~' Dhivehi Vindhu `~ For the People ~ From the Pleople

The way to democracy in paradise-island
By Ahmed Moosa (Sappe’), Editor in Chief of Dhivehi Observer News
Published in Swedish in the cultural-political magazine Sydasien September issue

Few people associate the Maldives with anything other than a holiday paradise; somewhere you can relax on the beach and forget the rest of the world for a few days. Those who are fortunate enough to holiday in this dream destination know little of what really goes on in this country of 300,000 people. Indeed less than a handful of tourists have ever heard of the repressive measures of a regime led by a despot who had ruled the country for the last 30 years with an iron-fist. Sunning on the beach, the visitors have little realization that the money they spend will not filter down to ordinary Maldivians; but will most likely find their way into the bank accounts of the dictator and his cronies. But all this is about to change. For the first time in its history, democracy is about to enter paradise. The last three to four years have seen the rise of a movement to rid the country of autocratic rule and to establish a multi-party democracy, which would guarantee the people their fundamental rights as human beings. This transition is not without its pitfalls. If at all, the road to a democratic Maldives has been a difficult and a painful one. This was not unexpected in a country led by a brutal dictator, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had been the sole contender in the Presidential elections for the past 30 years in a referendum style Yes/No vote where a No campaign was not permitted. Political parties were not allowed and any voice of dissent was quickly and harshly silenced. Arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and torture of political prisoners were the modus operandi of this regime.

It was in this climate of autocracy and terror that on 19th of September 2003 prisoner Evan Naseem, was brutally beaten to death by the local police in Maafushi jail. While custodial deaths were not new to the Maldives, it was what followed in the wake of his murder that would change the history of Maldives forever. The inmates of the jail began to protest against Naseem’s murder and the security forces guarding the prison opened fire, killing several. When the news of the uprising reached Male’ the capital, collective anger against the horrors of what had happened and has been happening for the past 25 years led an entire community to take to the streets in protest. Gayoom reacted by arresting and imprisoning the protestors. However, fortunately for the Maldivians, the incident caught the eye of the international media. The BBC report about this confrontation was a momentous landmark in that it was the first time that the oppressive measures of the regime was seen by the rest of the world.

The Evan Naseem murder acted as a catalyst for the Maldivians, mainly those educated abroad, to break through the years of repression and to start a movement to establish democracy in these islands. The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was not allowed to register and therefore, had to begin operating from abroad. The drive to establish democracy nevertheless gathered momentum leading to the culmination of a protest of more than 5000 people in August 2004 calling for democracy and the resignation of key government leaders. Once more, the regime cracked down heavily on the protestors, arresting several and imprisoning them. A state of emergency followed. However, the move was severely condemned by the international community, with the EU blocking an aid package of more than $2 million.

Once it began, Dictatotor Gayoom could not stop the democratic snowball from rolling and amidst persistent international and domestic pressure, the ageing despot had to relent. On the 2nd of June 2005 the Parliament (Majlis) voted to establish a multi-party democracy in the Maldives. The MDP became the first political party to be registered. Several followed suit in the wake of this historic milestone.

However, the establishment of a multiparty system was far from smooth. Political rallies and protests were deemed unlawful and several opposition leaders and activists were detained by the security forces, imprisoned and tortured on various occasions. Amnesty International and other human rights’ organizations voiced their criticisms of the regime on many instances. The Amnesty stated on once occasion, “the promises of reform and the limited measures the government has so far taken to implement them are in sharp contrast to the continued harassment of those who seek to express views critical of the government”.

But democracy came slowly to the country in bits and bounds and owes as much to the development of technology as much to the will of the people. In the Maldives the media was controlled by the state and any attempt to report anything critical of the government were severely curtailed. However, the regime could not prevent dissident websites from appearing on the internet. Websites such as the Dhivehi Observer and Minivan News covered the news of the repressive measures of the regime that the local media was prevented from reporting. Slowly the people were made aware of their democratic rights. In the wake of this growing movement for reform, Dictator Gayoom pulled every leaf from the Dictator’s handbook to ensure that every step towards democracy came at a price. The British PR firm Hill and Knowlton was employed to promote a positive image of the regime abroad. At home arrests of pro-democracy activists and harassment of journalists continued. Even international media was not spared. In May 2006 police used pepper spray against a BBC journalist covering the trial of M.D.P chairperson Mohamed Nasheed.

In June 2008, the Special Majlis (constitutional assembly) finally amended the old constitution bringing in fundamental changes, paving the way for the first multi-party elections in the country. However, when a people are repressed for 30 years, mistrust and disbelief are commonplace, leading to the public to question whether there can really be a free and fair election in the country. While an atmosphere of euphoria and expectation persists in parts of the country, others question whether they can really get rid of the autocratic ruler whose face has been on the local television news every single night for the past 30 years.

The people are right to be wary. Dictator Gayoom is no pushover. He still has one more card up his sleeve. He has been canvassing for the Nobel Prize for Peace, claiming that the protection of the environment is a fundamental human right. Gayoom has been advocating “The Human Face of Climate Change” at numerous international gatherings in order to lobby for this coveted prize. It is true that the Maldives is one of the countries that would face devastating consequences due to global warming and sea level rise. Yet, if the Nobel Committee were to award Gayoom this honour, it would be a slap on the face of the Maldivian people who have suffered under his repressive measures for the last 30 years. As one of the Maldivians wrote on a Facebook group protesting against this possible honor, “All you have to do is Google ‘Gayoom’ and ‘Human

Rights’ to find that he even banned the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from

being distributed in the Maldives”.

It seems that people are hungry for democracy in the paradise; but not with a prize.