:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Crackdown extends to Maldives Intelligentsia

By Mariyam Mohamed - Tuesday, 17 August 2004

August 13th Black Friday's crackdown in Maldives may have been a measure out of the regimes desperation to stay in power, but now President Gayyoom is using the opportunity to brutalize and torture the country's intelligentsia and the many businesses that had done well in spite of his nearly three-decades rule. The targeted witch-hunt now include musicians, poets and artists, who through their non violent art and occupations have criticized the several murders and torture carried out by Gayyoom's regime.

Among those arrested the past few days are Hussain (Huchen) and Mohamed (Mohoj) Hasen Didi, both famous artists and musicians. Mohoj of Zero Degree Atoll fame had through their band won world acclaim for their country, but none of their music is ever played on state radio. Huchen performs three to five nights a week in the country's resort hotels. Another artist targeted for harassment is Ahmed Abbas, more well known for his art and architecture. He is also a musician and a member of the General Council of Maldives Democratic Party. Another MDP Council Member arrested and brutalized is Susan Ibrahim Fulhu, a well known and popular poetess who had won international awards for her poetry. Artist Naushad Waheed's plight is now well known to many institutions such as Amnesty International and Reporters without Borders. Many of the country's best and brightest journalists and academics live abroad for fear of persecution and entrapment.

Businesses that are being affected include most notably that of Honourable Qasim Ibrahim the country's most generous philanthropist, former Chairperson of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Special Majlis member. A number of his colleagues in the Special Majlis are being hunted down. Former soccer star and sports manager Honourable Ali Faiz, who is a marine engineer by profession and current Special Majlis Member for Baa Atoll, (a founder member of MDP), heading one of the largest fishery businesses in the country was arrested long after the crowds were brutally dispersed by the NSS on August 13. Faiz is also the nephew of the President's wife.

These people are believed to be on the regime's hit-list for expressing their revulsion and disgust for the unexplained deaths and torture of people from much before the now-known brutal murder of Hassan Eevan Naseem. They have publicly expressed the view that Maldivians shall never forget Eevan and the others. From Fua Mulaku Wafir, to Ali Shahir to Sudhaa, all of whom who had died under mysterious circumstances while in custody years before the inception of MDP, these artists and musos have eulogised the victims' memories through paintings, graphics songs and music. None of these people are ever known for a single violent act in their lives.

President Gayyoom when he came to power in 1978 made the pledge that there will not be any political prisoners in Maldives during his tenure. The moment he came to power his family and cronies began hunting down perceived enemies for revenge. Most were targeted for opposing their struggle for power. None of them were charged for dissent.

Gayyoom had been successful in duping the international community that those brutalized in his jails were criminals, fornicators, drugs -fiends, peddlers, and never dissidents. (For some extra-ordinary reason, the British government, the BBC, CNN, and the UN are silent about the many parliamentarians taken into custody after August 13 Black Friday). People closer to the victims know better that should a person earn the regime's displeasure for attending a political discussion, charges will be brought the next day against him or her either for going the wrong way on a one way street, not lighting the bike lamp at night, kissing a lover, drinking a beer, for drugs or for terrorism. Gayyoom's police chief Adam Zahir is known to have lured several student-leaders in 1977 to buy from and smoke marijuana with him a few months before Gayyoom came to power, so that the regime could , once in power, bust the perceived threats and loot their property. To look the harmless rebel, Zahir wore shoulder length hair, singlets and blue jeans to ward off suspicion from these students who little knew that a power-grab was in the making. These days the same game is afoot with a deadlier poison. Abbas Ibrahim, the President's brother in law and other regime figures have been accused for financing the import of kilos of adulterated heroin.

The world's longest serving rulers include Castro and Gayyoom. Castro is not so well known as Gayyoom to take such desperate measures to cling on as to destroy the youth, the intelligentsia and others endowed with business acumen who would contribute enormously to the country's moral and material wealth.