Dictator Gayyoom : Father of Extremism in the Maldives

Editorial

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Dhivehi Observer, 25 October 2007 

 

In early 1979, a group of school children from Majeediya and Aminiya School, in their crispy white uniforms, sat nervously in a Television Maldives studio. They have just been told that the religious text that they used in school, written by the revered scholar Mohamed Jameel Didi, did not explain the true Islam that they should follow. Thus, each of them was given a piece of paper with a question on it, which they were told to memorize. Among the students included the Foreign Minister of today, Hon. Abdulla Shahid. During the programme they were supposed to ask the question as if it was their own. The man in front of them will give the answer. He will explain what true Islam was. He was Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, their new President.

This was the beginning of the extremist revolution in the Maldives by Dictator Gayyoom and his cronies that laid the foundation stone for the religious disharmony we see today. Soon after becoming President, he opened the first Islamic Schools, Mauhad, and Arabiyya soon followed. Religious scholars from Egypt were brought to 'enlighten' the Maldivians during the month of Ramadan; some who shocked the moderate Muslim community by preaching how men should beat their wives among other extreme practices. School textbooks were revised to follow the Dictator's version of Islam. A branch of Rabitat-al-Alam-Islamiya, an organization based in the Saudi that co-ordinated "the efforts of Islamic preachers the world over" among other things, was set up in the Maldives. And, similarly, at the peak of Palestinian Liberation Organization's terrorist activities in the 80's, the Dictator was its leader late Yasir Arafat's best friend and Maldives was home to the first embassy of PLO outside the Arab world.

Religious lectures with obvious anti-western overtones were given to students. Large rallies were held, using school children to condemn the Americans in particular and the West in general. Ridiculous rules were enforced on the people under the guise of Islam. People with long hair were persecuted. No sportsman was allowed to grow his hair long and was forced to take a crew cut if they wanted to continue playing their sport. Restaurants that had live music in the evening such as Ice-Ge were closed. Students were banned from having parties unless they got prior permission from the Home Ministry. It did not matter even if it was held in their own homes under the supervision of their own parents. The rule stood. It was only when his own children (who studied in UK and not in Egypt) became teenagers that the Dictator relaxed this rule.

The Dictator enjoyed being the supreme religious authority in the country for well over 25 years. He knew best and no one dared challenged him. Those who criticized him were harshly silenced, especially other religious scholars. Slowly but surely, in front of our eyes, the religious harmony that existed in the Maldives for centuries began to erode and chip away. Slowly the Maldivian culture that we all loved and were proud of, was being replaced by an Arab culture, all under the guise that it was Islamic. No one dared to say that you can still be a Muslim and follow Maldivian culture at the same time because they feared that what they say might be considered un-Islamic. Funds such as the Al-Quds Fund were set up and people were made to feel that it is their religious duty to donate. No one in the Maldives knows to-date what happened to the money in that particular fund.

One of the earliest things that the Dictator did was to replace Dhivehi names by Arab ones, not just the names we could give to our children, but also to everything he could use the Islamic banner on, such as mosques etc. With his group of friends, he preferred the use of Arabic to converse, rather than use Dhivehi, treating our own language with contempt. He lived like an Arab king, claiming that his authority was by divine rule and therefore should never be undermined or challenged. All the time, the poor Maldivians, honestly believed that this was a genuine attempt to show us the true Islam that we should all follow when all it was a guise to prolong and tighten his grip on power.

Fundamentalism, Wahhabism, extremism: you may call it by any name. But this division within our society is something that was created deliberately by this merciless Dictator.

Perhaps it maybe even better to call this extremism …Golhaabism.

Because Maumoon Abdul Gayoom IS the father of Extremism in the Maldives. This is his legacy.

Who’s Who Crown Sappe’ ‘Emerging Asian Leader 2007’

By Paul Roberts in London, www.minvannews.com
February 27, 2007

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The editor of the Dhivehi Observer website, Ahmed Moosa (Sappe'), has been declared an 'emerging world leader' and listed among Asia's most influential people by the Who's Who set of publications.

The controversial journalist was mentioned in the 2007 editions of both Who's Who in Asia and Who's Who of Emerging Leaders.

Who's Who, based in the United States, have published directories of prominent people for over 100 years. The organization's prestigious volumes list "achievers from around the world… from every significant field of endeavor."

"Corporate executives, journalists, personnel recruiters, librarians, researchers, students, and many others consult our information databases for in-depth information they can use with confidence," Who's Who state on their website.

Who's Who in Asia features 30 000 "pre-eminent individuals from the Asian continent, from the sciences, finance and commerce, government and politics, sports and entertainment."

Who's Who of Emerging Leaders contains 25 000 of "the most successful men and women, [who are] exceptionally innovative, forward thinking and dedicated to their field."

Speaking to Minivan News from exile in Glasgow, Scotland on Tuesday, Sappe' said he was "privileged to receive this great honour."

"I will continue to do as much as I can for the betterment of my country," he added.

President Gayoom, however, is unlikely to share in Sappe' glory.

The Dhivehi Observer, universally known in the Maldives as 'D-O', is a persistent source of irritation to the Gayoom government, portraying members of the cabinet as torturing, licentious thieves.

The president's family has fared little better. The hard-hitting publication has subjected Gayoom's wife, Nasreena, to particular venom.

While many people - across the political spectrum - dismiss D-O as a slanderous propaganda site, few dispute its influence.

One of the website's greatest scalps was arguably that of Abdulla Hameed, the former Atolls Minister and Gayoom's older brother.

In 2004, D-O unleashed a brutal and systematic campaign against Hameed, portraying him, in excruciating detail, as a predatory homosexual.

As D-O's vitriolic attack reached its climax, Hameed, who had been at the forefront of Maldivian politics for 27 years, was quietly relieved of his government duties. His reputation never recovered.

Sappe', who is labeled a "modern day folk hero" in the Lonely Planet's latest guide to the Maldives, does not shed any tears for his victims:

"These people have murdered, tortured and stolen from our people for nearly three decades. Why shouldn't their crimes be exposed for all to see?"

"I bring true news to the Maldives. I bring the news that people in the Maldives want. I want my people to be informed and make informed decisions. I don't want them to be kept in the dark like they were before," he added.

Never one to hold back from mocking the current administration, Sappe' pointed out that the 'reformist' members of Gayoom's cabinet - Foreign Minister Shaheed, Information Minister Nasheed, Justice Minister Jameel and Attorney-General Saeed – who are similar in age to Sappe', go unmentioned in Who's Who.

"There are no other Maldivians other than me in the book, not even Gayoom himself," Sappe' said, laughing.

Dictator Gayoom is the only roadblock to Reform

Editorial

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A.S.I. Moosa (Sappe'), Editor-in-Chief, Dhivehi Observer, 21 October 2007  

 

For the first 25 years of his rule, the Maldives Dictator found it pretty easy going. Many had fallen into his "honey-trap"; some by bribery while others were duped into believing that he was indeed a benevolent leader. However, the pro-democracy campaign that was launched in 2003 in the aftermath of the horrendous murders in Maafushi jail committed the local police became the first nail on his coffin and is now going strong. Of course there were several pervious attempts to expose his crimes and oust him from power but these efforts were stopped by his regime before it gained any real momentum.

Dictator Gayoom's main element of strength that allowed him to continue his ruthless dictatorship from the start was the total control he had over the police and the army. He was able to abuse the system in such a way that even the slightest voice of dissent was completely crushed, setting examples for others who may rise against him. In addition to this, he was able to oppress the media and control the flow of information by appointing his family members and associates to important government posts. Corruption, nepotism and total brutality formed the pillars of his power.

However, after 25 years in total control, it began cracking as soon as organised opposition began their campaign from exile. The movement was able to reach out to the Maldivian people through the internet and inform them of their rights and convinced them of the need for change. Despite numerous attempts by the Dictator to crush this movement, he failed miserably and the movement if anything got stronger. It became a force to be reckoned with. The international community was lending their ears to the plight of the Maldivian people and the movement as a whole was able to keep the world informed of what the Dictator was getting up to at home.
 

10th June 2007 - BBC Report on 'Sweeping' Reform Agenda

Then the Dictator dealt what he thought would be his trump card. He announced a reform package on 9th June 2004, in the hope that it would calm things down and reduce the pressure from the international community. The British PR firm, Hill & Knowlton played a key role in convincing the Dictator that by announcing a 'sweeping' reform package, he will be able to remain in control of the destiny of the Maldives. Hill & Knowlton could not to be more wrong. Of course, some believed that Gayyoom could deliver on his promises but it was my absolute conviction that a murderous dictator like Gayyoom was incapable of bringing any democratic reform. The man does not have it in him to be a democratic leader. He is a thoroughbred dictator and that is why I called for his resignation in the BBC report the day after he announced the so called 'sweeping reform' package. Lessons from the past 3 years since the launch of his reform agenda, the road map and all the rest of it, is proof of that.

However, the debates that followed after the announcement of Dictator's reform agenda set the basis for free thinking in the country. As expected, after just 5 debates, the Dictator closed the curtain down on the reformists and began arresting people indiscriminately, which paved the way for the unprecedented anti-government demonstration of 12-13 August 2004 (Black Friday). Again, the Dictator took the reformists for granted and used extreme force to crush the demonstration giving the world an insight into what he will do to salvage his autocratic rule and control over the country. The pressure from the international community increased as a result of the events of 'Black Friday' and the Dictator had to relinquish much of his powers as well as bring fundamental changes to the government structure, including the separation of the police and the army, in addition to removing some of his loyal old guards from the cabinet.

Of course, even today, the Dictator is trying his hardest to influence the constitutional reforms but the movement has its own momentum and he is unable to do as he wish. In other words, the grand plan of the demented dictator has failed and the reform process is on its on motion now.

The game is over for the Dictator but he is finding this truth very hard swallow. As such, it is hardly surprising that he is now trying to woo the international community by trying to portray himself as the last remaining stalwart against Islamic extremism, while all the time actively encouraging the spread of extremism and divisions in the society behind our backs. However, no one today will buy his lies. We all have seen him in his true colours, more than once.

 

Today, Dictator Gayyoom remains the only roadblock to reform. The sooner he is gone the better for it is only then that the real reform process can truly commence.

Maldives Dictator's salary to increase by 267% to Mrf 200,000 per month

A bill has been proposed to the Parliament by members of Maldives Dictator Gayoom's own party DRP to increase his current salary of Mrf 75,000 to Mrf 200,000 per month, an increase of 267%. This is in addition to all the amenities he currently receives which included the cost of maintaining his private retreat of Aarah island, all his holiday expense and that of his family.

In comparison, the average Maldivian has to survive on around Mrf 2500 per month. Following are some of the average wages earned by government employees.

Human Resource Development Officer Gr II (graduate level) - Mrf 2810/-
Teacher Grade 3 (diploma level) – Mrf 2995/-
Staff Nurse (diploma level) – Mrf 3440/-
Secretary – Mrf 2170/-
Director – Mrf 4420/-

In addition to this, the State will have to offer a pension of the same amount to the Dictator if and when he retires. Additionally the State will have to provide him a house, an office and four staff members as well as footing the bill for his health care for life.

The bill also proposes a monthly allowance of Mrf 100,000 to his wife Nasreena Ibrahim!

"We care a great deal about the Maldives" Foreign Minister Dr. Howells

British Parliamentary Debate - Maldives

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19th October 2007, Source : Hansard  

 

On 17th October, the British Parliament debated relations between the UK and Maldives. Members from both government and opposition spoke of the good relations between the UK and Maldives and the importance of the ongoing political reform process.

Speaking during the debate Foreign Office Minister Dr Kim Howells highlighted the excellent relationship between the two country and spoke about the recent bomb attack in Maldives and the assistance offered to the two British nationals who were injured.

The debate was initiated by an opposition (Conservative) MP, Mr David Amess. There was no vote at the end of the debate.

 

7 pm
Mr. David Amess (Southend, West) (Con): On an evening when I am sure that some hon. Members are a bit gloomy that England got beaten 2-1 in the football match-although we can look for better things against Croatia-I hope to cheer everyone up with this debate about the Maldives.

When we die, most of us aspire to enter paradise, even though we might be sinners. Well, I have news for the House: my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley) had an early taste of paradise when, through the all-party parliamentary group, we had the opportunity to visit the Maldives earlier this year. No words can describe adequately just how beautiful the islands are. He and I had a splendid visit, and learned at first hand the challenges faced by the Maldivian Government. I bring the House the good news that we were given an open opportunity to visit all parts of the Maldives, and that next year's plans will result in democracy being well and truly delivered to the islands.

Britain's relations with the Maldives began with our colonial expansion into south Asia in the mid to late 18th century. On 16 December 1887, the Sultan of the Maldives signed a contract with the British governor of Ceylon, turning the Maldives into a British protectorate. The British Government promised the islands military protection and non-interference in local administration, in exchange for an annual tribute paid by the Maldives. In 1957 the British established a Royal Air Force base in the strategic southernmost atoll of Addu, where hundred of locals were employed. Nineteen years later, the British Government decided to give up the base, as it was too expensive to maintain.

The Maldives has been an independent state throughout its known history, except for a brief period of 15 years of Portuguese occupation in the 16th century. The Maldives remained a British protectorate until 26 July 1965, but I am sure that the Minister will accept that the ties between Britain and the Maldives remain very close, even though it is no longer a British protectorate. We remain a leading economic power, and rightly still contribute aid to the Maldives, which is a developing country. The great disparity in wealth between our two countries, and our shared history, places an obligation on Britain to continue to provide assistance to that island state.

The Maldives is a small nation, but the House may not understand that it is made up of 1,200 coral islands, most of them uninhabited. The fact that none of them stands more than 6 ft above the level of the ocean makes the country very vulnerable to rises in sea level associated with global warming. With their abundant sea life and sandy beaches, the Maldives islands are often portrayed by travel companies as a paradise, and my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South can testify that it is.

The Maldives islands are absolutely magnificent, but many Maldivians live in absolute poverty. The country has done its best to develop its infrastructure and industries, including the fisheries sector, and there has been a boost in health care, education and literacy. I know that my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South hopes to catch your eye, Mr. Deputy Speaker, as he has some splendid ideas about developing further educational links between our two countries. I think that he also has some points to make about human rights.

In December 2004, the Maldives was hit by the Asian tsunami. Homes and resorts were devastated by the waves, precipitating a major rebuilding programme. The Maldives are beautiful but the country faces many challenges, one of which is the threat of rising sea levels.

During our visit, we saw at first hand just how vulnerable the islands are and I want to outline briefly some of the issues. Male', the capital, is home to the majority of the country's 300,000 inhabitants; it is by far the most developed of the Maldives islands. I do not know whether the Minister has had the opportunity to visit the island, but Male' is absolutely crowded-there is nowhere left on the island for building or development. That is a real issue.

To counter pressure on the capital, the Government have developed an extraordinary project; they have reclaimed and rebuilt an island, which will in time be bigger than the capital. Hundreds of people already live on the island and the Maldivian Government are considering the construction of a bridge or causeway to link Male' to the new island. So far, under the first phase, 1,500 people have gone to live in the housing that is being erected on the 465-acre island. It is an absolutely magnificent project.

Hulamale' is already the same size as the island of Male' and will more than double when the project has been completed. It is phased over 40 years and eventually the island will house 153,000 people. The vast, flat, barren rectangle is a far cry from the rest of the Maldive islands. The project began in 1997 and will be completed in a number of stages. It has already cost £30 million. Male' residents are being given priority in land and home purchases and the Government of President Gayoom are offering real estate at a 40 per cent. discount on prices in the capital as an incentive.

The President has spent much of his 26 years in power warning of the dangers of global warming, erosion and shifting weather patterns. The reclaimed island offers an opportunity for British involvement in the development of the project and I hope the Minister will reflect on it.

The new island will be 2 m above sea level-a metre higher than Male'-as a safeguard against the rising ocean. Commenting on the threat of rising sea levels in relation to the project, the President said:

"There is encroachment of the sea on many islands, there is erosion of our beaches. We think the new Male' is sufficient for the time being. Of course we can't foresee what will happen 50 or 60 years from now."

We hope that the island will be safe in the future.

My hon. Friend and I visited a regeneration project on Dhiffushi island. The tsunami that hit south Asia in 2004 struck the Maldives on 26 December at 9.20 am. It destroyed lives and affected the livelihoods of a third of the population. The disaster severely affected the whole country, flooding all but nine islands-13 islands were completely evacuated. The tsunami claimed
17 Oct 2007 : Column 937
82 lives, left 26 people missing and displaced more than 15,000 people. It destroyed much of the country's physical asset base, including homes and entire settlements, public service utilities, such as hospitals, clinics and schools, transport and communications infrastructure, private businesses and livelihoods. The main industries of tourism and fishing were badly hit. The total asset loss is estimated at 62 per cent. of the Maldives gross domestic product.

One island that was very badly hit by the tsunami was the one that my hon. Friend and I were taken to. There we saw a wonderful project to look after people with mental health problems, and we also saw a number of other projects. However, I cannot emphasise enough to the Minister the fact that the people there are struggling. They need more help. None of the Ministers and officials whom we met asked for anything, but, given the financial constraints, my hon. Friend and I thought that our Government could be encouraged to do a little more than is being done at the moment. The reconstruction project was absolutely wonderful.

The Maldivian Government have proposed an investment programme of £200 million to meet the challenges caused by the devastating tsunami of three years ago. The work that has so far been completed on the land reclamation project has cost £33.25 million and the total cost of the project will of course be much greater than that.

I congratulate our Government on the way that they have responded to the challenges and helped the Maldivian Government so far. The British Red Cross was also absolutely magnificent in helping to construct new houses. The Government have done the very best that they can to support the Maldivian Government, but many more challenges need to be faced.

I shall end with a few remarks about the political situation. I want to praise my noble Friend Lord Naseby, who is the chairman of the all-party parliamentary group. He has already met one of the election commissioners and was very impressed by the meeting. The view is that there will probably be a bigger turnout when the elections are held next year than there would be in a British general election, and he was very impressed by the arrangements that are in hand. The Parliament and the President sit for five years, and the President is chief of state and the Head of Government. When a referendum was held on the way forward, there was a very high turnout and 90,000 voted for the new agenda and 60,000 voted against. The outcome was very satisfactory and new elections are scheduled for 2008. I hope that our Government will enthusiastically send observers to oversee the election process.

During the trip, my hon. Friend and I met the Speaker, the Foreign Minister and the Chancellor and we were given wide access to any number of officials. However, the Maldivian Government are concerned about Islamic fundamentalism.

I say to the Minister that there are many commercial opportunities for the United Kingdom. The desire for development, the relaxation of foreign investment regulations, the level of political stability and the extent of existing cultural ties mean that the Maldives is a very attractive location for UK foreign investment. I encourage UK firms to grasp that opportunity, and  that opportunity is to unite with the Maldivian Government in what my hon. Friend and I regard as an early sight of paradise.

7.13 pm
Mr. Brian Binley (Northampton, South) (Con): I am most grateful to you, Mr. Speaker, and especially to the Minister for allowing me to take part in this debate. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) for securing it.

I am the secretary of the all-party Maldives group and although it is paradise, I can assure the Minister that work does take place in paradise. Indeed, we worked really quite hard and were well received wherever we went. As my hon. Friend said, the whole of society was opened up to us and we were taken wherever we asked to go. That is worth saying.

As the Minister will know, there have been political difficulties in the Maldivian system. I know that the British Government have been heartened by the fact that the country embarked on a change programme two or three years ago. I am delighted to report to the Minister that the change programme is moving on apace. A problem might be that we see the Maldives as not the perfect democratic nation, but it is striving to get there. As my hon. Friend said, the referendum was very successful and a massive proportion of the electorate took part. Hopefully, the elections in September 2008 will prove conclusively that the Maldivian people are in possession of a representative democracy of which they can be proud. This is thus a good time for us to help the Maldives, which was a protectorate for so long and where English is spoken. The fact that the Maldives looks to our country as a model and a great friend certainly came over to my hon. Friend and I.

What can we do? There is a real problem with education. There are about 80,000 pupils in Maldivian schools, but only up to secondary school level. Anyone who wishes to pursue further education to any extent must leave the country. When we asked the Minister, the honourable Abdulla Shahid, the areas of activity in which Britain might help, he suggested further education, especially in connection with British universities. We said that we would explore that area of activity, so my hon. Friend and I intend to contact our senior educational establishments. We are talking to foundations that might be able to help with the creation of a university college, or at least some attachment of that kind that could relate to a British university, given that the country uses British exams. We hope that something might come of that.

The Minister is involved in and appreciative of relationships with the Maldives. He is what we in Northamptonshire might call a good old boy-I hope that that is parliamentary language, Mr. Speaker. I know that the Minister is a kind man, so I wonder whether he might allow my hon. Friend and I to spend 10 minutes with him to determine whether we could pursue the possibility of working closely with our senior educational establishments with a view to helping the Maldivian people into the degree of higher education that is difficult for them to attain now.

I am grateful for your kindness, Mr. Speaker, and to the Minister. I look forward to hearing the Minister's response.

 

7.17 pm
The Minister for the Middle East (Dr. Kim Howells): May I join the hon. Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Binley) in congratulating the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on securing the debate? I welcome the close interest of the hon. Member for Southend, West in the issues that have been raised. If he does not mind me saying so, it is always a pleasure to debate with him. He believes passionately in the causes that he champions, as does the hon. Member for Northampton, South. I do not always agree with the hon. Gentlemen, but I recognise the force of their arguments.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the debate on relations between the United Kingdom and the Maldives. Mention of the Maldives will readily evoke images of picture-postcard islands and crystal-clear water. We have heard such a description today. I have not had the opportunity to visit the country, but, hopefully, I will do so one day. I cannot remember whether this was mentioned, but 100,000 British citizens go there for a holiday every year, which in itself is a testament to not only the beauty of the islands, but their potential, which was the most interesting aspect of the hon. Gentlemen's speeches.

We enjoy excellent relationships with the Maldives, both bilaterally and through our shared membership of the Commonwealth. Many Maldivians hold Her Majesty the Queen and the United Kingdom in high regard. That is reflected at ministerial level, and through the close relationships between Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and the Maldivian Government.

In his visit in July, President Gayoom had an audience with the Queen. He also met my noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown, the Minister with responsibility for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. They reviewed our wide range of shared interests, which include education, trade, tourism and addressing the challenges of climate change. More recently, senior FCO officials met the new Maldivian Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, and the Deputy Foreign Minister, Ms Dhunya Maumoon, who was educated in Britain. She is the daughter of the President and is married to a British national. Officials also met Mohamed Nasheed, who is the leader of the opposition Maldivian Democratic party.

I was interested in the suggestion that the hon. Member for Northampton, South, made about establishing closer contacts with UK universities; I could not agree with him more. We do not work hard enough at that. I will give him an undertaking: tomorrow night, I will have the pleasure of dining with the distinguished Professor Merfyn Jones, who is chairman of Higher Education Wales, which represents Welsh universities. I shall mention the subject to him, because he has done some pioneering work on contacts between Bangor university, of which he is the vice-chancellor, and Kuwait. Work is done on important maritime studies, and I have no doubt that issues such as climate change could easily be included.

The hon. Member for Southend, West, mentioned that the Maldivians are extremely concerned about climate change, and he gave us the most vivid example possible. While I was swotting for the debate, I read that no point in the Maldives is higher than 2.5 m. When we read some of the predictions of what will happen if sea
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levels rise, we see that climate change poses the gravest threat to life and commerce in the Maldives. I am glad that the hon. Gentleman mentioned the subject, and we want to work with him on it.

When I made inquiries with our officials, they said, "Look, as for contact between the Maldivians and us, we are no more than a phone call away." We have a very good relationship with the Maldivians, and it is not at a formal level. If they want to speak to us, they can do so at any time. I wanted to reiterate that in the House tonight, because it is an important point. We care a great deal about the Maldives. It has a very small population of 350,000, but as the hon. Member for Southend, West, pointed out, it has strong historical links with our country, and we want to nurture and strengthen those links.

I was fascinated to hear the hon. Gentleman's description of the new town that is set to grow, possibly with a causeway connection to the capital, Male'. That is an exciting prospect. The hon. Gentleman probably already knows, although I admit that I do not, whether the Maldivians are looking closely at the new developments in the Gulf, where causeways are being used to enlarge the available building land. He made an important point when he said that it is easy to run out of land. We may be talking about the biggest occupied atoll in the world, but that does not mean that there is a lot of land there for development. Clearly, we are talking about a country with aspirations-I will come to the points that the hon. Member for Northampton, South, made on that subject later. It aspires not just to become a more transparent and vigorous democracy, although I believe that it is that, but to feed itself and to ensure a sustainable economy. As the tourism industry grows, so will the population, probably-and why should it not? However, it will be a fine balance, because there is not much room. From our own constituencies, we all know how difficult it is to get land for development, even though we have such an abundance of it. For the Maldives, the problem is acute.

I am sure that the hon. Gentlemen and the entire House will join me in condemning the appalling bomb attack on 29 September that injured 12 tourists, including two British nationals. We offer our sincere condolences to those injured, some of whom are still recuperating from the attack. The bombers, whoever they were, do not represent the overwhelming majority of the Maldivian people, who reacted with horror to the attack. Their reaction was not only of great comfort to the victims, but sent an unambiguous message to the perpetrators that the Maldives is united against terrorism. My noble Friend Lord Malloch-Brown wrote to Foreign Minister Shahid on 4 October to express our gratitude for the generous and effective response of the Maldivian Government, the tourism industry and the Maldivian general public for their expressions of opposition to that outrage.

I join the hon. Member for Southend, West in saying that that attack did not represent the Maldives. Perhaps it was designed to try to weaken confidence in the Maldives and to tell people that they should not go there. We have seen the same tactics being used in Sharm el-Shaikh and elsewhere. I have been impressed by the determination of the Maldivian people in re-asserting that that is a country worth living in and one which has a great future.

I echo the words of the hon. Member for Northampton, South-if it was the hon. Member for Southend, West, I hope he will forgive me-who paid tribute to the work of the noble Lord Naseby, whom we know well. He has done sterling work in helping our Government and the House to focus on helping the Maldives to achieve a more democratic and transparent system of government. That has been a remarkable achievement. As the hon. Member for Northampton, South told us, the transition has not been easy and there is a long way to go yet, but we appreciate the fact that President Gayoom has set in train an ambitious reform programme to adopt a new constitution and to institute multi-party democracy.

We should not underestimate the challenges in attempting to make the transition from a political system that was based heavily on patronage and state control to a multi-party liberal democracy in the space of just a few years. In some areas, such as freedom of expression and the media, the formation of political parties and the development of civil society, there has been good, albeit not always consistent, progress. We would like to see more movement in other areas. I understand that the new constitution is well on its way to being finished. I heard today that 13 chapters had been written. It is being put together by a constituent assembly, and the United Nations Development Programme has provided assistance in the drafting. That is encouraging news.

In August the Maldives constitutional referendum was the first national poll since the creation of political parties. The hon. Member for Southend, West asked whether we could send election observers out there. We would like to do that, but whether we can is another matter. It is an important issue. We would certainly support full Commonwealth or European Union election observation missions and British participation in those missions to observe what promises to be the first multi-party elections next year.

I am told, and the hon. Gentlemen have confirmed to me tonight, that because of the nature of Maldivian geography, with hundreds of small islands-I think that more than 200 are inhabited-an international observation team would not be able to cover the entire country. It is at least as important that there should be sufficient domestic observers, through the Maldives human rights commission and the political parties. I very much hope that we can take that forward.

މަތީ މަޖިލީހުގެ އިސްވެރިން ޒިންމާއިން ރެކިވަޑައިގަތުމުގެ ވާހަކަތަކެއް - ހުރިހާކަމެއް ބޮއްސުންލީމަ ގާނޫނެއްގެ ވާހަކަ ދައްކަވަން ފައްޓަވައިފި

Operation Complete:" Army Clear Himandhoo Mosque

An army operation to free a kidnapped soldier and clear the illegal Dhar-ul-Khair mosque on Himandhoo has been concluded successfully, the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) announced this morning. Private Ibrahim Rasheed had been held hostage inside the mosque by ninety armed and masked men after he was captured Sunday evening in a failed police and army attempt to clear the mosque. more

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Referendum Result Stands

Special Majlis Speaker Gasim Ibrahim has declared the result of last month’s constitutional referendum valid, ending six weeks of political wrangling, and finally clearing the way for the country’s interim constitutional body to start work on a final text. more

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Human rights at the heart of our foreign policy

Mohammed Nasheed, the leader of the Maldivian democratic opposition who has himself been tortured and incarcerated, spoke very warmly of what the Conservatives had done for him and his country. Nasheed blames the beauty of his country for masking the hell that many of its inhabitants endure. He stopped short of saying that tourists shouldn't visit the country. more

FBI Assists With Maldives Blast Probe

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) - U.S. authorities have sent FBI agents to the Maldives to aid with the investigation into a weekend bombing that injured 12 foreign tourists, U.S. officials said Monday. The nail-packed bomb exploded outside a crowded park in the Maldives capital, Male, on Saturday. It was the first such attack reported on the Indian Ocean archipelago renowned for its exclusive tourist resorts. more

Friends of Maldives refutes allegations

Following the bombing in Male on the 29th of September 2007 Friends of Maldives (FOM) are surprised by the ridiculous statements from President Gayoom of the Maldives and Government Spokesman Shafiu that FOM, are in some way behind the Male bombing. In addition they accuse FOM of carrying out a Boycott of Tourism to the Maldives. FOM has never requested tourists NOT to visit the Maldives - the FOM campaign asks tourists to choose a resort not closely associated with the repressive Regime of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. more