Forty-one years ago, on April 4, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while on the balcony of Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The hero of the civil rights movement in United States was helping organize a strike for sanitation workers, one of the poorest workers’ groups in the city.
King is remembered for his messages of equality, tolerance and non-violence delivered at a time when US was deeply divided over racial lines. Long after the assassination of 1968, King remains one of the most respected and remembered figures in the US and his messages hold appeal in various corners of the world where the downtrodden campaign for their civil rights and liberties.
King taught Americans to wage a struggle of civil disobedience for equal rights while practicing tolerance and non-violence. He was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of Indian independence movement. King’s speeches and writings have inspired civil rights activists worldwide.
As we Maldivians are at a crossroad of transition, we have much to learn from King’s legacy and messages. Our society is highly polarised along political lines, and divisions among us are setting the stage for potential violence and conflict. Our young people are in a void; without leaders to look upon, and finding solace only in heroin. Gang violence among youth is at an all time high, with young people dying or sustaining severe injuries in meaningless fights. Young gangs are used by politicians for their dirty games, while most politicians have a poor record of standing up for civil rights. Crime is eroding the peace and tranquility we once enjoyed. We take pride in saying that our forefathers offered hospitality to foreign visitors but we are being increasingly disrespectful and intolerant of the migrant workers working and living among us.
While our nation is struggling in the road to democracy, we have to learn the values of tolerance and patience that Martin Luther King preached. We have to teach our young people that human lives are sacred and that conflicts have to be resolved without resorting to violence. We have to learn to respect human beings regardless of their race, colour, ethnicity and religion. If there ever came a critical moment in our history to do a soul searching and turn to nonviolence and tolerance, that moment is now. If there ever came a moment in our history for us to be persistent in fighting for our civil rights, that moment is now.
August 28, 2008 was the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, which called for racial equality in the US. Even after 45 years, the speech remains an inspiration to civil rights activists all over the world. August 26, 2008 marked the 88th anniversary of granting of voting rights for women in the USA, through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. We, the Maldivians, are also going through an exciting time, as the long process of constitutional amendment ended on August 7, 2008. The first multi-party election in the country is expected to take place within the year. To mark the 45th anniversary of ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, the 88th anniversary of women’s suffrage in the US, and to have a discussion on the democratization process in the Maldives, Strength of Society (SOS) and Madulu, two civil society organizations, invite you to A Democracy Evening.
A Facebook event has been created for this event. To invite your friends through Facebook, join the event page.
Update: Boalhage at Henveyru Dhadu, operated by Ministry of Youth and Sports, was confirmed as a venue for the event. However, the authorities have backtracked on this offer, and after last minute searches for an alternate venue, we have hired the conference hall of Nalahiya Hotel for the event. We regret any inconvenience.
4 August 2008 – The Go Vote Campaign of civil society organizations expresses disappointment that the voter registry published by the Office of the Commissioner of Elections has only been opened for a ten day verification period, despite indications to civil society that there would be 45 days for verification.
The Go Vote campaign understands that an accurate voter registry is fundamental to a free and fair election. The registry, publicized on July 31st closes to the public on 10th August, giving just ten days for the country’s approximately 200,000 eligible voters to verify their details.
The campaign calls for the deadline to be extended to 25th August, on the condition that the timing of the presidential elections and the establishment of an Elections Commission and Supreme Court are not further delayed.
We believe an extension of the deadline to 25th August should be manageable within the current time constraints.
The Go Vote Campaign also calls for the following issues to be addressed immediately:
The voter registry is only available in English. We recommend that it be immediately translated into Dhivehi, and the Dhivehi version to be made available both online and in the form of hard copies, particularly for the use of island communities.
Even though voter registry is available online, limited access to Internet in rural areas acts as a barrier for island communities to verify the voter registry. While the Go Vote Campaign has been informed that the voter registry has been sent to Island Offices, we are concerned that access to voter registry may be limited on some islands. The Go Vote Campaign recommends the voter registry be made available in hard copy at prominent public places on larger islands, enabling islands with larger populations to gain easier access. Furthermore, we recommend prominent links be placed to the voter registry in the website of the Office of the Commissioner of Elections to increase accessibility.
The toll-free phone number established for the public to register inaccuracies on the voter list is only operating five telephone lines. The Go Vote Campaign recommends the number of phone lines be increased in order to be confident that all complaints will be dealt with.
The Go Vote campaign is a joint effort of civil society organisations Hama Jamiyya, Madulu, Maldives Aid, Maldivian Detainee Network, Open Society Association, Rights for All, Strength of Society and Transparency Maldives. The campaign is endorsed by Maldivian Civil Society Network (MCSN).
22 July 2008 – A voter awareness campaign initiated by eight civil society organisations of the Maldives was promoted in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, on Sunday. The ‘Go Vote’ campaign, which aims to educate and empower the Maldivian people ahead of the first multi-party elections in the Maldives this year, was publicised at a mass street rally held to conclude the South Asian People’s Assembly 2008.
Participants from the Maldives who attended the South Asian People’s Assembly, including Maldivian students in Colombo, joined the rally with a Go Vote campaign banner. In addition, campaign banners were displayed at a tent inside Viharamadevi Park where most functions of the South Asian People’s Assembly were held.
niOS
Go Vote campaign promoted at concluding session of South Asian People’s Assembly, Colombo
The Go Vote campaign is a joint effort of civil society organisations Hama Jamiyya, Madulu, Maldives Aid, Maldivian Detainee Network, Open Society Association, Rights for All, Strength of Society and Transparency Maldives. The campaign was launched in Male on 6 July with a keynote speech from Dr Peter Hayes, British High Commissioner to the Maldives. The campaign is endorsed by Maldivian Civil Society Network (MCSN).
The South Asian People’s Assembly, held in Colombo from 18-20 July, was a gathering of individuals and groups including civil society organisations, rights activists, trade unions and marginalised communities from the eight countries of South Asia. The event, also known as People’s SAARC, is a timely reminder for the leaders of South Asia that as they meet shortly for the summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), issues such as poverty, inequality, discrimination, hunger and violence remain rampant in the region. Issues such as violence against women, the need for free movement of persons within the region, environmental justice, right to information and religious extremism were discussed at parallel workshops.
MCSN members Transparency Maldives, Maldivian Detainee Network, Maldives Aid and Madulu participated in the event. In addition, civil society groups People’s Foundation Maldives, Maldives NGO Federation, Maldivian Network on Violence against Women and Huvadhoo Association for National Development were represented. Former MP and former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives Ahmed Mujuthaba, MP and Presidential Candidate for Social Liberal Party Ibrahim Ismail and former MP and co-founder of Maldivian Democratic Party Mohamed Latheef addressed the South Asian People’s Assembly.
niOS
Go Vote campaign promoted at mass street rally in Colombo
By promoting the Go Vote Campaign at the South Asian People’s Assembly, the organisers of the campaign aimed to reach out to a wider audience and sensitise the people on the forthcoming election in the Maldives.
“We have plans to reach out to the Maldivian population residing in Sri Lanka, as the opinions formed by the Maldivians abroad will be as crucial to the election as the views of people resident in the country. The Go Vote campaign aims to empower the voters to ensure they make well-informed choices realising that they have legally entitled rights as voters and citizens,” said Mariyam Seena, coordinator of Maldives Aid.
The Go Vote campaign will include public forums, radio and TV programs, music shows, booklets and posters to ensure a high turn out and public participation in an election that is expected to be an important milestone in the country’s transition to a democracy. The first public forum under the campaign will be held at Dharubaaruge Faashana Maalam at 9.00 pm on Wednesday, 23 July 2008. A wide range of issues related to the election will be discussed by a panel of experts at the forum, while a question and answer session and public discussion will encourage broader interaction and public engagement.
New reports of torture in the main prison at Maafushi and in the detention center of Dhoohindhoo have emerged in the Maldives. Minivan News has reported an increase in torture and human rights abuses both in Maafushi and Dhoonidhoo.
The Maldives acceded to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) on 19 September 2006, exactly three years after Hassan Eavan Naseem was tortured and killed in Maafushi prison.
The ongoing torture in Maafushi and Dhoonidhoo suggests that, despite the Maldives participating in international covenants, the principles laid out in those covenants are not being respected or upheld.
Olivia Lang reports in Minivan News that despite the Maldives acceding to ICCPR and ICESCR in 2006, “accounts of persistent human rights violations suggest such changes are not reflected on the ground.”
As the country heads towards its first multi-party elections, recent months have seen abject failures of the authorities to protect not only ordinary citizens from gang-related violence, but also to those in custody from maltreatment.
While reports of violence in the police-run Dhoonidhoo detention centre appeared to lessen last year, this pattern has seemingly reversed since the beginning of this year, judging from recent information collected by Minivan News.
Last month a number of young people in custody over street violence made allegations of being beaten. Some described in detail how they were handcuffed, hooded, and made to stand at the top of concrete stairs before officers kicked the centre of their backs, causing them to fall down the steps.
Allegations of further abuse have emerged from Dhoonidhoo this week, some from those previously beaten despite reassurances action would be taken.
The testimonials also match others received by Minivan News from other sources this year, which indicate Dhoonidhoo prisoners are regularly dragged out to the football fields, blindfolded and beaten.
Twenty detainees told acquaintances that on Friday and Saturday, they were taken out to the “range” area of the detention centre, blindfolded and beaten by guards.
One 16-year-old was initially attacked, sources say. Other prisoners began “shouting” in response to the beating, and were then beaten themselves.
“They were beaten, handcuffed and also blindfolded. They couldn’t see who was beating them,” said a family member of one detainee.
In her report, Olivia Lang described the situation in Maafushi prison where torture and human rights abuses are on the rise.
And recent accounts suggest prisoners at Maafushi are suffering similar abuse, which appears to reflect a continual pattern at the jail and which has resulted in riots in the past.
Last June, 500 hunger striking prisoners called on the authorities for much-needed reforms, including rehabilitation for drug addicts. Government agreed at the time to a 7-point plan of action.
But the pledges have not been fulfilled – and rehabilitation treatment has still not materialised in any form in the prison, though an estimated 80 per cent of Maafushi inmates are serving sentences for drug offences.
And whilst drugs have become a key issue, socially and politically, there are still no checks on guards in Maafushi, despite reports of them bringing narcotics into the prison.
Perhaps it is not surprising, given the lack of changes, that two petitions have emerged from Maafushi this year protesting against alleged maltreatment and poor conditions. One, addressed to the president, was signed by 300 inmates.
A fortnight ago frustrations boiled over, culminating in a hunger strike by more than 200 prisoners in the high security Unit 2 – roughly a third of the entire prison – after alleged ill-treatment and torture.
Accounts refer to beatings by the Emergency Support Group (ESG) who are called in for extra security, which testimonials indicate use far more than the “minimal necessary” force the Home Ministry say they are trained to use.
One prisoner said he had been “tortured with an electric shock baton”, as well as undergoing simulated drowning with his “head in a water bucket”.
And while the number of cases reaching public attention indicates a rise in mistreatment, for every one of these, many more are likely to be successfully swept under the carpet.
First public forum held under Go Vote campaign
The first public forum under the Go Vote campaign was held at Dharubaaruge on 23 July. The forum featured a panel discussion and a question and answer session open to the public. The forum was broadcast live by a number of FM channels. The Go Vote campaign will include public forums, radio and TV programs, music shows, booklets and posters to ensure a high turn out and public participation in the election.
