It is time to think differently from the way we have always done :: Maldives News :: Dhivehi Observer

Nashid Column

It is time to think differently from the way we have always done

by Dr. Ibrahim Nashid - ibrahimnash@gmail.com, G. Keneree Ge, Male', 08 January 2006

In a land where the majority of the population lives a hand-to-mouth existence, Gayoom and his gang of thieves feel no shame in bleeding the country to death. It was only recently that we heard the cries of jubilation from Gayoom's government after gaining special concessions from international donors. At the same time they were hypocritical enough to label those urging the donors not to lend any more money as traitors. Although it has been an open secret for some time, recent newspaper articles have made it quite clear why we need to borrow more money and where it ends. The borrowing is being done in the name of the tsunami victims of 2004. However, knowing the little assistance they have received from Gayoom's government over the last twelve months, it is unlikely they will get any further help, no matter how much is borrowed. In defence of the high allowances made for the president in this year's deficit budget the finance minister was either stupid or bold enough to say “that was how we have always done it.”

What we are seeing now are the signs of a dictator's fall. The newspaper articles detailing the corruption of the chief torturer, among others, indicate that we have lost the fear of the tyrant in whose grip we have been for almost three decades. It is likely that we will see more of Gayoom's dirty laundry out in public before he is eventually removed from office. Already people who have benefited from Gayoom's largesse are stating that in their eyes there are no laws in the Maldives. We will also see a lot of people who have gained favours from Gayoom trying to distance themselves from the regime. Now that they know that their days are numbered, it is foreseeable that Gayoom and his gang of thieves will attempt to raid the treasury one last time before they attempt to flee. It will take the vigilance of a lot of brave people to stop them.

When brutal dictators fall, it is often suggested that in the interest of peace they should be allowed to leave the country and live abroad without meddling with the affairs of the country anymore. For example, Idi Amin was granted a safe exit to Saudi Arabia. Those who favour this argument suggest that it will allow the country to heal its wounds. As we can see from the case of Uganda, this was not necessarily the case.

If Gayoom and his accomplices, both in corruption and torture, are allowed to leave the country, it will only be in the interest of a selected few. Ibrahim Nasir was allowed to leave peacefully so that many of his accomplices could carry on with their corruption in the same manner. The families of Evan Naseem, Muaviath Mahmood and many others will never have any peace as long as those responsible for torturing their loved ones are not brought to justice. Peace in the Maldives has been disturbed mostly by Gayoom's militia. If those responsible in leading the country after Gayoom are determined enough, peace can be maintained without allowing Gayoom to leave the country. For such an example we can look at South Africa after the fall of the Apartheid regime. That regime was more brutal than Gayoom's in comparison and yet Mandela and other leaders were able to lead the country into the future without much violence. There the torturers were tried and the victims of torture and police brutality eventually got their justice.

To prevent another dictatorship in the Maldives it is paramount that Gayoom and his allies be put on trial in the Maldives for corruption and for the torture that they have inflicted on the people of the Maldives. I do not mean here that we should put them in shackles and rags and parade them on the streets of Male' while loud-speakers blare out derogatory songs about them. They should be treated fairly and equally within the limits of the law. We should not fall to the level of Gayoom by doing what he did to his opponents. This may not have the effect that some of us might desire. However, if we disregard the law when we are most emotional, we will never be able to give the respect it deserves. If we are interested in building a democracy, the coming months will be the time to respect the law and treat people with dignity.

Democracy is not just the freedom to do whatever one pleases. It is the freedom to get involved in making the society one lives in a better place. It is the freedom to say what one wishes to say while respecting the views of others. Democracy is, knowing that one's freedom extends as far as it does not violate the freedom of another.

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