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September 2003 and its relation to the fight for democracy in the Maldives

Evan Naseem was killed by the Police on 19th September 2003

Ameen was shot in the head and killed instantly on 20th September 2003

People of Maldives were outraged and burned government buildings on 20th September 2003

DO Editorial Team, 19th September 2004

Evan Naseem was serving a sentence in Maafushi Jail for the use of drugs. Some disturbances took place in the jail and Evan Naseem was blamed for this. Evan was taken to the RANGE (the torture chamber) and beaten to death by more than 12 policemen. Evan died because his lungs collapsed after his chest bones fractured and pierced his lungs. This sad incident happened exactly a year ago on 19th September 2003.

The next day, 20^th September 2003, several inmates showed their outrage by demanding an explanation to the reason and cause of Evan's death. The anger got out of control and they broke out of the cells and approached the Officer in charge near the police security post in Maafushi Jail. The police however did the unthinkable and began shooting these unarmed inmates. Scores of inmates were injured and 3 died as a result of this assault.

Gayyoom's government has always tried to hide these kinds of activities. As such, Evan Naseem was secretly brought to Male' on the afternoon for burial. It was initially arranged that he would be buried quickly in the cemetery of Maafannu Ward of Male', which has been recently designated for the burial of Police personnel. However, Evan Naseem's family were there and they removed the cloth that covered his bruised dead body. His family had been informed by inmates in jail that his death was not an accident rather that he was brutally murdered, beaten to death. The families demanded that Evan be buried in the local New Cemetery and his body was soon transferred there. Police was initially at the cemetery trying to control the anger of the people who were outraged by this brutal act. They tried to stop the locals from seeing Evan's body. However, very soon, all Police were chased out of the area and the family was in charge. Thousands of people went to pay their respect and witness this most atrocious and heinous crime committed by the very people who are charged with the responsibility of protecting them.

Most of us were still digesting the horrible death of Evan, when we heard that there had been a riot in the jail and that the Police opened fire and killed many and that they were being brought to the main hospital in Male'. People then started gathering near the hospital but were confronted by riot police, who restrained the public from entering the hospital. Clashes broke out and soon people had the upper hand and went into the hospital to witness the dead and injured that were being admitted to the hospital.

Angered and outraged, hundreds of people went on a rampage in Male', torching police stations and vehicles. Male' was in a state of absolute chaos and mayhem. At around 8:30 that evening, Gayyoom addressed the nation and appealed for calm. In the speech he lied and said that there was only one fatality, Evan Naseem. He specifically said that no one died from the shooting incident that followed. Many saw Abdulla Ameen, who died of a bullet to his head, hours before Gayyoom's speech. As President and Head of Security, he must have known that this person Ameen died that afternoon but Gayyoom lied to the public to ease the anger and to create a false sense of security. Gayyoom also said that the Government had to use weapons to quell the rebellion because they were overpowering the security post. This was an indication that the authorities had ordered this shooting. But, after the investigations by the Presidential Commission, Gayyoom briefed the Parliament of Maldives in January this year and told them that the shootings were conducted without any authority or consultation with him or any other senior people and in contrary to the rules and procedures for the use of firearms in an emergency. There was not a single MP or reporter in Maldives who questioned Gayyoom about the complete contrast of information he conveyed to the public on his first speech after the incident on 20^th September 2003 and this speech of 27th January 2004.

Many Maldivians decided on 20^th September 2003 that enough was enough. Police brutality and deaths in custody are common news in Maldives but this was the first time that the people of Maldives were able to personally witness the extent of these cruel practices by the regime of Gayyoom.

As a direct spin-off of this inhumane incident, many Maldivians decided that Gayyoom's brutality should be exposed to the wider world and that international pressure along with educating the local public of their rights and freedom will bring about the demise of this tyranny.

Maldivian Democratic Party was launched on November 10^th 2003. Several dissidents began lobbying around the world calling for assistance in bringing an end to the cruel activities of Gayyoom's regime. Amnesty International and US State Departments' reports, amongst others have documented these activities in detail. Gayyoom has been in power for more than 25 years and obtains more than 90% in all Presidential Referendums. This was enough to convince the world of his 'Secret Dictatorship'.

By June 2004, Gayyoom was under a lot of pressure, local and international. To calm down the situation he proposed democratic reform. His 9^th June 2004 speech was a blueprint of what the pro-democracy activists had been advocating for not months but years. As diplomacy goes, the whole of the international world welcomed these proposals. However, as been proven by the events that followed since the speech, Gayyoom's reform agenda was nothing but an attempt to deceive the people of the Maldives and the world at large. He had intended to make some changes which will allow him to continue being the Head of State and get the rest of the reform pledges rejected by his 'rubber stamp' parliament.

Fortunately, Gayyoom miscalculated the popular sentiment of the Maldivian people and their absolute determination and aspiration for a more democratic government, liberty and freedom. Thousands of Maldivians began criticising the government in open forums and debates. Many key reformists won seats in the Constitutional Assembly that was elected this year. Gayyoom was in disbelief when he saw 23 members of the constitutional assembly walking out of the house in protest on 19^th July 2004. This was the day Gayyoom realised that he no longer had complete power over the sentiments and aspirations of the Maldivian people. Gayyoom knew that in the upcoming parliamentary elections (scheduled for October 2004) reformists will be able to win a large majority and that he could very well be voted out of office. This fear made him devise a mechanism to lock them all. He got the perfect opportunity to do that on 13^th August 2004, on Black Friday and did just that. However, again he had miscalculated the response of the people and most importantly that of the international community.

Last week, the European Union called for Gayyoom to repeal the state of emergency that he declared on Black Friday and release all reformists. Furthermore, EU has made a very clear statement in support of the aspirations of the people of Maldives and the desire of EU to help bring this unlawfulness and barbarism in the Maldives to an end. Gayyoom's dictatorship is world news now.

The atmosphere is now set for another mistake from Gayyoom.