Reading "The Plague" in Malé

In 1947 the Nobel prize-winning writer Albert Camus published a novel entitled “The Plague”. Set in the Algerian coastal town of Oran, it tells the tale of the townsfolk as they battle a deadly plague that has spread through their home.

The entire town is forced into quarantine. No one can enter or leave as the city walls are barred. Panic grips the town. Those who display symptoms of the disease are quickly condemned to death, both by their closest friends and relatives, and eventually by their Maker. Some try to escape Oran. An underground racket by people smugglers begins. Sentries are forced to shoot down those who try and escape.

We are now witnessing the eerie, early signs of such a reaction to the H1N1 epidemic here in Malé. The news of the first swine flu death in Inguraidhoo was met with silent disbelief. Fear levels went up once more cases were reported in Muli- this time in an island located to the south of the capital. More and more cases are being reported. It seems like we are in for an onslaught.

People have taken to wearing facemasks on the streets. What is most striking is that it is not just the frail and elderly. They have good cause to be cautious. Young men and women are also donning masks as they go about their daily lives.

Malé is one of the world’s most congested cities. If swine flu does take a firm hold here, there is no doubt that it will spread like wildfire. But a sense of proportion must be retained. Unlike Camus’s plague, which leads to a quick and agonising death, the affliction that threatens us is milder and does not have a significant fatality rate.

Calm and focus is needed. Ultimately the answer to our problem can also be found by reading Camus. In the book, a group of medical practitioners and their associates decide to fight the disease- instead of resigning to death or succumbing to panic as many of their compatriots had. They bring a much-needed dose of optimism to an ocean of despair. Solidarity allows them to weather the storm.

I will close this post by wishing you all a very happy and relaxing Eid holidays. And remember; please exercise basic hygiene at all times.

The Game

In politics there is no black and white; only shades of grey. Or at least that is the message that politicians who find themselves on the wrong side of history would sheepishly tell you.

Of course there are many intractable conflicts that litter the world. “Reasonable” people argue the merits of their respective sides of the argument. Israel/Palestine, China/Taiwan, India/Pakistan, Frost/Nixon- you get the drift.

But the reason that these battles go on is more to do with the basic power dynamics. It has nothing to do with the moral superiority of one side over the other.

The balancing of competing interests dominates the international arena. However, this realpolitik is also seen within the borders of a country. Politicians jostle for position as they seek to survive or advance their careers.

This does not have to be the natural state of affairs. Principles do come into the equation. And it is often those that do not subscribe to any and just play the game for the game’s sake that get left behind.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. A great liberal tide swept aside a block of authoritarian states.

In each of these countries- in East Germany, in Poland, in Czechoslovakia, in Romania- there were those that found themselves on either side of the divide.

Some were with the communist rulers. Others were with the dissidents. Some worked to prop up the system. Others set out to smash it.

Those that dared to dream big and faced the colossal power of the state head on emerged triumphant. Those that got stuck in the revolving doors of the system were humbled.

We are a country that has gone through a similar process ourselves. It is interesting to reflect on the experience of the Soviet states and see how it relates to our own nation.

What makes one person a dissident fighting against a repressive state, and another someone who allows them self to be absorbed into the state apparatus? What makes one person Vaclav Havel and another Milous Jakes?

What makes one person Lech Walesa and another Wojciech Jaruzelski?

Think about this question in the Maldivian context. What makes one person Mohamed Nasheed (Anni) and another Mohamed Nasheed (Kutti)? Or for that matter, another Mohamed Nasheed (Kaanal)?

Everyone is playing the game. But some play for a higher purpose. And providence guides those whose hearts are true.

Who Am I?

I am an elitist

I have trouble meeting new people and making friends

I do not speak for myself

I have trouble working in a team

I am unable to contain my ego

I came desperately close to winning my dream job

I stabbed my last two bosses in the back

I have fallen out with my entire parliamentary group

I skulk in the shadows

I inadvertently display authoritarian tendencies

I am consumed by bitterness

Who am I?

Maumoon's Children

By Saleem Aziz

This is a story about a vile and grotesque people. It is a journey into the heart of the Maldivian psyche during the dying days of fascism and the infant democratic age.

I have juggled these thoughts in my head for some time now. But it seems apt to put them to paper as we commemorate the brutal and tragic events of six years ago, and come to terms with the discovery of human remains buried under a cell block in Gaamaadhoo prison.

- - - - - -

My conscience was awoken the day that security forces beat prisoner Evan Naseem to death, the subsequent shootings in Maafushi jail, and the cover-up that followed. The whole thing stank to high heaven. It seemed like the whole system was rotten. This suspicion was confirmed by the government’s reaction to the August 12/13 demonstrations a year later.

Prior to these events I was perfectly happy with the status quo. What reason did I have not to be? I accepted the fact that I lived in a dictatorship and that no one could question authority. One could stay out of trouble by accepting and adhering to the rules of the game.

This deference to authority could be explained by the infamous Asian values thesis. Or maybe it was just my age.

In any case, all that changed on 20 September 2003. The state killed Evan Naseem. And by doing so, it launched a frontal assault on us all. Sure, we had heard of the ill treatment and rumours of custodial deaths before. But this was the first time we saw it for real.

In the past, grief stricken parents had bent to the will of their rulers and kept quiet, and in the process prolonged their agony.

With one swoop of her arms, Evan Naseem’s mother threw off the sheets that covered her son’s corpse, and exposed the true face of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s Maldives. The horror, the horror.

Later that day Gayoom put on a brave face and took to the airwaves to address his nation. His children. He claimed that the security forces fired their weapons into the heavens. He claimed that no lives were lost.

But the body count was there for all to see. The handiwork of his murderous thugs was beamed out of Maafushi and the images bounced off mobile phone to mobile phone.

- - - - - -

This was not an isolated incident. Go to houses around Malé or in the islands. Ask the people you meet of their experiences of Maumoonism. Once you have heard so much that you feel giddy and nauseous, you might be wise to try and sit down. And to push what you have heard out of your head.

But it is not that easy. The images flash before your eyes and overload your senses. It’s a struggle not to puke…

On an island a few metres away a man is dangling from a tree as the prison officers use a pulley to elevate him. He is being asked to confess to his crimes. The senior officer looks up from below. His face is grim. “Higher, higher” he commands as the hapless criminal (it turns out that he really is guilty, so we may call him that) ascends to the heavens gasping for breath.

There’s a girl tied up on the beach. She is naked and has had honey rubbed between her legs. A swarm of army ants are attracted by the aroma, and are poised to begin their assault. The gaolers watch in fascination as her screams drench the air.

The young delinquent doesn’t believe he should be subjected to this. He doesn’t obey instructions and makes a nuisance of himself. He is marched out of his cell and is “crossed”- left wrist cuffed to right ankle, right wrist cuffed to left ankle. Boots, fists, and batons hit him from all directions. He’ll think twice before throwing his food back at the guards again.

The man has turned to religion and has immersed himself deep into its teachings. It is his only hope of salvation. The length of his beard and trousers has clearly left the authorities perplexed. This is what God wishes, he says. Not according to our Lord, they say. And he is an astronomer and a calligrapher. A linguist and a socialist. Beat that. And with that they get out the chili sauce.

The girl has been drawn to the male guard. She is young and impressionable. He has needs and she has hope of escape. Soon she is with child. He promises her a way out and sneaks into the cell. Wave after wave; blow after blow flatten her belly that was once the epitomy of fertility. Her body is never found.

Oh, and what of the young university graduate chained outside the powerhouse? His crime was to have spoken out against all this. For wielding the very same weapon that Maumoon admitted to carrying on his person during his first inauguration. A pen. (Quite possibly an English pen.)

But there is something different about this one. It is as if destiny has something greater in store for him…

- - - - - -

It is not just events that occurred in detention centres that are objectionable. Yes there were those who believed that these people had what was coming to them. Maumoon’s Children that is. The rest of us knew that it was wrong.

No. Problems were aplenty in our society. It was down to the way the whole system was constructed and run. These issues are well known to all, even those who do not accept them, so I do not propose to dwell on them for too long.

Here is a compressed litany of offences. Dissent was not tolerated. There was no rule of law. Arbitrary arrests were rife. The only thing more prevalent than corruption was waste. The only thing more common than waste was drugs. Elections were rigged. (Over 90 percent in six successive referendums. Hello?). Religious extremism was allowed to flourish. Cronyism and nepotism at world record levels. Ballooning deficits. Excess local currency while tourism dollars were stashed away abroad.

This is the state of the country that was bequeathed to us.

- - - - - -

How did we come to such a sad state of affairs? Tourists from all over the world come to Maldives to enjoy the sun kissed beaches, as the palm leaves gently sway in the breeze and crystal clear waters tickle their feet as they work on their tan. While we promote our country’s natural beauty as a means of attracting top dollar, the very same resources are used against our own people.

We cannot just lay the blame squarely at the feet of the dictator and his little clique. There is a wider responsibility for this.

The Members of Parliament who rubber stamped his proposed legislation and refused to raise any questions on behalf of their constituents during the one or two sittings that were held throughout the whole year, the businessmen who reaped the fruits (or should that be the spoils?) and were otherwise engaged in making money, the technocrats who busily immersed themselves in projects such as harbours and jetties (and maybe Autobahns?) for the good of the nation without once questioning the moral standing of who they were working for, the great and good of society who happily enlisted for the first lady’s charity as volunteers and financiers as a means of currying favour- yes you are all complicit.

Like the Nazis before us, we had a society that was willing to tolerate the evils being committed as long as everything looked silky smooth on the surface.

And think of all the people directly involved in the evils. The bent bureaucrats. The corrupt cops. Surely they could not be so cruel. They must have had some compassion.

But wait, that might be it. A great author writes about this very subject in his latest novel. Speaking through one of his characters he says, “to be a good torturer, it is extremely necessary to be of a compassionate disposition. Without a fellow feeling for one’s subject, one cannot ascend to the true heights of the art.”

They are all Maumoon’s Children. The first batch, all delivered by C-section, was born at the stroke of midnight, 11 November 1978. Many others followed. His veneer of religiosity, coupled with the soft-spoken nature and academic airs was enough to keep them all in his orbit.

Gayoom and his inner circle had systematically corrupted much of the Maldivian social and administrative elite. They were seduced by power. But what about those at the bottom of the heap?

Many women plaster their walls with Gayoom photos and take to the streets in DRP blue. Poor fishermen adorn their boats with his image. The islands devastated by the tsunami and which remain in miserable shape to this very day have a particular strong sense of affection for him.

Careful analyses of voting patterns in the presidential and parliamentary elections reveal a close correlation between the number of votes polled by Maumoonists and the number of islanders living in temporary shelters.

What on earth is going on?

The answer is simple. When someone is kidnapped they sometimes form a bond with the kidnapper. Called “Stockholm Syndrome” it happens when victims feel compassion and loyalty to their captors. Gayoom held his people hostage. During the siege they developed a perverse affinity to him.

Apparently Stockholm Syndrome is a rarity. An article on the subject in Time Magazine quotes the FBI as reporting that 73 percent of captives display no affection for their abductors.

So it was just our rotten luck then.

- - - - - -

The humane half of this country just about managed to get rid of Gayoom in last year’s election. They voted and voted and voted and beat him.

Many said that this could not be done. That shifting the regime was too much of a challenge. That their grip on society was too tight.

But this half of the country kept the faith throughout the dark days of oppression, and dreamed big dreams. As Oscar Wilde said “we are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

Rising from the gutters and bathed in the light of a new dawn, the decent people of this country rejoiced.

Yet 46 percent of the population shed tears of despair at the demise of the patron saint of tear-gas.

They are still unable to countenance the fact that its over. In normal circumstances fathers feel a strong paternal instinct for the survival of their children. In this country the reverse is true.

The children sense that their father is weak and fading fast. And they are mounting a vicious fight-back.

The opposition MPs are upset that they no longer get to enjoy soirees at Theemuge and fully paid travel with their spouses and mistresses out of the country. Or perhaps even the US$ 29,000 for knee surgery. Rather than pass bills for the benefit of their people, these parliamentarians are throwing all they have to give the former president a package worth more than Rf.13 million a year. They are Maumoon’s Children and they are throwing a tantrum.

The technocrats who were dreaming of building the gaudy bridge to connect Male’ with its suburb have no idea which way to turn. Having already filed for moral bankruptcy during the past regime they are now near financial bankruptcy. These former hacks can only writhe about in shame and anger and whisper quiet mutterings about mutiny to their civil service networks as they bide their time. They are Maumoon’s Children and they are throwing a tantrum.

Haveeru Newspaper, the great defender of the faith which was once deployed when Gayoom’s brother-in-law was out of favour and the newspaper delighted in entertaining its readers with stories of how a female witch doctor bathed his body in graphic detail, reprises its role in the post-dictatorial era. It contains pure poison, and its editors and writers take delight in administering it intravenously so that it goes straight to the bloodstream. They are Maumoon’s Children and they are throwing a tantrum.

The judges, with their appalling lack of education, both legal and otherwise, lament the day that separation of powers severed their links with power. With the good old days of convicting every other dissident for terrorism well and truly over they can only sneer away in the Justice Building tearooms and set dangerous criminals free to destabilize our fragile community. They are Maumoon’s Children and they are throwing a tantrum.

The Penitentiary Services and rebel elements within the police are livid that their favourite pastimes (detailed earlier in this article) are now denied to them. Instead they seek to recreate the golden days and administer beatings at sensitive times to make it look as if torture is a way of life and thus cannot be ended with just a change of regime. They are Maumoon’s Children and they are throwing a tantrum.

The network of Katheebs (Island Chiefs) that spread out across the archipelago are civil servants on paper, but political agents in reality. Fearing their inability to survive in a democratic system they are working overtime to instill fear in the hearts of their people. You are about to be laid off and the price of food will rise due to inflation, they say. Do you not long for a return to the good old days of brot und arbeit? They are Maumoon’s Children and they are making mischief.

- - - - - -

There is a happy ending to this story. Or rather, there could be a happy ending.

I did not pen this article to just lament the darkness we still find ourselves engulfed in. Rather, I did it to plot a way to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.

First- we need to initiate an exercise of truth.

The great Maldivian diarist Ahmed Shafeeq (of Shafeeqge) reckons that one hundred and eleven people lost their lives while incarcerated. In addition, there have been plenty of custodial deaths that came to public attention. The names of Muaviath Mahmood, Ali Shahir, and Hussein Solah will not be unfamiliar to readers.

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives appears to be unperturbed by all this. There has been no impediment for them to pursue investigations into these cases as well as the instances of those that have alleged ill treatment and those that have disappeared.

That the general public has not expressed indignation at the discovery of the human remains at Gaamaadhoo is saddening. That the institution charged with safeguarding the dignity of our people is so unconcerned is, quite frankly, disgusting.

We need to know what happened. We need to know the truth. And for this to happen, a proper investigation, with assistance from experts, is desperately needed.

Second- we need reconciliation.

For this country to move forward we need to get rid of the former dictator whose shadow hangs over us all. We need to put the past aside and work within the new democratic framework. And we need real democrats in the driving seat.

Most of those directly involved in past evils have left the scene. The new batch of opposition politicians stick to Gayoom due to debts owed to him. They privately recognize that it is time to commit their geriatric father to the ward and move out of his shadow and build great futures for themselves.

Our infant democracy would benefit from us moving beyond the politics of the past. And let us not forget that it is one that is stained in blood.

Here is my message to those unable to sever their ties with Gayoom.

Clearly we have different views about him. I’d rather see him in an orange jumpsuit and shipped off to The Hague. You would prefer him in his safari suit and presiding over the nation.

So let’s make a compromise. Ease him out of politics. Let him spend the rest of his days at home in relative peace, just like Pol Pot did.

And the rest of us can carry on building the nation. As a responsible government and opposition.

Busted

Oh dear. The whole world now knows exactly what went on in this country during the years 1978-2008.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, President Nasheed made the following revelation:

"I have spent many of the past General Assembly sessions locked in a hot, humid, damp cell with my hands shackled and my feet bound; imprisoned for my conviction that the 300,000 people of the Maldives should be free from fear, free from want and free to live their lives in liberty and in dignity."

TIME magazine has exposed the failures of the dictatorship that existed here before in its article on Heroes of the Environment 2009:

"At huge public cost, the previous regime of octogenarian Maumoon Abdul Gayoom erected a system of ugly concrete bulwarks and seawells around some of the country's major population centers. That project, imposed against the wishes of local islanders, has failed, and in some areas it has accelerated land erosion and killed stretches of once pristine coral reef."

Human remains found in Gayoom gaol

A human skull has been discovered in the notorious prison island of Gaamaadhoo. This was a jail that was notorious for disappearances. The remains were found by people on the island on a location which used to house a cell block.

We all know that people were tortured and killed in in jail during Gayoom's regime. This is common to the axis of evil- Dhoonidhoo, Maafushi and Gaamaadhoo.

What is of genuine concern now can be expressed in a simple question: where is the rest of the body?

Beheadings in a Maldivian prison? Beatings, sexual humiliation, drowning.. these can all be found in the Gayoom inhumanity manual. But this must be a first.

Do the depths of their depravity know no bound? Apparently not.

The police and relevant government authorities should conduct a full scale inquiry. The public needs to know the fate of the many who disappeared in prison. We need to know what exactly what went on.

In the meantime, reformists have pre-empted the result of the investigation and voiced their belief that body is that of a man who was popularly known as "Aiybalhey".

Concerns about the Human Rights Commission

Most reformers are pretty distracted by the judiciary these days. Judges appointed under the previous regime continue to play havoc with the system and obstruct the realisation of justice in this country.

A post in www.maldivesdissent.blogspot.com has made me realise that there is another equally worrying area where Gayoom's influence still pervades. The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives should be at the frontline of defending people's rights and seeking redress for the wrongs that were done to them. This does not seem to be the case.

Ever wondered why? This article, which I am reproducing in full, holds the answer. And it isn't pretty.

The human rights commission: tennis and foreign trips

According to Human Rights Commission of Maldives insiders, the president Ahmed Saleem is in the habit of arriving leisurely for work, settling himself down comfortably in his office, and watching tennis on cable TV for most of the day. Vice-president Mohamed Zahid, meanwhile, never misses an opportunity to go on a foreign trip, even when it is to attend a specialist workshop or meeting more suitable for a reporting staff. A strict division is maintained between the "members" and "staff" of the HRCM, with the former reaping all the benefits like overseas travel and out-of-the-country expenditure.

Both were appointed to the posts by the previous government, due to their close links to Gayoom. Saleem, of course, was a recipient of one of the notorious presiden't office "loans". To date, the HRCM hasn't found a single human rights violation that would implicate the aging ex-dictator, even though the commission was involved in all the high-profile investigations of alleged prisoner abuse of the recent past. Saleem was aslo part of the commission set up by Gayoom to clear himself from the murder of Evan Naseem and others in Maafushi jail in 2003. If Gayoom's motive for getting these two into the HRCM was protect himself from the barrage of accusations, he clearly chose the right pair.

At the height of the recent Sula Siraz controversy, Saleem was overheard "confirming" to people that president Anni did, indeed, drink. The human rights chief knows only too well which party controls the votes needed to get himself re-appointed and Zahid, a member of the DRP, has always been a faithful defender of Gayoom.

Human rights experts who have worked with the pair have been flabbergasted by their sheer ignorance of international human rights laws and their unwillingness to learn.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the HRCM has not made a statement against the recent flogging of an 18-year-old girl in Male, or Wahhabi preacher Bilal Philips's endorsement of lowering the age of marriage for girls to the onset of puberty. These would violate at least four UN conventions signed by the Maldives: the child rights conventions; the convention on the elimination of discrimination against women; the civil and political rights convention; and the convention against torture. But Saleem and Zahid have been silent and no one has openly challenged their silence.

Under the leadership of the former human rights president Mujthaba, there was some hope that the Maldives would move towards an independent, efficient, and functioning human rights commission. But today, staff are frustrated with their new bosses and morale is at an all-time low. No one can get Saleem to sign anything when tennis is on, and many worthy initiatives by the staff themselves never see the light of the day.

The latest from the HRCM is that the president and vice president have been more active lately; apparently, their terms are about to expire and they are sweating it out in the bid to get re-appointed to continue to enjoy fat salaries, tennis, and foreign trips.

ERRATUM:

A human rights commission staff has pointed out to me that Saleem has an exemplary record of reporting to work on time. So I apologise for describing his arrival at work as "leisurely" in the first paragraph of the post.

Remembering August 12/13

This blog is named after the mass gathering that took place at the Republican Square on August 12th and 13th 2004. It was the first time in the country’s history that such a large number of people assembled in one place and demanded freedom.

For a few hours on that fateful day, it seemed as if the regime was about to collapse. However, that was not the case, and the security forces attacked the demonstrators and arrested them. A state of emergency was declared as Gayoom’s mafia government showed its vicious side.

During the rally, Maldivians were able to listen to opposition leaders as their speeches filled the air around the square. Ibrahim Ismail, Dr. Hussein Rasheed Hassan, Nashad Waheed, Zuhaira Umar, Ismail Asif, Gasim Ibrahim and Sandhaanu Ahmed Didi were among those who addressed the thousands who gathered. They are the real heroes of August 12/13.

Gayoom and his supporters portrayed the events as an illegal gathering. Reformists remember it as the moment when people were finally able to vent their frustrations and express their discontent with the dictatorship.

The amended constitution, the separation of powers, and the free elections that led to a new and democratic government- we owe all these things to the reform movement of which “Baara Theyra” was a landmark event.

The people of this country will remember and cherish this day for a long time to come.

This aggression by the judiciary will not stand

The judiciary is at war with the people’s elected representatives. The Chief Judge of the Criminal Court Abdulla Mohamed is suing Minister of State for Housing Aslam Shakir for defamation and claiming damages totalling Rf.52 million.

Aslam had merely reported on television what most of the country already knew through a press release issued by the president’s office and reported in newspapers. The press release detailed case after case of serious ethical violations while discharging his duties as a judge.

These were cases that were made by then Attorney General Hassan Saeed in 2005 during the Gayoom administration. No action was taken against him then.

Aslam stated on a television programme that Judge Abdulla was a “dangerous” man who had issues relating to children surrounding him. He did not state that the judge was a child abuser. Rather, he was referring to a case Hassan Saeed reported of how he made a child repeat what abuse he had gone through while in front of the very man who allegedly committed the crime.

How much more dangerous can a judge be?

The Presidency and Parliament has been cleansed of the remnants of the old regime following the elections held during over the past year.

However, it is the same old corrupt judges still dishing out justice in our courts. Their borderline criminal behaviour is proving to become increasingly intolerable.

Just look at the case where the criminal court has let loose individuals for carrying weapons on the streets of Male’ saying that there is no law that allows for them to be prosecuted! First of all this ruling is in dispute as gang leader Chika was earlier put away for the same offence by a Maldivian court.

But more than haggling over the letter of the law, surely the judges should be concerned about the safety of the people of this country.

Instead they continue to make a mockery of justice. The Rf.52 million against Aslam is a case in point.

Do these people have no shame?

The judiciary needs to be very clear of something. The people know that they form a corrupt cabal who are complicit in several crimes. They are up to their necks in it.

Corrupt judges cannot hope to continue intimidating the public. No one is above the law. Such petty, politically motivated lawsuits will not prevent, but will merely delay, the inevitable. The time will come when they will have to pay their dues.

Flogging through the ages: a recollection by Pyrard

The issue of flogging has led to much debate and discussion. In an article in Minivan News Foreign Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed recounted Ibn Batuta’s tales of how Maldivians were too squeamish to amputate thieves’ hands in the fourteenth century.

The following passage is taken from the French explorer Francois Pyrard’s memoir of his sojourn in the Maldives from 1602-1607. It appears that not much has changed between then and now.

“I shall now relate divers occurrences that happened during my time to particular inhabitants of the island; among others, to a Gentile Canarin of Cochin, a man of great means and position. For eight whole years he had come and gone about the islands, having everywhere houses, factors and domestics, speaking the language quite well, and being, in fact, naturalised. One day this man was surprised lying with a woman of the islands. He had kept her for six months, and she was but a poor servant-girl. He was presently haled with her before the Grand Pandiare (Fandiyaaru), to whom he protested that he had done her no manner of harm; that he desired to become of their faith, and would marry the woman. This was done, and he became a Mahometan; and it appeared that he had for a long time desired this end, for that he owed much money at Cochin, as to which he became bankrupt. He espoused this woman and made a great lady of her: for there, strangers, both men and women, can wear whatever they please. When he made the promise he was set free, but upon her judgement was passed according to the law: all her hair was shaved, then she was bathed in old and stinking oil, her head put in an old sack of sail-cloth, and then she was beaten at all the cross-roads and round the island. This is their manner of punishing all men and women taken in adultery or fornication. But there, as here, money does everything and saves from everything. As for the conversion of the man, he was borne in triumph through the streets and round the island, accompanied by the greatest lords, and by the people of all sorts and conditions; he was presented with much money and raiment and a new name…”

A humiliating week for the former president

It has indeed been a humiliating week for Ma. Kinbigasdhoshuge Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.  On Sunday, the police held a press conference where they showed in meticulous detail how his brother Abdulla Hameed had conned the government out of just under three and a half million rufiyaa by illegally awarding contracts to Jangiya Nazim and his Namira firm.

Gayoom himself was asked to report to the presidential commission investigating corruption.  They just wanted to ask him some questions as they had done to other former as well as current government officials.

The man had earlier reported that he not committed any offence and would be happy to prove his innocence in front of any tribunal- even The Hague.  Thus, his decision to refuse to meet the presidential commission proved surprising.

On Monday the police sought to bring him in for questioning.  Being a man with such delusions of grandeur he refused to answer their summons.  He had a crowd of DRP thugs waiting in the streets and in the compound of his residence Alivaage when the police arrived to pick him up.

The country watched with baited breath as DhiTV broadcast live images of the drama that was unfolding.  Viewers could see people sitting on the wall of the house directing DRP thugs to confront the police.  It was shocking to see such incitements to violence.

After repeated warnings from the police, tear gas was released and the crowd fled.  After more than an hour of stalling for time, Gayoom was led out and taken to the station under heavy police escort.  He was safely returned back to Alivaage about half an hour later.

A furious Gayoom and half-brother Yameen (the two look more and more alike as each day passes) took to the airwaves and condemned the actions of the police.  Yameen went so far as to state that the country was turning into a police state as under the Nazis.  You have to wonder. 

He demonstrated no shame about the thugs beating up a senior police officer.  The officer had been allowed in to the compound and was assured of his safety, but ended up in the hospital.  He was just doing his duty.

Gayoom’s comments were even more ridiculous.  He attacked the integrity of the commission by saying that one of its members, Haseen, was a student of his and had other motives.  “I regret to say this, but even back then he was not very bright” the former president explained.  Gayoom then went on to make the ludicrous claim that Haseen had a grudge against him because he was unhappy about the grades he had been awarded in his classes.

More amusement was to follow on Tuesday night at the DRP’s fourth anniversary rally at the artificial beach.  Readers will recall Gayoom going slightly off the rails during the presidential campaign and announcing his grand list of “Liars”.  He only got so far as five before the more sensible campaign staff pulled the plug on this particular tactic.

Anyway, Gayoom was in a similar mood at the rally.  He repeatedly protested his innocence and seethed as he accused the government of telling tall tales.  He got caught up in a bizarre condemnation of the foreign ministry for referring to the government as the MDP-Alliance Government in a letter.  He said this was not done in other countries.  But of course it is!  We repeatedly hear references to the Labour (and even New Labour) Government in the UK.  But I will not belabour the point.

He said that he had gone to the police voluntarily in mind of any injury that may befall his supporters outside his residence.  The audacity! The very reason the police had to go in full armoured gear was because he had refused to attend the summons voluntarily.  And anyone watching television would have seen how the crowds had been put in harms way and encouraged to clash with the police.

Perhaps the lowest point for the deposed dictator was when he threatened the government by saying that those responsible for taking him in for questioning would face the consequences.  Oh really?  Statements such as these indicate that he just doesn’t get it. 

This was all in stark contrast to the MDP function held at Dharubaaruge on Wednesday night.  It was held in the honour of former Seychelles President Sir James Mancham, and was a much more dignified and positive affair.

Sir James had graced the MDP’s inaugural Congress as the guest of honour and delivered the keynote address.  It was during a very difficult time for the reform movement when Gayoom and his government acted with impunity.  The then MDP Chairperson Mohamed Nasheed was under house arrest for no good reason at all, and it took the pleading of the former Seychelles president to have him released just for the Congress.

The irony of all this is undoubtedly lost on Gayoom.

Back to Wednesday night’s event.  President Nasheed assured the nation that he would uphold the dignity and the powers of the state and ensure that everyone would have to obey the law.  He advised Gayoom to calm down and lead a graceful life as befitting a former president.

For the sake of the country, we can only hope that he takes this advice and spares himself more humiliation in the future.  Worse, he might even have to face justice.

The Auditor General is a true patriot

Our Independence Day is rapidly approaching. This time of the year often sees much flag-waving and professions of loyalty to the nation.

This year, a true patriot has stood out. Auditor General Ibrahim Naeem has been relentlessly exposing corruption and waste in his hard-hitting audit reports. Through his actions people have learnt of the excesses of the former regime. Through his actions the current government has been reminded that they are entrusted with a great responsibility and that they should take great care when spending the public’s money- or risk being exposed!

The opposition has been trying to discredit the auditor general by attacking his character and glossing over the facts in his reports. On Thursday he came out fighting.

His press conference on Thursday was a tour de force. Quoting from his reports (and at times from the Quran), he launched a merciless attack on the corrupt regime that was toppled last October. He described their acts as nothing short of “organized crime”.

Staying quiet and sweeping evidence of crimes under the carpet are not actions that would be taken by those who love the nation. In fact, those who are trying to bring down the auditor general in order to put a lid on or discredit his findings are being positively traitorous.

It is time that the police and prosecutor general take the findings in the audit reports seriously and bring the guilty to book.

Opposition members need to keep their cool and learn to abide by democratic practices

Politicians- especially legislators- need to keep their heads cool and their emotions under control when operating in the arena.

In all their years as minority members challenging a dictatorship, MDP MPs and their parliamentary allies never once resorted to physical violence.  Granted, there were incidents where voices were raised, fingers were pointed, and some jumped on top of tables.  One MP even made a rude gesture involving his zip towards one of the then ruling MPs.  

This is in stark contrast to the events which took place in the Majlis today where DRP MPs (Mahloof in particular) walked towards MDP's parliamentary group leader and attempted to strike him.  Sure, Moosa must have goaded him, but this does not excuse a recourse to physical harm.  This is a new low by parliamentary standards.

Speaking on the TVM show Q & A with Mighdad, DRP member Ali Waheed railed against the "activists" in government.  He and his parliamentary colleagues need to take a look at the mirror.

DRP members need to learn that while peaceful demonstrations in public places are acceptable, fist fights in the hallowed chamber of the Majlis are most certainly not.

Why Thimarafushi should reject Ghassan Maumoon

1. Drink driving incident

It was the talk of the town at one time.  That the dictator’s son had been involved in a drink-driving incident in the UK where he was studying and that embassy officials had to bail him out of jail was causing waves in all circles of society.  There were allegations that the victim had died, but this variation of the tale was to far-fetched for most to believe.  The other story that said that it was public money used to bail the young man out and that the finance minister at the time resigned over this incident was more believable and may even be true.

Credit must be given to the Gayoom government for keeping the matter hushed up.  Bits of information trickled out into the public domain, yet the full picture has not yet been revealed to the public.  The people of Thimarafushi should think twice before casting their ballots for an individual with such serious, unanswered questions hanging over his head.

2. Inexperienced candidate sheltered from real life

Unlike his siblings, the DRP candidate has never worked a day in his life.  Having spent the past years as a student he returned to play a role in ensuring that the family enterprise (ruling Maldives) survived.  Having failed in this task the Gayoom firm now finds itself perilously close to bankruptcy.  Sure, Ghassan may be well coached in saying the right things in the right ways (his Salawat saying has now been perfected), but can a man raised behind the walls of Gayoomdom really be in touch with people and be able to represent them in the Majlis? 

3. Dictator’s legacy

The fallen regime spent many years tightening their grip throughout the country.  This was from the northernmost islands all the way down to Addu in the south.  From the poorest people given $200 and a ticket abroad to seek medical treatment to those in the higher ranks of the government rewarded for their loyalty.  In order for the country to move on, it is essential for it to put the dictator’s rule behind them.

Having his son elected to the Majlis will be a major setback.  It would mean that the country would remain divided and many people disrupt government actions with the hope of returning their beloved lord and his clan to power.  Who knows, perhaps Gayoom himself dreams of kicking the Supreme Court out of Theemuge and return to his multi-million dollar palace in 2013?

4. Weakened opposition

This point closely relates to the previous one. Speaking at a rally to celebrate MDP’s 4^th anniversary, President Nasheed said that it was important that DRP be strengthened in order to sustain a healthy democracy with space for competitive political parties.  He went further and suggested that Gayoom leave the party’s helm in order for it to become a viable opposition party.

If Gayoom’s son is elected to the Majlis, despite very valid questions of what exactly he got up to in England, it will spell the end of the political aspirations of the very talented young DRP MPs who are driving their party forward.  Rather than having an opportunity to lead their party, the likes of Alhan, Mahloof, Nihan and Ali Waheed would once again be consigned to a life of servitude.

Whose Roadmap is it anyway?

"His struggle for reform and democracy became an inspiration for many Maldivians of varying ages and backgrounds. His efforts led to the birth of a formidable grassroots movement for political and democratic reform in the Maldives. The ensuing movement for democratic space caused the government of the day to launch an agenda for reform and develop a roadmap to install a modern and liberal democracy in the Maldives."

These are words from Gayoom's former information minister and current DRP member Kutti Nasheed's blog.

We hear supporters of the former regime talk a lot about Gayoom's reform agenda and them making out that it was something he bestowed upon the Maldivian people out of his benevolence. They now have the audacity to claim that the current government is reversing the positive changes that HE made.

It is refreshing to hear a high-profile member of the former regime accept that it was President (then activist) Nasheed's efforts and the grassroots movement that he inspired that truly deserves the credit for the reforms. Sure, it was actually the regime that implemented the changes but they were forced to do so by the movement.

Back in the early 90s Gayoom and his gang were faced with a choice. The newsmagazines Sangu and Hukuru were exposing their crimes. Only one could survive- the magazines or the regime. They chose to shut down the free press and incarcerate the new breed of writers and editors (including one Mohamed Nasheed- no not that one!).

When it came to the post 2003/2004 reform movement, the pressure was simply too much for the government to withstand. Once again, the choice was clear: either the regime or the reform movement had to go. Sure, Gayoom tried to swim with the tide. But, dictators cannot be democrats. Reactionaries cannot become reformers overnight.

They simply had to go.

Anni's 64 words for Aung San Suu Kyi

"The Generals detain you this birthday but they do not arrest hope. I also spent many birthdays in jail and from you I learnt that the human spirit cannot be quashed, the chains of oppression eventually break, and where terror once ruled freedom will prevail."

http://www.64forsuu.org/word.php?wid=3158

Cognitive Dissonance

Have a look at the following words penned by the former information minister Kutti Nasheed on his blog last Thursday:

“Yet, Suood’s drawbacks, when weighed on a fair balance, was no comparison to the dirty tricks played by Mohamed Shihab, as the erstwhile speaker of parliament. How he rolled up the institution and presented it to the president in exchange for a promise of reward – the post of Home Affairs Minister couldn’t be ignored.”

One should always look at oneself in the mirror before making pronouncements on others.

Kutti Nasheed rose to prominence by serving the whims of President Gayoom’s disreputable brother Abdulla Hameed during their tenure at the People’s Majlis.  Hameed was speaker and Nasheed was secretary-general.

He was plucked from this post and given the job of re-packaging Gayoom and selling him to a public tiring of the stale, old dictator.  As a reward for his efforts he was given the additional portfolio of legal reform and had by then become one of the most influential members of the cabinet.

Of course, you could sense that Nasheed was finally becoming uncomfortable about associating with the regime.  He tried to distance himself by playing a more low-key role in the presidential campaign.  Yet it appears that he was not being true to himself when he, once again, came to the defence of Gayoom by wholeheartedly endorsing him in the second round.

This led to a rare public dressing down from his friend and fellow blogger Simon Shareef.  The following passage is from a blog entry on randomreflexions.com the day before the election:

“But what is truly mind boggling is that so-called educated and learned people like minister Nasheed can digest lies and clown around in front of the old fool like a little school boy trying to please his headmaster. Is he exercising his democratic right or being a complete asshole I wonder? It baffles me to think what he could possibly gain from outrightly insulting 60% of the electorate and insulting those who have suffered at the hands of Gayoom under his watch! Enlightened and educated people see the weight of mounting evidence such as the Auditor General’s reports or just a glance at history and do what is morally right. But Mr. Nasheed et. al. are below basic human morality and integrity. How else do we explain this?”

The bottom line is this.  Nasheed got to where he is by rolling up the people of this country and presenting it to Gayoom.  Maybe it is the recognition of this fact that makes it difficult for him to completely sever his ties to the former dictator.

He has also been stung by his actions being labelled as cognitive dissonance by a Minivan News columnist and has dedicated an entire blog post to detail his perceived shortcomings of the current president.  Once again, he cannot find it within himself to fault Gayoom.  

The long arm of the law will reach members of the former regime

The appointment of Husnu Suood as attorney-general is a very positive development. From his involvement in the August 12/13^th demonstrations to his contributions as a Special Majlis member for Addu, Suood is a genuine hero of the reform movement.

The fact that DRP issued a three-line whip against him and worked so hard to block his confirmation is testament to how much they fear what he might do in this position.  As Suood so eloquently put it during his speech at the MDP rally last week, it is not him they fear but rather the rule of law.

The DRP members know exactly what they did while they were in office.  They also know what someone with the tenacity, integrity and courage of Suood can uncover.

Those who love justice and long to see it applied in Maldives can rest a little easier now.

Majlis elects the disgraced to lead it

Yesterday saw another blow to the country’s democratisation effort. Crooks from the former regime have taken control of the legislative branch of government.

Many questions hang over Abdulla Shahid’s head. A man tainted by serious allegations of corruption, he was dismissed as Gayoom’s Executive Secretary in the 2005 reshuffle. He managed to rehabilitate himself in a short period of time and remoulded his image within DRP as a respectable statesman. He is to be congratulated for this achievement. But still, the people have a pretty good idea of what he had been up to while in office.

It’s best not to dwell too much on the new Deputy Speaker Nazim. The auditor-general’s reports speak for themselves. Nazim is currently under investigation and it is likely that the courts will eventually find him guilty of embezzlement.

Yet it is these two gentlemen who hold the leadership positions of the Majlis.

This situation is a stark contrast to that taking place in the British Parliament now. The scandal where MPs were revealed to have claimed dubious expenses from public funds for things like a duck pond has claimed eleven casualties already. These members have announced that they will not contest the next election. Most notably the Speaker himself had to go after drawing criticism for trying to cover-up the cases.

Even the slightest whiff of corruption is not tolerated in one country while the guilty are rewarded in the other.

Gayoom's son adopts lessons learnt from yesterday's opposition

Its been quite interesting observing Ghassan Maumoon using the courts to try and declare the election for the Thimarafushi constituency he lost to be null and void.  

His lawyers have assembled witness statements, photographic and video evidence, and the support of NGO Transparency Maldives to try and make their case.  This is exactly the same tedious process that the opposition to Gayoom used to weaken his footing.  Unfortunately back then the courts were firmly under the control of the presidency.  Despite this they worked hard to document election fraud and human rights abuses.  This was done both by MDP and the NGO Maldivian Detainee Network.

Their trailblazing efforts must have inspired Ghassan and his legal team.  

The Presidential Commission should be allowed to get on with its job

The Presidential Commission established to investigate corruption has come under much flack. The argument is that independent institutions exist whose mandate overlaps with it, and also that proper procedures exist within the government anyway.

The fact of the matter is that several audit reports have been produced that show the most appalling instances of abuse of public funds. In any other country the culprits would be forced to resign immediately.  Or if they are out of office, as they are in this country, kill themselves in shame.

In Maldives we appear to excuse their actions. It is to be expected from the obnoxious Gayoomists.  Instead we criticise the president and his government for the way in which he seeks to take action.  Its far worse than buying several thousands of dollars worth of designer nappies and having them shipped over here.

The police, the prosecutor-general and the Anti-Corruption Commission have failed to bring the crooks to book.  The Presidential Commission, with high-level backing, is about to do just that.  We should allow them to get on with their task.

One step forward, two steps back

The country made a positive change by voting out Gayoom last October.  The reform movement emerged successful after a bitter four-year long struggle.

Now, however, impatient with the speed of changes after just six months the people have emphatically voted Gayoom and Yameen back in through the Majlis election.  One can understand why voters are frustrated, but surely they shouldn’t have gone with a political family that did so much bad over thirty years.

Clearly memories are short.  The corruption, drug trafficking and human rights abuses have been forgotten. Instead people are reacting unfavourably towards promises of housing, transportation and essential services. 

Perhaps change is uncomfortable.  After being lied to for so long, they would rather have the old liars who they know how to read instead of a new batch.

That the Maldivian public has voted for Gayoom and Yameen just six months after giving them the boot is a terrible, terrible thing.  There is no way of spinning it.

Those who want to see successful economic and social reforms in this country will just have to work harder than they have ever done before.  

Mission

We gathered in the Republican Square on August 12th/13th to raise our voices against oppression.  The spirit of that day lives on as we enter these new and challenging times.