:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Events in the Maldives make waves around the world

Compiled by Paul Roberts, Friends of Maldives - Tuesday, 17th August 2004

On Thursday 12^th August around 5,000 people demonstrated in the Maldivian capital Male’ calling for the release of political prisoners, democratic reforms and the resignation of the government of President Maumoon Gayyoom. In the afternoon of Friday 13^th August, riot police broke up the peaceful demonstration with baton charges, tear gas and rubber bullets. Waves of pro-democracy supporters have been arrested and the President has since called a state of emergency in the Indian Ocean republic. This article is a summary of some of the press coverage from around the world.

Even compared to the September 2003 riots, the events of 12-13^th August 2004 have been unprecedented in the media attention they have received.

In the Maldives, the government controlled media predictably reported events in a fashion acceptable to President Gayyoom and to few of his people. By deviating from the truth in a, quite frankly, preposterous way these reports were notable only for their haunting similarity to media reports in other despotic regimes.

The international media by contrast were critical of Gayyoom, his government and his security services. As well as informative and objective, the reports from international journalists also reaffirmed to many Maldivians the vital link between democracy, freedom of expression and truth.

Below is a summary of some articles taken from both Maldivian and international press relating to the events of 12-13^th August.

BBC World News was one of the first news stations to carry reports of the protests. The television report, entitled: A state of siege in one of the world’s most exotic tourist destinations, opened with pictures of the military out in force on the streets of Male’. Footage of the demonstration outside the National Security Service (NSS) building in Republic Square was also shown. Here is BBC’s Sri Lanka correspondent Sanjeev Srivastava’s report in full:

“Soldiers guarding the symbols of state power from pro-democracy activists. A state of siege in one of the world’s most exotic tourist destinations. The only armoured vehicle in the country out of the barracks and stationed menacingly outside President Gayyoom's office.

This show of muscle is in response to an unprecedented show of dissent by reformists on Friday 13^th when crowds gathered demanding the resignation of some hardliners in the government. The government cracked down with over 100 arrests, lending credence to the opposition’s charge that authorities were not keen on reforms.”

[Spokesperson for the government] “On the contrary, the President has announced a full programme for democracy on the 9^th of June and we are working on the timetable to do that. He has said many times to have the full programme implemented in the shortest possible time and we are on course for that.”

[Back to BBC’s Sanjeev Srivastava] This tiny Islamic state has seen tremendous economic growth in the last couple of decades but now many are pining for democracy. President Gayyoom is promising reforms but his opponents are getting impatient saying that he has delivered little so far. The two sides will have to find a meeting ground if this paradise on earth is to remain just that” END

The BBC also carried a subsequent report Emergency defers Maldives debate on its BBC World website. This focused on the indefinite postponement on Monday, 16^th August, of the special session of the Majlis that was supposed to meet for the second time that day; report in full:

A parliamentary session in the Maldives due to have begun on Monday has been postponed indefinitely. It follows the imposition of a state of emergency on Friday.

Members of parliament were expected to discuss the controversial issue of democratic reforms in the Indian Ocean republic.

Last week a protest by about 5,000 people calling for more democracy triggered violence between the police and the demonstrators. Security forces arrested 180 people, including a former attorney general, Mohammed Munavvar and a former minister, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, following the demonstrations.

In an interview with the BBC, a spokesman for the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, Ahmed Moosa, condemned the move as a barbaric attack on democratic rights and accused the government of denying Maldivians much of the revenues earned from the island's famous tourism industry. Political parties are banned in the Maldives, where President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom has ruled for 25 years. The emergency order gives President Gayyoom the power to suspend the constitution and take any steps necessary to maintain peace.

An indefinite curfew was imposed in the capital, Male, after police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, witnesses and officials said. The BBC's Sanjeev Srivastava in Sri Lanka says protests began when a group gathered outside the national police headquarters in Male demanding the release of four reformists detained in the past week.

As more people joined the protesters after Friday prayers in this Islamic country, the authorities decided to release the reformists. But the gesture failed to pacify the pro-democracy activists who started to demand the immediate resignation of hardline ministers in the Gayyoom cabinet and the Male police commissioner. Anti-government protests demanding democratic reforms broke out in the island nation for the first time last year.

Correspondents say that the recent incident appears to be another sign of increasing frustration with the slow pace of political reform in the Maldives. President Gayyoom has suggested changes to the constitution which would limit his powers and permit political parties in the country.

Opponents of the government say it is responsible for arbitrary arrests, detention without trial and torture in prison. The government says there is no repression and that it has no political prisoners in its jails. END

Associated Press reported Maldives curfew after protest. The report described that ‘security officials used tear gas to disperse thousands of protestors who rallied in a rare show of dissent against the government… in a country where political dissent isn’t tolerated.’ Chief government spokesperson Ahmed Shaheed is quoted as saying: “I will not call it a pro-democracy demonstration. Being a Friday, people just gathered.” The report concludes with mention of the September 2003 anti-government riots and the pressure the government is under to introduce democratic reforms. This AP report was carried by numerous networks including CNN and India’s Hindustan Times newspaper.

In the UK, the story was carried by most of the major newspapers.

The Guardian reported, in Maldives vigil ends in protest, riot police using teargas and rubber bullets to disperse the vigil of 20,000 people who were calling for the release of political prisoners and the resignation of President Gayyoom. The left of centre newspaper, read widely by members of Tony Blair’s government, quoted reformist MP for Male’ Ibrahim Ismail: “Gradually the crowd got angrier and angrier and they started making demands for the immediate resignation of members of the cabinet and the police.” Opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) councillor Mohamed Nasheed was reported as saying: “This is more serious than last September’s riots. The National Security Service approached me to offer a coup but I do not want anything to do with the military.” The Guardian went on to say that: ‘Dissatisfaction with Mr Gayyoom, who has led the country since 1978, has been growing for several years… The Maldives bans the formation of political parties, and, according to Amnesty International, has a bad human rights record.’ A spokesperson for the Maldivian government is quoted as describing the riots as “A bunch of people milling around.”

The Times ran a 750-word article entitled: Street protests signal trouble in ‘paradise’. Starting by commenting on the curfew after troops moved in to disperse pro-democracy demonstrators who were demanding a multi-party system and the resignation of the President; the newspaper goes on to say: ‘dozens of injured protestors were taken to hospital after troops used teargas and charged the crowd… the demonstrators were demanding the release of all political prisoners held by President Gayyoom's iron-fisted administration, including five detained in the past week after security forces began cracking down on political opposition.’ The paper reported pro-democracy activists saying that the protests were likely to erupt again given the strong sentiments of those involved. “This is not an incident which just happened in a single day, it has been building up” said MP Ibrahim Ismail. The Times linked the protests to those of September 2003, ‘[they] highlight the increasing tensions over the Government’s slow pace of reform.’ The Times concluded by quoting Kate Allen, Amnesty International’s UK director: “typically perceived as a tranquil ‘holiday paradise’, the truth is that behind the façade the Maldives Government has a disgraceful record of repressing peaceful opposition.”

The Independent reported: Maldives declares state of emergency after democracy protest. ‘In recent years, there has been a surge of popular anger at the government and President Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom, Asia’s longest-serving leader. The President’s critics say he runs the islands like a prison, tightly controlling the police, media, legislature and courts, with little tolerance for dissent’ writes correspondent Miranda Kennedy. Spokesperson for the MDP's Mohamed Latheef is quoted as saying: “Security forces had a list of 60 core pro-democracy activists and were going house to house, beating and arresting them. This shows that hardline people in the regime have taken the upper hand. They won’t tolerate any push for change” The Maldivian Government is also quoted “there is no repression or torture and that the crowd erupted at the demonstration.”

Elsewhere in the world, the developments made the front page of Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post. The leader, Hong Kong tourists in Maldives Mayhem, reported: ‘Scores of Hong Kong and mainland tourists have been caught up in political turmoil as the Maldives was plunged into a state of emergency after government troops broke up protests against dictatorial rule.’ In a subsequent article the following day (16^th August), called Tourists oblivious to trouble in paradise, the paper reported that ‘185 people had been arrested by the National Security Services and police after the demonstrations on Friday against President Gayyoom, Asia’s longest-serving leader, in the one-party state.’ It went on to report: ‘The state-run telecommunications authority had cut off internet access and SMS services on mobile phones to prevent pro-democracy activists contacting people outside. However, Mr Gayyoom's official website was being regularly updated.’

The situation in the Maldives also made the front page of India’s The Hindu newspaper. MDP spokesperson Mohammed Latheef confirmed that he had given a news conference in Colombo for the Sri Lankan media and interviews on Belgian, French and Japanese Radio shows. Mohamed Nasheed and Ahmed Shafeeq, both MDP councillors, confirmed they had appeared on the BBC World Service and BBC Radio Four.

Maldivian newspaper The Dhivehi Observer and the internet site Maldives Culture, both of which are banned in the Maldives, reported extensively on the situation on the ground in Male’ and published numerous pictures of the protests.

Outside the media, Amnesty International gave a press release on Friday 13^th August entitled: Maldives: Peaceful demonstrators beaten and detained. The press release reported that former Attorney General of the Maldives Dr Mohamed Monawar (sic) and Muad Mohamed Zaki, son of political prisoner Mohamed Zaki, had both been beaten while in custody. It went on to call on the government of the Maldives to adhere to international human rights standards.

Reporters without Borders also gave a press release in which it ‘expressed disgust at today’s violent break-up by Maldives police of a demonstration by several thousand people calling for the release of political prisoners, including three cyber dissidents – Mohamed Zaki, Ahmad Didi and Fathimath Nisreen - of the emailed newspaper Sandhaanu.’ RWB went on to announce that the Maldivian government had cut the entire country off from the internet in the wake of the demonstrations: ‘This grave and irresponsible step is unprecedented anywhere in the world and President Gayyoom has embarked on a spiral of repression that is extremely worrying’ the statement read.

A spokesperson for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office was quoted as saying that the situation in the Maldives was “worrying”.

Meanwhile, Maldivian state-run television, TV Maldives, interviewed an elderly man and asked him if he felt that the government had done the right thing: “I think everything that the government does is the right thing. Wouldn’t you agree?” Government MP Usmaan Abdulla was quoted as appealing for “the government to be harsh on the people involved [in the demonstrations] and not to be soft on them.” Letters of praise for ‘His Excellency Maumoon Gayyoom’ were read out and pictures were broadcast of the cabinet congratulating the President for his ‘wise decisions regarding the incidents of 13^th August’. State television also focused on evidence of the protestors’ vandalism. A shot of a broken chain on the Republican Square flagpole was shown.