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Category Archives: Terror

Prison Break: Who will resign?

20 Mar

I was watching the two o’clock news on TV Maldives on Friday, and was shocked to hear that, the Minister of State for Home Affairs Ahmed Shafeeg has said that “about four prisoners” who fled Maafushi prison last night have been apprehended by the authorities in a nearby island. Haveeru has reported that the prisoners escaped by the threatening the prison guards with the assistance of a gang who had come from Male’ armed with iron bars.

I wondered to myself who would be asked to take the blame for the loophole in state security and the terror that ordinary law-abiding citizens have been subjected to. A week or so ago, The Minister responsible for Maldives National Defense and also Home Affairs, and the Police Commissioner seemed to put the responsibility for the mayhem in our streets on the Prosecutor General’s inefficiency and ineffectiveness.

The question on my mind is “Who will resign?”

We have seen numerous demonstrations on the streets of Male’ calling for resignations of government officials in the recent years. Former Minister of Home Affairs Gasim Ibrahim resigned after demonstrations calling for his resignation and pressure from political and civil society pressure groups.

When are we going to see government agencies made accountable for things they are charged with? Or will this prison break also be blamed on former regime sympathisers in the civil service?

The previous government had put the responsibility for all evil in society on the people. They would say that no one had reported the evils to them. And the Home Minister of the regime believed that gang related street murders can only be stopped by the gangs and they wanted it.

I just can’t help wondering who will be asked to resign.

 
4 Comments

Posted by on March 20, 2009 in My Argument, My Concerns, Nation Building, Terror

 

Breaking News: Police Officer Hospitalized

13 Mar

According to a police media report, a police officer has been hospitalized in ADK Hospital in Male’ after being attacked by gangsters and was found “thrown into a lane” around Alikilegefaanu Magu. The report says that the officer’s face has been severely beaten. The Police Officer was in plainclothes according to the report.

The local print and online media who were “reporting 24/7 round the clock” are silent on the matter at this moment in time.

Rumors say that the people who attacked the police officer are known to authorities and will be apprehended shortly. It is hard to believe that anything will come of it. There is little hope that anything meaningful can be done to maintain law and order in this country, while the current August Constitution and unfinished business related to establishing the legal and judicial infrastructure remain as is.

And Ibra writes to the President on his blog, in a post published 4 hours from the attack – which I thought was related. He writes:

[…] The entire nation has to be mobilized if we are to get out of this hell hole. You can see the reaction of the Mob in relation to efforts by the police to establish the authority of the law. They will come after the Police, the Cabinet, the MPs and any other who will stand in their way. Only the unifying of the Public, across political divisions can combat this evil.

That brings me to the point of this letter, Mr.President. It is only you who can unify the nation on this one. It is your Constitutional duty to do that. The Constitution spells out in black and white that it is your Constitutional duty and obligation to promote unity among the people. You can’t do that by ignoring the majority of the people in this country and just acknowledging people of a certain political membership. You will be deepening the divisions even further.

Mr. President. You are the PRESIDENT of this country, elected by UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE. You are not the PRIME MINISTER appointed by a majority party in the Majlis. The Maldivian Constitution does not provide for a Prime Minister yet, Mr. President. I remind you, lest you forget.

Read the full post here

 
2 Comments

Posted by on March 13, 2009 in Leadership, Maldives Police Service, My Concerns, Terror

 

Mind boggling figures…

11 Mar

The Defense Minister and Home Minister and the Police Commissioner gave a joint press conference on Tuesday to brief the public on the ongoing street violence and gang related murders that are terrorizing Male’.

Some of the figures that were revealed in the press conference were mind-boggling. The new “Pentagon” Prison going to cost the country over 80million Rufiyaa. This is over 400,000 Rufiyaa (30,000 US Dollars) per head for each of the 200 inmates for whom the prison is being built. [I was told that the cost per key for a three-star resort hotel is under 70,000 US Dollars.]

The cost of maitaining a prisoner is currently at 36,000 Rufiyaa (nearly 3,000 US Dollars) a month. This according to the Defense Minister is equal to housing one person in a nearby tourist resort!

And there are over 500 convicted criminals roaming the streets of Male’, ready to engage in further criminal activity. Male’ is the capital city buzzling with crime. And if the press briefing is to be believed, the crime infrastructure is so far ahead of the law and order capabilities that soon the criminals will take over the captial city of this paradise nation.

Minivan report on the press briefing

 
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Posted by on March 11, 2009 in Comments and Opionion, Democracy nd Reform, Maldives Police Service, Terror

 

Male' Street Killings: Ongoing Terror Unchecked

10 Mar

Minivan News has reported that an 18 year old boy (Abdulla Farhad, 18) has died “after being assaulted by a group of young men on the south side of Majeedhee Magu”. It also reported that “Farhad’s murder (on the night of 8th March) is the sixth gang-related death since December 2007 when 19-year-old Ali Ishar was beaten to death.”

This means there is a gang related murder every three months for a population of just over 300,000 people. In addition, several more cases of suicide and near death incidents involving street violence have been reported in this 100% Moslem nation. Yet, there is no sign of a clear government strategy to combat this epidemic. The religous ministry perhaps would say that street killings and gang related murders are not in their purview. The last government blamed it on the people. We are yet to wait and see who the present government will blame; or take responsibility to bring civility to this country.

The point I wish to make is that we have a nation that is deteriorating into decadence. And where the dawn of democracy has resulted in a seemingly acceptable anarchy.

Reports of the latest street violence leading to murder:
Minivan News / Haveeru News / Maldives Police Service

 
4 Comments

Posted by on March 10, 2009 in Civil Society, My Concerns, Terror

 

More Knifing back on the streets

06 Nov

Minivan News 4th November 2008:

A 39-year old has been stabbed in the shoulder and back last night Maafaanu district of Male’, only days after a 15-year old knife attack victim died after a violent attack on the eve of elections.

Ameen Ali, of Mathi Dhuni in the Machangolhi ward, was attacked at around midnight with a sharp object while at a friend’s house in the same district as the stabbing last week. Police say the case was reported at 11.56pm and no-one has been arrested.

Read the full story from Minivan News here

 
4 Comments

Posted by on November 6, 2008 in Terror, Terrorism

 

Prosecutor General expresses concern…

08 Oct

Child Abuse Watch Maldives:

The Prosecutor General has expressed conern over the delays at the Criminal Court, of the sexual abuse case of daughter by Adnan Hussain. He was formerly a director at the President’s Office. The Prosecutor General’s Office said that the case has been investigated and submitted to the Criminal Court for prosecution. PGO also said that the case was investigated and sent for prosecution on June 7th of this year. It also said that the concern over the delay has been taken up on two separate occasions with the Court.

Read more here

 
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Posted by on October 8, 2008 in Child Abuse, Terror

 

Rhetoric matures into Threats and Violence…

06 Oct

The violence that has been expected before the first democratic elections under the new constitution has been instigated a fortnight before the elections and has matured into full-scale violence during the last three days; with signs of large scale escalation due to occur before the ill-fated October 8th in Male’.

Anni threatens Maumoon – MDP Office Attacked – Police condemn Monaza Naeem – MDP calls Foul-play – Thasmeen chased from Thulhaadhoo & the denial – DRP chased away from Maavah

Maldives National Defence Forces and the Maldives Police Services gave a joint briefing to the media to assure public that measures would be taken to maintain law and order in the run up to and beyond the elections. It is, however, unlikely that they have the resources, the infrastructure and a decisive leadership to contain a nation turning into a ruthless mob – fanned from within and all around.

 
3 Comments

Posted by on October 6, 2008 in Presidential Election 2008, Presidential Race 2008, Terror

 

Warning!

10 Jun

Is this perhaps a sign of what could happen?
Is this a warning of sorts?

Close to the petrol sheds?

Fire

 
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Posted by on June 10, 2008 in Comments and Opionion, Terror

 

National Security Committee: The Giant finally off the Slumber!

07 Apr

The government, having failed to contain the street violence and the hate “killings” have finally made a decision to bring in the national defence force (the military) to bring a false temporary calm to the streets of Male’. This is a tactic that has been used before. But once the violence seemingly subsides, the matter is forgotten. The Sultan Park Bombing brought the military onto the streets of the capital almost immediately. But it took fatal blows to many and over 70 cases to be filed with the Attorney General for prosecution, by the Maldives Police Service, in three months; and 80 guys in police custody related to street violence, and a few dead young people – for the slumber giant “The National Security Committee” to wipe their eyes and hold a meeting.

It is also interesting to learn that the army has a mandate to reinforce the police in special circumstances … or criminal action”, only now after such mayhem and blood baths on the streets and in public places and homes. The generals don’t ask why when the government asks them to do something; if one is to believe what Haveeru has reported in its breaking news. I wonder whether that is the same way they operate even if the government will not ask them to do anything – let this nation suffocate itself!

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2008 in Economy, My Concerns, Terror

 

Maldives: Sunny Side of a Living Hell!

07 Apr

The Maldivian Government seems to have become a completely defunct establishment to be of any use to the people. The majority of the youth are in complete disarray and without proper guidance or direction. There is almost absolute anarchy on the streets of Male’ overcrowded with over 130,000 locals and more than half the country’s estimated over 60,000 expatriates.

The gang violence that has been raging in the country for the last several years has come to a climax in the past few months and the scale of the near killings since last Thursday is sending shivers through the whole population. The government do not seem to be able to contain the anarchy, nor able to negotiate with the parties involved to arrive at a cessation of hostilities.

We can only pray there may be a cessation of the violence through a third party negotiation, such as with the assistance of EU or US experts. They also don’t seem to be alarmed yet!

The terror that is spreading like bush fire is also fanned by the two major political factions in the constitutional assembly (People’s Special Majlis) majority of who have forgotten the people who elected them and shifted to representing the parties of their own choosing!

It maybe that we may wake up to a country under the military, in the not too distant near future!

Updates of the ongoing terror:
Haveeru Online
Minivan News Online
A Demented Constitutional Assembly

 
1 Comment

Posted by on April 7, 2008 in My Concerns, Terror

 
 
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