoom's popularity is waning. Then 3rd November 1988 – Tamil
mercenaries, Weapons, Indian Assistance. Fast forward 19 years.
Gayoom's popularity is at an all-time low. Then 16 May 2007 - "Tamil Tigers",
Weapons, Indian Assistance. Sounds familiar? A coincidence? If the incident
where the Maldivian Coast Guard sank a vessel that was allegedly gun-running for
the LTTE seems to be news that sounds too good to be true for Gayoom when he so
badly needed some positive news, then, it may be because it is too good to be
true. more
Editorial
 "They
are the real terrorists" - Ismailbe'
All societies teach their members, irrespective of
caste or creed, to respect the elderly; to enable them to lead a life of
dignity. In this sense, the Maldives is no exception. It is part of our culture
and Islamic heritage that we treat our elderly with kindness and tolerance. In
such a situation, it is horrifying to read the ordeal that was inflicted by the
Maldivian police upon an old octogenarian with hearing and visual impairments.
How the police could treat Ismailbe' with such indignity is beyond belief. To
deny an old man water and food for 6 hours is something no decent human being
could accept. And to physically force this vulnerable old man to be
fingerprinted makes it even more atrocious.
more
Editorial
The
murderous
dictator and the 'Bullet-Ballot' propaganda
In recent weeks, Maldives Foreign Minister Dr.
Shaheed has been babbling away just a little bit too much as part of the ongoing
propaganda to salvage an ailing dictatorship in the country. A British MP once
told me, "this new breed of politicians in the Maldives comes across as decent
people will liberal thinking", a sentiment expressed by other politicians even
locally. However, over the past two years, these camouflaged politicians have
failed to impress and deliver the promises they make.
more
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enWncnOn cned caetogcnUn
Editorial
 First ever Buddhist temple in centuries
upsets Maldivians
This image of a temple in a Maldivian resort, which was exposed on DO last Friday,
have upset many Maldivians. The temple was built as
part of a grand ceremony on the request of billionaire Sir Phillip Green, who had apparently booked the whole island for his
55th Birthday party. Of course, there are some who will argue that there is
nothing wrong with it, but the common man has spoken and they do not feel
comfortable about it at all. Some are even scared that this might bring bad luck
to not just Baa Atoll but the whole of the Maldives.
more
Editorial
 Gayyoom
is a loser
Gayyoom's military campaign against the democracy
rallies in Male' is further proof that the Maldives dictator is refusing to
allow any real democracy in the country. Claims by Gayyoom and his well-paid
supporters, that the democrats will be violent, are transparent lies. Leading
democracy reformers have been viciously attacked for years in Maldives by both
Gayyoom's National Security Service (NSS) and by gangs of street thugs organised
by Gayyoom and his relatives who hold ministerial positions in the dictator's
personally selected cabinet.
more
Editorial
 Can
India help democratise Maldives by protecting a 28 year old brutal dictatorship?
It sounds ironic; in fact, it is a joke that
Dictator Gayyoom's special propagandist, Dr. Shaheed is begging India to help
bring democracy to the Maldives. He is asking India to protect the most brutal
dictator we have ever seen in our history. He is asking India, the largest
democracy in the world, to protect a tyrant who has been ruling our country with
guns, without any regard for human rights and the rule of law.
more
Editorial
Big Friday
could be Liberation Day
Throughout history, struggles for democracy and justice have
never been easy. For many, it has taken years and cost
thousands if not millions of lives before they realise their
dreams. However, in the case of Maldives, the recent
organised movement led by a handful of human rights
activists in the aftermath of the brutal killings of inmates
in Maafushi Jail in 2003, much has been achieved in just a
few years. Gayyoom's 'Secret Dictatorship' is no longer a
secret. It is classed amongst the most oppressive and
despised regimes in the world today.
more
Editorial
Gayyoom
declares 'War on Poor'
Dictator Gayyoom's aggressive clampdown and attack
on residents of remote islands of the Maldives is becoming more of a trend now.
He obviously had no means to terrorise and control the residents of larger
islands, such as the capital island Male', islands of Addu Atoll or the capital
island of Huvadhoo Atoll, Thinadhoo. The reason is simple; people of these
islands are fully aware of their rights and are no longer willing to bow down to
the 'regime' sponsored terrorism.
more
Editorial
The
Legacy Of An Illegitimate Ba'thist Regime
Despite the claims by Dictator Gayyoom, that he is
an elected President and that he is the head of a legitimate government, many
have argued the case that the election processes, not only the public
presidential referendums, but even the parliamentary elections in the Maldives
have never been free and fair. To the contrary, every single referendum and
election held in the Maldives over the last 27 years had been flawed and heavily
influenced by the dictator and his cronies.
more
Editorial
 One
of the darkest days in our history
On 19th September 2003, a young man,
Evan Naseem was brutally murdered by Gayyoom's security forces. He was brutally
beaten to death by more than 12 policeman allegedly for disobeying orders and
hitting a policeman with a piece of wood. The policeman he hit was the best
setter of their volleyball team and revenge had to be taken.
more
Editorial
'Golhaabo' means, one who steals mercilessly from the
poorest of the poor
DO
readers must have read us referring to the murderous
dictator of the Maldives as Golhaabo. Many of our
foreign readers, including international diplomats, have
wondered for months what the actual meaning of Golhaabo
is and why people address him by this specific title.
Basically the title 'Golhaabo' means toddy thief, one
who steal the toddy of poor men, and is given to someone
who mercilessly steals the hard earned living of
innocent people, the way Gayyoom is stealing the hard
earned life of thousands and thousands of Maldivians
.
more
Editorial
Will Gayyoom further
"de-escalate" his "sweeping reform" process?
Gayyoom always uses terminologies like "Sweeping Reform" and
"Road Map" to muster support within the international
community as they happen to be widely used political terms
of the time. So, with the new conflict in the Middle East,
the conflict between Hizballah and Israel, and the most
common term being used is "de-escalate", one wonders when
Gayyoom will announce that he is to further "de-escalate"
his so called "sweeping reform" agenda and the "road map"
citing perhaps far reaching economic reasons, due to
increases in fuel prices, for example, which will hit him
and his cronies very hard over the coming weeks and months.
more
Editorial
The
'Word' Cup is over; Wake up everyone!
Despite being very insignificant and small in the football
world, like most nations it is our national game as well.
Maldivians glue themselves to the TV and watch every game of
the World Cup (locally pronounced WORD CUP), no matter what
time they are played. The teams they support vary from
Brazil, Argentina, Italy, France, Germany and England,
perhaps in this very order.
more
Editorial (re-visited)
How much does Gayyoom cost us? More than US$71.5 million over the past
six years
Maldives has recently been
promoted to a Developing Country from the Least
Developed Countries category. However, the living
standard of the Maldivian people does not reflect that
rise. The only indication that
the economic well-being of the country has improved is
the criminal misappropriation of state funds sustaining
President Gayyoom's lavish life style.
more
Editorial
 "Master
of The Game" claims Dictator Gayyoom
Many
of us have over the years blamed others for the
mismanagement, corruption and crimes of Gayyoom, now
famously known as the World's Secret Dictatorship. However,
the truth of the matter is that, as recently reaffirmed by
Gayyoom himself, he is the key man and the final decision
maker. Nothing can be done within his system without his
full support and approval. In some serious cases, especially
when dealing with his opponents and dissidents who rise
against him, everything is carried out on his direct
instructions, which include the kind of torture these
opponents should be subjected to, for how long and their
sentencing with or without trial. Yes, it is all up to the
Master of The Game.
more
Editorial
 Dancing
with the Golhaas: MDP introduces democracy to Maldives
The Maldivian Democratic
Party (MDP) has consolidated its support and become a
more mature political organization in its first year as
a registered party in Maldives. The party has existed
since the end of 2003 when Mohamed Nasheed, Mohamed
Latheef, Ahmed Moosa (Sappe) and many other Maldivians
moved off-shore to officially establish the democratic
movement from safe havens in Sri Lanka and UK.
more
Editorial
 Golhaabo
Faibaa Forever: A Referendum for Sanity
It is time for the international community to put its
money where its mouth is, and financially back a large
team of observers to properly scrutinise the coming
referendum for a presidential or parliamentary system of
government in Maldives.
more
There
is nothing Gayyoom can do to defeat a united people
After May Day demonstrations
in Male', there is an aura of hope and happiness amongst the
people in our small nation. According to most people, the
total number of demonstration was more than 10,000 and
everyone was prepared for the worst but the sheer number of
participants appears to have hampered any plan the dictator
might have had in his mind to crush the demonstration and
carry out arrests as he usually does.
more
Editorial
 Majeed
Sir is a leader with a conscience and a threat to
Gayyoom's illegitimate rule
Like thousands of
Maldivians, I am also a student of the famous and
respected teacher Abdul Majeed Shameen, popularly known
as Majeed Sir. He is the founder and manager of one of
the oldest tuition classes in the Maldives. Majeed Sir
is a man worthy of praise, because he dedicated his
entire life to educate Maldivians.
more
Let's
not take our eyes off the ball
Gayyoom is trying his very
best to stay ahead of us. He is sending his corrupt
diplomats abroad to try and convince the international
community that he will implement political reform as per
his 'sweeping reform' rhetoric. He is promising changes
to the constitution but from behind the scene he is
ensuring that the parliament, which is still under his
direct control, reject these changes.
more
Simply
Not True, Sweeping Reform and the Road Map
Let us recap on what is happening in our country.
Gayyoom came to power in 1978 amidst a controversial power shifting arrangement
manipulated by a few in powerful posts at the time. However, we all know that it
was a setup and it was not the will of the people. We also know that Gayyoom and
his associates were in possession of illegal firearms at the time he took oath
of office, which renders his whole reign illegitimate. However, it was the
beginning of an almost 3 decade old dictatorship, characterised by total
oppression and marred in nepotism and corruption. more
Editorial
Finally
UN takes notice
Gayyoom has been running a police state with an iron fist since he came to
power unlawfully in 1978. He had illegal weapons in his possession at the time
of taking the oath of office according to his own admission. World human rights
organisations such the Amnesty International and Asian Centre for Human Rights
and Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative have condemned and criticised the
regime of Gayyoom for the extensive abuse of human rights in the Maldives. The
United Nations however have failed so far to interfere and protect the human
rights of the Maldivian people. more
Government
sponsored terrorism in Maldives
Gayyoom has never been more unpopular than he is
today. People around the country absolutely hate him and resent him with the
exception of the few cronies and his close friends who directly benefit from his
terrorist regime. Yet, instead of trying to win back popular support he is
terrorising the people of Maldives. Instead of healing the wounds, he is putting
salt in it. more
Exotic
resorts or prison islands for tourists?
Gayyoom's concept of
building tourist resorts in uninhabited islands as self
contained units has a darker dimension to it than what
is perceived. As a tourist in one of these resorts, you
are virtually an economic prisoner at the mercy of
Gayyoom's cronies.
more
Editorial
Gayyoom
the terrorist is using our money to kill us
As we start this New
Year, the Good Maldivians must firmly resolve to bring an
end to this murderous regime as soon as possible. Every Good
Maldivian must unite to defend our constitution because that
is the only way we can guarantee a good future for our
generation and those to come.
more
 Gayyoom
will never be able to win a national election in
Maldives ever again
The official votes for the
by-election has been announced. Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)
candidates won 2 out of three with convincing majorities in
both Male' the (capital of Maldives) and Addu Atoll. These
two constituencies are the most heavily populated and
represent 25% of the total electoral roll of the country.
Mohamed Nasheed (Kaanal) and Husnu Al-Suood won Male' and
Addu respectively.
more
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Editorial
The Dictator has
run out of options
The real hero of democracy
movement in Maldives is the co-founder of the Maldives Democratic Party (MDP)
which despite being in opposition, now represents popular support of the majority of the Maldivian
people. Mohamed Nasheed (Anni), the chairman of the party
however still remains in custody after he was arrested by Dictators ruthless
militia 'The Star Force' as he sat in a peaceful vigil
in the centre of the Republican Square in capital Male'.
more
Editorial
 Gayyoom's
failed attempts to convince the world that "It's
simply not true!"
"I do not wish to comment on Mr.
Shafeeq's references to a "grand palace"
"multi-million dollar yacht" "countless numbers of
speed boats" "a holiday resort of his own", as these
items are state properties same as the White House,
Air Force One, Camp David and so on, in the United
States, of course with no comparison intended, which
are normal things available to and at the disposal
of whoever is occupying the seat of Presidency." -
Hussain Shihab
more
Editorial
Once
again our fishermen are forced to throw away tons of
fish
For centuries the people of Maldives earned their living
primarily by fishing. Tourism was introduced some 30
years ago yet it is now contributes to roughly 70% of
the country's GDP and the fisheries industry has been
declining since Gayyoom came to power in 1978. The main
reason for that is that he refused to open up the
fisheries industry for over 25 years and his illicit
government had a complete monopoly over the export of
Maldives fish.
more
Editorial
November
3rd is not Victory Day
On November 3rd 1988,
Maldives woke up to the darkest day in it's modern
history. A coup plot lead by two Maldivian businessmen,
Luthfy and Sagaru Nasir failed not because of Gayyoom's
highly acclaimed military might but because of India.
This was another of the many failures of Gayyoom which
asserts the common opinion that he in incapable to
running Maldives properly and defending it. Few dozen of
hired thugs made him go into hiding and dress up like a
woman to avoid being captured.
more
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Editorial
The
Paradox of Golhaabo - the bastard has lost it completely
We all know how much Gayyoom aka Golhaabo begged at the
recent UN Summit to differ our promotion from Least
Developing County to Developing Country. Here is exactly
what he said "At this critical time, a mere smooth
transition period of graduation from LDC status will not
be adequate. It is imperative that our country's
graduation be deferred until we return to the
pre-tsunami levels of development."
more
Editorial
Our
property is Gayyoom's booty
The whole purpose
of a constitution is to protect the rights and property
of the people who are bound to it. Such inalienable
rights as freedom of speech, assembly, association,
right to legal assistance, protection of land and
property are essential to any free human being. However,
time and time again, these basic fundamental rights of
our people are violated in the name of national security
by Gayyoom.
more
DO
Remembers
 Gayyoom is directly responsible
for the brutal killing of Evan Naseem and his friends
As we mark the 2nd year of the brutal
killing of Evan Naseem and his friends in Maafushi Jail, we can be sure of one
thing. Gayyoom is directly responsible for those deaths because he masterminded
and allowed his militia to systematically torture those in detention in his
jails for more than 2 decades.
more
Editorial
Dictator's 999 Call
to the World "if you want democracy in
Maldives give me loads of money"
As usual, listening to
Gayyoom's UN speech was unentertaining and very
upsetting to say the least. Every time he makes a
speech, especially the United Nations, he comes up with
a bit or trick which never works and makes him the
laughing stock of the assembly. Last time round it was
his reminder of the time left for him to speak and this
time the idea of the '999' emergency call.
more
Editorial
Travelling
is not the biggest challenge faced by the Maldives
health sector
World Health Organization donated two speed boats to be
used in the health sector of Maldives this week. This
was part of the aid WHO collected to help Maldives after
the tsunami last December.
more
Editorial
Mubarak's
victory puts Gayyoom hopes up
There is no doubt that the victory of Husni
Mubarak in the first ever presidential election in Egypt for 7000 years would
have given the Maldives dictator Gayyoom renewed hope of remaining in power for
more years. Mubarak won with 88% of the votes which represented only 23% of the
eligible voters. The low turn-out was believed to be related to the lack of
confidence voters have in the political system of Egypt as well as lack of
awareness and understanding of the power of the ballot box.
more
Editorial
Dictator
Gayyoom's next move
Maldives is a very small country even in absolute terms.
In terms of territory, population and wealth but it is a
sovereign nation that has existed for hundreds if not
thousands of years. As a member of the United Nation, it
also enjoys the great many benefits of being a member of
the global community. It is therefore essential that
Maldives play by the rules of the world, in dealing with
it's people and providing them with life's essential
needs, after all, each country and it's wealth (as well
as it's debt) belongs to it's people and not just to
those who govern it.
more
Editorial
Gayyoom
getting ready for an election?
There is increased speculation that Gayyoom is being
forced to call for fresh elections in order to convince
the international community that he means business when
he says he is going to make the Maldives a multiparty
democracy. Political analysts have confirmed that the
pressure is being applied to Gayyoom by the Commonwealth
under instruction from the European Union and the United
States of America.
more
Editorial
Are
we going to remember Evan Naseem this September?
On 19th September 2003, a young man,
Evan Naseem was brutally murdered by Gayyoom's security
forces. He was brutally beaten to death by more than 12
policeman allegedly for disobeying orders and hitting a
policeman with a piece of wood. The policeman he hit was
the best setter of their volleyball team and revenge had
to be taken.
more
Editorial
 Heroes
of our generation
These are
testing times for our small nation. Hundreds of innocent
Maldivians are being tortured in prison by the Dictator,
who is unwilling to step-down despite the fact that the
vast majority of the Maldivian people are fed up with
his oppressive rule and want him to resign.
more
Editorial
Will
it be a White Friday this year?
Tomorrow is going to be a very important day in the
history of our small nation. On August 12th last year,
thousands converged near the Republican Square in front
of Police HQ in Male' demanding the release of some
reformists who were detained without charge.
more
Editorial
Parliamentarians
must act like role models
In any community the burden of social responsibility
heavily lies on the shoulders of parliament members.
They are vested with enormous powers to ensure that
peoples basic rights enshrined in the constitution are
upheld and observed unreservedly. They must not breach
the very laws they are meant to uphold.
more
Editorial
Switching
sides for the common good
There is an uneasy and disturbing feeling amongst some
members of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the
public in general in welcoming former cabinet ministers
and government officials. However, there are lots of
advantages in welcoming those switching sides for the
common good. What is important is to assess their
intentions and give them the opportunity to prove their
capability and see how well they contribute and
integrate with the movement for democratic change in the
Maldives.
more
Editorial
What
can a new cabinet do if Gayyoom is not willing to
change?
Gayyoom has said good bye to some of his oldest friends
who have together enjoyed the riches of Maldives without
any consideration for the fate of the people of
Maldives. People like his brother Hameed and his best
friend Fathuhulla Jameel have been living like Kings
because they knew that nor matter what they did, their
jobs were secure and they thought that Gayyoom could not
survive without them.
read more
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Editorial
Gayyoom
and Mob Culture - desperate to remain in power
In Maldives Mob culture is quite rare
and the kind of factional fighting that we are witnessing now is almost always
organised by Gayyoom and his cronies. It is quite amazing how Gayyoom's
immediate family is involved in organising these illicit activities headed by
his brother Yameen, the Trade Minister. Yet, he wants people to believe that
these unrests and social problems are caused by the introduction of multiparty
democracy. Who is he trying to convince and sell his ideals to?
more
Editorial
 What
contribution Maldives dictator make to the World Health
Organization?
Gayyoom is in Europe for the first time in nearly 18
months. He is reportedly attending WHO assembly in
Geneva as a keynote speaker. There were some rumors that
Gayyoom and his companions got into some trouble in
Dubai as they were about to board the Europe bound
flight. Some officials did not have the visa and the
trip had to be postponed for a day and for security
reasons Gayyoom also had to delay his trip. We are
unable to confirm this but there are reports that some
of his bodyguards and companions were in fact refused a
visa and had to be sent to Singapore and will return to
Maldives when Gayyoom himself returns after his visit.
read more
Editorial
 Rules
for the ordinary man, not the influential
Power or influence knows no system of government; Rules
apply only to the ordinary man.
Each organisation seems to have its own set of rules.
The hospital would say that the consultation is up to
certain time; the doctors are fully booked and, if a
patient wants to see him, he should seek reference from
another.
read more
Editorial
The
forgotten victims of Gayyoom’s torturous regime in
Maldives
The plight and suffering of the families of those
detained by Gayyoom is something that we hardly
acknowledge or talk about. When a reformist or a critic
of Gayyoom is arrested and detained as a prisoner of
conscience, all we say is "what can we do, they have
arrested him as well". But in reality there is a lot we
can do without breaking the law or risking our own
livelihoods and without falling prey to Gayyoom as well.
We can lend a helping hand to those disenchanted
families of the detainees in whichever way we can.
Untold despair, distress and hardship is experienced by
them and if we are true to our beliefs and principles,
we must help them and look after them to the best of our
ability.
read more
Editorial
Gayyoom's
rhetoric on democratic reform linked to Geneva visit
Political analysts are convinced that Gayyoom's
out-of-the-blue announcement to refer the issue of
allowing political parties to operate in the Maldives is
pure rhetoric aimed to please the European governments
who have criticised his autocratic rule and appalling
human rights record.
read more
Editorial
 Attorney
Generals' advice to Gayyoom
Gayyoom is the one and only person behind the restriction of political
freedom in Maldives. Since taking power in 1978, all his policies have
been designed to maintain and strengthen his autocratic rule with which
the country has seen nothing but cosmetic changes and developments.
read
more
Editorials up to May 2005 |
