lunedì 27 febbraio 2012

MALDIVE - Police use teargas, batons to subdue demonstrators in Addu.


Dozens of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) supporters, including women, were been injured in Addu city last night and the party’s headquarters attacked in a brutal police crackdown on demonstrations against President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan, sources from Addu have claimed.
Police, however, have denied the allegations.
Speaking to Minivan News, several eye witnesses claimed that “police used unjustifiable and brutal force” to suppress MDP members protesting against Dr Waheed while he attended a ceremony at Muhibbuddhin School in Hithadhoo.
MDP Haruge vandalised
According to a source, the streets outside the school were blocked and heavily guarded by police and Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers armed with shield and batons, forcing the MDP demonstrators to continue the protest several metres from the school.
“MDP members requested permission to get closer to Muhibbuddin School but were rejected by the police. So they started shouting for Waheed’s resignation near the police barricade,” the source said.
Shiyara Mohamed, a women’s rights activist and wife of Addu City’s Mayor Abdulla Sodig, who also at the demonstrations, observed that it was “mostly women” calling for Waheed’s resignation. They were tear-gassed by the police “without any warning”, she claimed.
“It was just around 100 people and most were women. We were standing near the police barricade and calling for Waheed’s resignation when all of a sudden the Star Force charged from behind us and tear gassed the whole area without any warning,” she claimed.
“Women started screaming and everyone ran away in panic. Many hid inside nearby houses and others were pushed back using batons,” she said.
Another source claimed that “several women who were in the front line were mercilessly beaten with batons and boots,” and subsequently rushed to the hospital with injuries.
Meanwhile, “some youth from the crowd retaliated by throwing anything they could get their hands on,” the source noted, adding that some policemen were also injured in the clashes.
The police allegedly chased several demonstrators back to the MDP Haruge [headquarters] situated just few metres away from the scene, and ransacked the place.
Furthermore, several members inside the Haruge were  injured in the attack, the source said.
“They tear gassed Haruge first. Then [police] started vandalising the MDP office. Window glass was shattered with batons; computers and other equipment was smashed against the floor. Chairs were broken. People inside the Haruge were brutally beaten and dragged outside,” a third source from Addu said.
Photos and dramatic footage of the damage to Haruge circulating over the social media show injuries allegedly inflicted by the police during the crackdown, and women being taken to the hospital by ambulance. The MDP Haruge in the capital Male’ was similarly attacked by rogue police during the chaotic events of February 7 which culminated in the resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed.
A man's hand injured in the attack
In one image, a woman is also seen on the ground, with what seems to be an injured hand.
Shiyara,who spoke to Minivan News earlier, said that she was the one who took the injured woman to the hospital.
“Apparently, there was something already wrong with her hand – so when the police dragged her outside Haruge by holding that hand, it was fractured,” Shiyara claimed.
Another image also show injuries to a man’s hand, allegedly injured in a baton strike.
In a press statement released last night, police dismissed the allegations as “lies” and said that the police only stopped the demonstrators who attempted to break into the area blocked by the security forces.
Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed meanwhile told local media that 11 cases concerning violence incidents in Addu Atoll on February 8 had been forwarded to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s Office.
Dr Jameel blamed former President Mohamed Nasheed for leading the attacks, reported Haveeru, stating that “Nasheed and his traitors” inflicted extensive damage on the country over his three years of rule.
President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan said that anyone who witnessed the damage to police and court buildings first hand would “surely shed tears”.
President Dr. Waheed pledged that he and his government will do everything in their power to bring the criminals behind the Addu incidents to justice.
 

sabato 25 febbraio 2012

MALDIVE - Dhiyana calls on the court to decide the legitimacy of new government.

Former SAARC Secretary General Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed has called on Attorney General Azima Shakoor to file a case in court to determine the legitimacy of the new government.

MALDIVE - Male’s day of protests: Islam and women key themes.

Male’s day of protests: Islam and women key themes thumbnail
Hundreds of women marched across the Maldives’ capital Male’ in support of deposed President Mohamed Nasheed, before joining the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally near the tsunami monument in its call for early elections.

giovedì 23 febbraio 2012

Afghanistan, tra l’inverno e la guerra mezzo milione di persone vive nella miseria.

Dignità |
In un nuovo rapporto sull’Afghanistan, diffuso oggi, Amnesty International denuncia la condizione di 500.000 persone abbandonate a sé stesse e che sopravvivono nella miseria e rischiano di morire in ripari di fortuna attorno alle città del paese.
Solo a Kabul sono 35.000, distribuite in una trentina di insediamenti di fango, pali, pezzi di compensato, buste di plastica e cartoni che offrono scarso riparo alle intemperie e che possono essere sgomberate in qualsiasi momento.
Nella lotta per la sopravvivenza, ce la fanno i più forti o i più fortunati. I bambini non sono tra questi: a Kabul e dintorni, nel giro di un mese, 28 di loro sono morti a causa del freddo. Secondo il governo afgano,in tutto il paese sono morte assiderate oltre 40 persone.
Mentre l’Isaf, la forza internazionale a guida Usa, discute su tempi e modalità della “exit strategy”, centinaia di migliaia di afgani cercano disperatamente una “surviving strategy” che funzioni. Solo che, nel frattempo, il perimetro della guerra si allarga sempre di più fino a comprendere zone del paese che negli anni scorsi avevano vissuto in pace.
Il numero delle vittime civili è costantemente aumentato di anno in anno a partire dal 2007 arrivando nel 2011, secondo la Missione d’assistenza Onu in Afghanistan (Unama), a oltre 3000.
La grande maggioranza delle vittime civili è causata dai talebani e dagli altri gruppi armati, anche se molti sfollati hanno riferito ad Amnesty International di essere fuggiti per timore degli attacchi aerei dell’Isaf e per evitare di essere usati come scudi umani dai talebani.
“Gli americani e il governo ci hanno detto di lasciare la zona perché volevano attaccare Marjah. Le persone hanno iniziato ad andarsene prima dell’inizio dell’offensiva. Ma i talebani non ci lasciavano andare via. Hanno anche detto che i soldati stranieri sarebbero arrivati e avrebbero stuprato le nostre donne e le nostre bambine” – ha raccontato Zarin, una donna di 70 anni di Marjah, provincia di Helmand, arrivata a Kabul nel febbraio 2010.
Si calcola che ogni giorno la guerra produca 400 nuovi profughi interni.
Il governo di Kabul contribuisce al peggioramento della situazione con decisioni stucchevoli.
Oltre alla constante minaccia di sgombero forzato, nella loro ansia di dimostrare che tutto è sotto controllo le autorità afgane considerano del tutto di passaggio la presenza degli sfollati nelle città. Presto torneranno a casa, fanno intendere, e dunque vietano alle organizzazioni umanitarie di fornire aiuti di lungo periodo: che bisogno c’è, per esempio, di scavare pozzi permanenti, basta consegnare l’acqua potabile con le taniche!
Il risultato di questa politica cinica è che la crisi umanitaria è negata e nascosta agli occhi del mondo.
Chi passa a Kabul e vuole aprire gli occhi, però, quella crisi umanitaria la osserva in tutta la sua drammaticità. Il passaggio da un’economia solidale contadina a un’economia urbana basata sul denaro risulta spietato.
 Negli insediamenti di fortuna, il cibo è scarso. Molte famiglie riescono a rimediare al massimo un pasto al giorno per i loro figli, ma Amnesty International ha incontrato a Kabul persone che non mangiavano da due giorni.
Il sovraffollamento, la carenza di servizi igienici e la scarsità di presidi sanitari favoriscono la diffusione delle malattie. La maggior parte delle donne partorisce in condizioni precarie e malsane senza l’assistenza di personale esperto, aumentando in questo modo il rischio di mortalità materna e infantile in un paese i cui indici in materia sono già tra i peggiori del mondo.
I bambini che vivono negli insediamenti informali hanno limitato accesso all’istruzione. Possono vedersi rifiutata l’iscrizione se sono privi di un documento d’identità, che (altra decisione stucchevole) secondo le autorità dovrebbero chiedere all’anagrafe della provincia d’origine. Semplice, no?
Le testimonianze raccolte da Amnesty International nell’insediamento di Chaman-e-Babrak sono eloquenti:
“Non so di quale problema dovrei parlarti per primo… la scuola, la disoccupazione, la mancanza di un alloggio adeguato, il cibo, la salute… quando mio figlio si ammala e io devo pagare per la visita medica… ecco tutto” – ha raccontato Fatima, 20 anni.
L’aumento del numero degli sfollati accampati negli insediamenti urbani, avvisa Amnesty International, rischia di pregiudicare i fragili progressi conseguiti nell’ultimo decennio nel campo della salute e dell’istruzione.
La popolazione, impaurita da ciò che accadrà a “exit strategy” terminata ma anche critica e disillusa rispetto all’Isaf, aspetta che l’inverno finisca, chiedendosi che stagione sarà la successiva.
 

mercoledì 22 febbraio 2012

Maldive - President Waheed forms commission to investigate transfer of power.

 “How can [the government] carry out an impartial investigation, when they themselves were involved in the actions during that time period?” responded MDP spokesperson, MP Hamid Abdul Ghafoor.
MORE:
http://minivannews.com/politics/president-waheed-forms-commission-to-investigate-transfer-of-power-32454

Afghanistan: Urgent humanitarian assistance needed for displaced persons - TAKE ACTION!

To support the rights of the displaced, urge the Afghan government:


“Since we came there is no assistance or anything; the family has not eaten anything for the past two days….We are displaced and have lost all our livelihoods,” Zarin, a 70-year old displaced woman originally from Marjah in Helmand province. Kabul alone houses some 35,000 displaced persons.

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans fleeing the conflict in southern Afghanistan are condemned to subsist in urban slums risking starvation and hypothermia. At least 40 people have died from the cold, most of them children, in displacement camps across the country during this year's bitter winter. 

As conflict and insecurity have intensified, numbers of displaced Afghans have reached a record half a million.


Displaced Afghans fleeing conflict reach the relative safety of cities only to face other serious problems. With little resources, families construct makeshift dwellings from mud, poles, plywood, plastic sheeting and cardboard, which offer little protection from the weather. Thousands of men, women, and children face the further misery of poor access to food, fuel, water, sanitation, health services and education.

Displaced families told Amnesty International that they could only provide their children with one meal each day at most.
Children in slum communities may be refused school attendance if they cannot produce a national identification card, a document which the authorities say can only be obtained in their home province.

“We don’t know where all the international aid is going…we don't know why the government isn't able to provide us with basic shelter,” said Yahya, a man living in Kabul’s Chaman-e-Babrak slum area.

Many government officials deny that internal displacement is a problem or describe displaced persons as "economic migrants". Furthermore, humanitarian organizations are constrained by a de facto government policy to discourage assistance that suggests a degree of permanence for the settlements – meaning that permission is often denied for the construction of latrines and water pumps.

To add to their woes, displaced families are under constant threat of forced eviction. In some cases, families have had to scramble to move their belongings before bulldozers level their shelters.
TAKE ACTION:
To support the rights of the displaced, urge the Afghan government to:  

-    Work with its donor partners to ensure that internally displaced persons and returning refugees receive emergency humanitarian aid without delay to provide for their immediate needs, including housing, food, water and healthcare;
-    Enable internally displaced persons and returning refugees to obtain identification cards throughout the country so that they can exercise their legal rights;
-    Enact and enforce a clear prohibition on forced evictions;
-    And monitor and assess the impact of their military operations on displacement and take all measures to minimise displacement in their areas of operation.

lunedì 20 febbraio 2012

Bangladesh: Authorities told to respond about detainees - URGENT ACTION.

AUTHORITIES TOLD TO RESPOND ABOUT DETAINEES
Two student opposition activists in Bangladesh, Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah, are still missing after they were allegedly detained by security forces on 4 February. On 15 February a court ordered the government to respond by 7 March to allegations that the two men h ad been illegally detained.
Al Mukaddas (22) and Mohammad Waliullah (23), both members of the Islamic student organisation Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, were allegedly detained by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), a specialised law enforcement agency, and the Detective Branch (DB) of the Bangladesh Police on 4 February. They have not been heard from since and their whereabouts are unknown. The RAB has denied detaining the two men in a statement to a Bangladeshi newspaper. However, reports from several sources and a pattern of disappearances thought to have been conducted by RAB in recent months cast doubt on RAB’s denial. There are credible allegations that RAB is often involved in the abduction, torture and extrajudicial execution of suspected criminals.
So far the authorities appear to have taken no action to establish the whereabouts of Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah. The men remain at risk of torture and extrajudicial execution.
On 15 February, the families of Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah lodged petitions in the Dhaka High Court, calling for the government to produce them before the court. In response, the court ordered the Bangladesh authorities, including the Secretary of the Home Ministry, the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the RAB to respond by 7 March. In the past, the authorities have rarely responded to such court orders. Amnesty International notes with grave concern that to date the authorities have failed explain what they are doing to establish the two men’s whereabouts.
Please write immediately in Bangla, English or your own language:
Calling on the authorities to act without delay to establish the whereabouts of Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah;
Seeking assurances that Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah’s physical safety will be protected and that they are not subjected to torture or other inhumane treatment should they be found to be in the custody of the authorities;
If it is established that they are detained, calling on the authorities to release them unless they can bring recognizably criminal charges against them
P LEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 2 APRIL 2012 :
Home Secretary
Mr CQK Mushtaq Ahmed
Ministry of Home Affairs
Bangladesh Secretariat
Dhaka 1000
Bangladesh
Fax: +880 2 716 4788
Salutation: Dear Home Secretary
Inspector General of Police
Mr Hasan Mahmud Khandker
Bangladesh Police HQ
Dhaka 1000
Bangladesh
Fax: +880 2 7125840
Email: ig@police.gov.bd
Salutation: Dear Inspector General
And copies to:
Director General of RAB
Mr Mohammad Mukhlesur Rahman
RAB Forces Headquarters, Cargo Admin Building, Zia, Kurmitola, Dhaka 1229
Bangladesh
Email: rab1bd@yahoo.com
Salutation: Dear Director General
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 47/12. Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA13/001/2012/en
URGENT ACTION AUTHORITIES TOLD TO RESPOND ABOUT DETAINEES

ADditional Information

RAB is a special police force, created, to much public acclaim, to combat criminal gang activity throughout the country. But
since its inception in 2004, RAB has been implicated in the unlawful killing of at least 700 people. At least 200 of these killings
have occurred during the tenure of the current Awami League government, despite the Prime Minister’s pledge to end
extrajudicial executions. In some cases, RAB has not even explained how people, whom witnesses say were detained by RAB,
were later found dead. For further information, see ‘Crimes Unseen: Extrajudicial Executions in Bangladesh’.
https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA13/005/2011/en/c18ad74b-75fe-4b15-b043-5982eebdb27d/asa130052011en.pdf
Name: Al Mukaddas and Mohammad Waliullah
Gender m/f: Both male
Further information on UA: 47/12 Index: ASA 13/002/2012 Issue Date: 20 February 2012

domenica 19 febbraio 2012

Maldive: Nasheed, presto la data delle elezioni.

Molte migliaia di manifestanti, forse fino a 10.000, si sono riuniti ieri sera a Male' per dare appoggio all'ex presidente

18 febbraio, 08:50

Maldive: Nasheed, presto la data delle elezioni 
 
NEW DELHI - Molte migliaia di manifestanti, forse fino a 10.000, si sono riuniti ieri sera a Male' per dare appoggio all'ex presidente Mohamed Nasheed e al suo progetto di far svolgere nel paese elezioni anticipate. Indossando tee-shirt gialle (il colore del Partito democratico delle Maldive), i dimostranti si sono riuniti dal pomeriggio nell'area del monumento che ricorda la tragedia dello tsunami per protestare contro quello che hanno definito ''il governo illegittimo di Mohamed Waheed Hassan'', ex vice presidente di Nasheed che lo ha sostituito nella massima carica dello Stato.
Rivolgendosi ai suoi sostenitori che lo hanno lungamente applaudito, l'ex capo dello Stato ha ricostruito ancora una volta le vicende che lo hanno costretto ad abbandonare il potere rivelando che ''domani si svolgera' una riunione di tutti i partiti in cui si discutera' l'ipotesi di svolgere elezioni anticipate''. ''E' possibile - ha concluso - che la settimana prossima e prima che riaprano i lavori del Majlis (Parlamento) l'1 marzo si fissi la data'', senza che si debba arrivare alla scadenza naturale della legislatura nel 2013. Nasheed ha comunque assicurato che ''rimarremo mobilitati e protesteremo fino a quando quando questa data non sara' fissata''.

Maldive - aggiornamento.

EU targets judicial reform discussions with President Waheed.

The European Union has said it will continue trying to work with Maldivian authorities to reform the country’s judiciary following requests for assistance made by Mohamed Nasheed “shortly” before Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan became president this month in an alleged “coup d’etat”. 

http://minivannews.com/politics/eu-targets-judicial-reform-discussions-with-president-waheed-32309 

Protests to continue until date given for early elections: Nasheed.

Yesterday’s large anti-government protests ended peacefully in the early hours of the morning, and look set to continue for a second day.

http://minivannews.com/politics/protests-to-continue-until-date-given-for-early-elections-nasheed-32283 

Comment: Operation Haram to Halal – the Islamist role in replacing Nasheed with Waheed.

http://minivannews.com/politics/comment-operation-haram-to-halal-the-islamist-role-in-replacing-nasheed-with-waheed-32294 

I will not attend the protests held now: Dr. Didi.

President of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Dr Ibrahim Didi has said that he will not attend the "mass" protest by MDP as it has carried on past the date approved by the party's body.

 

 

 

venerdì 17 febbraio 2012

India, Bhopal -IOC rejection of Dow concerns leaving toxic legacy for London 2012.

It is extremely disappointing that Olympic organizers continue to side with Dow Chemical Company while refusing to listen to legitimate concerns over the company’s sponsorship of the London games, Amnesty International said today.

On 16 February, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rejected the India Olympic Association’s (IOA) call to terminate Dow Chemicals' sponsorship deal with the IOC and for 2012 London Games.  

“Unbelievably the IOC says Dow is committed to ‘good corporate governance’, shocking when you consider all the facts and that the company refuses liability for a corporate disaster the scale of Bhopal, creating a toxic legacy for London 2012,” said Seema Joshi, Amnesty International's Head of Business and Human Rights.

“London Olympic Organisers have failed to make a fair assessment of the issues surrounding Dow’s responsibility to the victims of Bhopal,” said Joshi. "They have repeatedly refused our requests to a meeting."

“Instead, they take a one-sided approach and rely on Dow’s position.”

Dow Chemical bought Union Carbide in 2001. Amnesty International does not claim that Dow's responsibilities for the Bhopal disaster emanate from any form of management of the Bhopal facility or Union Carbide at the time of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.

Union Carbide is a defendant in four legal actions related to Bhopal, including a criminal prosecution in which the company is accused of "culpable homicide not amounting to murder". Despite having been charged in 1987, Union Carbide never appeared before the Courts.

The Bhopal factory site continues to be heavily contaminated today.

“When Dow bought Union Carbide, it bought liability for the Bhopal disaster," said Seema Joshi.

“As the 100% owner of Union Carbide, Dow has the power to force its subsidiary to face justice, and has responsibility for the clean-up of the Bhopal site.”


giovedì 16 febbraio 2012

Maldive - President refutes three day ultimatum for MDP to participate in National Unity Government.

President Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik had reportedly given a three day ultimatum to the former ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) to inform its decision on joining the cabinet as he pushed forward a plan to form a national unity government.
However during a press conference with foreign media at 4:30pm on Thursday afternoon, Dr Waheed adamantly denied giving such an ultimatum, instead saying he would always remain open to MDP’s involvement in his government. However the statement was still available on the President’s Office website as of midnight February 16.
According to the statement – released by the President’s Office on Thursday – Dr Waheed had forwarded a letter to the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s President Dr Ibrahim Didi, requesting he inform the party’s decision on joining the national unity government before February 20.
“The President said that at a time when the country is deeply divided, the way forward in achieving national aspirations was through working together and by a fully inclusive government. He, therefore, urged MDP to join the national unity government that he was striving to form,” the statement read.
“The President also stressed the need to resolve the existing political rifts and to find a way forward. In this regard, he said, he hoped that his proposition would bring an end to the long standing divisions that had existed in the country.”
In the letter, President Waheed also stated that he believed that, despite the political differences, “the MDP President would also view the need to complete the reform process. He also stressed that the reform process would take time to complete.”
Therefore, he said, “he hoped that the MDP President would see that the time left till 2013 elections could be an opportunity for the country to address the political problems, identify issues and to work together to complete the reform process.”
Speaking to Minivan News Dr. Waheed’s spokesperson Masood Imad added that if the MDP did not respond to the letter in the given time, “there are ways to work around it” – although he did not specify those ways.
“By the end of the 20th if they dont give an answer they can do it on the 21st or may be later,” Imad observed. “We will not close our doors. As President Waheed had said before, we will welcome MDP with open arms always.”
Dr Waheed has put forward the ultimatum in the face of  pressure from his predecessor former President Mohamed Nasheed from MDP, who has denounced Dr Waheed’s government as illegitimate, claiming that he was forced to resign in a bloodless coup d’etat  on February 7 at the hands of rogue police and military officers.
Dr Waheed has earlier said that he wanted his cabinet – now compromising of mostly opposition members – to “represent all major political parties”, and said he hoped that MDP would be represented. Dr Waheed also said he would “keep posts vacant for them”. However the MDP has so far rejected any participation in Dr Waheed’s government and has called for early elections in the next two months.
India on Thursday evening amended its position on the Maldives and backed calls for early elections.

Amnesty Document - Sri Lanka: Man abducted days before court hearing: Ramasamy Prabaharan.

UA: 51/12 Index: ASA 37/002/2012 Sri Lanka Date: 15 February 2012 URGENT ACTION MAN ABDUCTED DAYS BEFORE COURT HEARING Ramasamy Prabaharan, a Tamil businessman who brought a case against Sri Lankan police for torture, unlawful arrest and detention was abducted on 11 February at his home in Colombo, Sri Lanka, by armed men. He was due to appear in court on 13 February. There are fears for his safety. On 11 February a group of around seven armed men in plain clothes took Ramasamy Prabaharan into their custody at his house in Colombo, the capital. The men grabbed him by the neck and dragged him into a white van parked nearby before speeding away. Ramasamy Prabaharan’s family members shouted for help but no-one came to their aid. Later that day, the family received a ransom demand via his mobile phone but they have not heard anything since. Ramasamy Prabaharan’s whereabouts and fate are unknown. The family registered the incident at Wellawatte Police station (incident number 224/222/GCIB). It is the responsibility of the authorities to establish his whereabouts, ensure his safety and reveal the truth of what has happened to him. Ramasamy Prabaharan was previously detained, on suspicion of being a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009. He was detained for 28 months and suffered extensive torture before being released in September 2011 due to lack of evidence. Ramasamy Prabaharan is currently pursuing legal redress for torture inflicted on him while in state custody. At the time of the abduction, Ramasamy Prabaharan had filed a fundamental rights application with the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka (application no S/C FR 963/2009) against senior police officers, the Attorney-General, and eight others, alleging torture and unlawful arrest and detention. The Supreme Court had granted leave to proceed and the hearing had been scheduled for 13 February. Ramasamy Prabaharan was abducted two days before the fundamental rights petition was to be heard in the courts. Please write immediately in English or your own language: Call on the authorities to urgently establish the fate and whereabouts of Ramasamy Prabaharan; Seek assurances that Ramasamy Prabaharan is safe; If he is detained, he should have immediate access to a lawyer, his family and an independent court and not be subjected to torture or other ill-treatment. PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 28 MARCH 2012 TO: His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa Presidential Secretariat Colombo 1 Sri Lanka Fax: +94 11 2446657 Salutation: Your Excellency Inspector General of Police N K Illangakoon New Secretariat Colombo 1 Sri Lanka Fax: +94 11 244 0440 Salutation: Dear Inspector General And copies to Secretary Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission: No. 108 Barnes Place Colombo 07 Sri Lanka Fax: +94 11 268 9558 Email: sechrc@sltnet.lk Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below: Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION MAN ABDUCTED DAYS BEFORE COURT HEARING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Sri Lanka’s long war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ended in 2009, but its legacy of human rights violations continues, including ongoing reports of enforced disappearances. Special units within the security forces and groups linked to the security forces have a history of involvement in abductions in Jaffna, eastern Sri Lanka, and increasingly in other parts of the country including Colombo. Many families in touch with Amnesty International report that members of the security forces have sought to extort money from them in return for the release of loved ones. Name: Ramasamy Prabaharan Gender m/f: M UA: 51/12 Index: ASA 37/002/2012 Issue Date: 15 February 2012

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA37/002/2012/en/519810fe-2041-4433-9029-f22be1380d61/asa370022012en.html

mercoledì 15 febbraio 2012

MALDIVE - Comments.

International community's inaction may lead to carnage. The conspirators who financed the coup have done a deal with the Islamists, and they are waiting in silence because they are sure their grand chance is about to come, writes Azra Naseem:
http://minivannews.com/society/comment-international-communitys-inaction-may-lead-to-carnage-32189

Maldives Ambassador to the United Nations, Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed, has meanwhile resigned live on Al Jazeera, recognising the legitimacy of Dr Waheed’s government but expressing “moral and ethical concerns” around the departure of former president Nasheed:
http://minivannews.com/politics/%E2%80%9Cyou-are-my-brother-and-i-will-always-love-you%E2%80%9D-dr-waheed%E2%80%99s-brother-resigns-from-uk-post-calls-for-president-to-follow-32202

SRI LANKA: A woman faces death threats after a powerful politician uses his influence to grab her property.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Ms. Warnakula Gunawardhana Sellapperumage Mangalika Jayasooriya, of 120/1, Bogamuwa, Kalagedihena in the Gampaha District is facing death threats after her properties have been forcibly grabbed by the henchmen of a powerful politician and a deputy minister of the ruling government of Sri Lanka. despite making complaints at several police stations she was informed by the Officer-in-Charge of the Veyangoda Police Station that due to the influence of a deputy minister investigations cannot be initiated.

 

martedì 14 febbraio 2012

Maldive - Government must guarantee safety and rights of journalists: Reporters Without Borders.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has expressed strong concerns for media freedom in the Maldives’ following the release of strong evidence that police forces used firearm prohibited to their role to force open the station of Maldives National Broadcasting Corporation (MNBC) on February 7, 2012.
The station was overrun by security forces as violent clashes broke out across Male’, culminating in the resignation of then president Mohamed Nasheed “at gunpoint”, he has said. By early afternoon MNBC was re-branded as Television Maldives (TVM), its title under former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.
MNBC’s former director general Adam Shareef described the situation to RSF.
Shareef said he had noticed that the situation on Male’ had become “serious”, and around 4:00am requested the Defense Minister to send more security to the station.
MNBC headquarters and some journalists were previously attacked during the opposition-led protests which began on January 16, 2012, when Criminal Court Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed was arrested by the military after attempting to block his own police summons. The government at the time backed their decision by citing the judge’s record of professional misconduct and blocking police operations, as well as holding suspects without evidence and releasing suspects with strong evidence against them, most notably an accused murderer who killed another person soon after his release.
Shareef said he was shocked when the Defense Minister “refused to send any security forces to MNBC. At that time I knew there as something wrong with the police and defense forces. We were in shock at the refusal, and we were waiting from the early morning until 7:30am. At 7:30 the security members had left their shift, so there was no security at MNBC.
“I was alone with my staff, and I ordered them to stay calm and cooperate with MNDF [Maldives National Defense Force],” he said.
Shareef explained that individuals aligned with the opposition came to the station in the late morning and requested that the station be signed over to their control. When he refused, Shareef was informed that Nasheed had stepped down and Dr Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik had assumed control of the country.
“I said I hadn’t heard the news,” Shareef told RSF, pointing out that the confrontation took place before Nasheed had formally resigned at 1:00pm that day.
Shareef goes on to describe the violent take-over of the station, which left many of his staff in fear.
A video released yesterday corroborates Shareef’s account of the take-over. A police officer uses a gun to open the locked gates of the state broadcasting station, allowing dozens of police and military forces as well as civilians to rush the building where staff can be heard crying and shouting in fear.
Police in the Maldives are not issued firearms.
Noting that the Maldives ranks 73rd out of 179 countries in the 2011-2012 RSF press freedom index, “Reporters Without Borders hopes that the Commonwealth ministerial mission, which is to investigate the circumstances of last week’s change of government, will also shed light on the takeover of MNBC, the use of threats and violence against certain journalists and media, and the threats to which several journalists continue to be exposed.”
Members of Nasheed’s Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) have today signed a petition requesting parliament to acknowledge last Tuesday’s events as a coup; to bring those involved to justice; and to hold elections as soon as possible.
Since the station takeover TVM has filled its airtime with Disney movies and cooking shows, streaming pre-recorded programs even during the police force’s violent crackdown on a peaceful MDP march on February 8.
In a February 13 statement, RSF warned that Maldives media is in a precarious position amidst the political turbulence.
“The international community must take full account of the danger to the media and to freedom of information in the Maldives,” reads the statement. “For the moment, media coverage of the incidents taking place in this Indian Ocean archipelago is limiting the violence against journalists.”
Foreign media groups including Al Jazeera, BBC, Reuters, AFP, India Express, the New York Times and Japan’s leading paper The Yomiuri Shimbun converged on Male’ on February 8, bringing the murky politics of the perceived island paradise into global focus.
“But, once the international community’s attention moves on, we fear that media personnel, especially those who are branded as ‘pro-Nasheed,’ could be exposed to reprisals by supporters of the new government or by the security forces, which may not be fully under the new government’s control,” RSF cautions.
It didn’t take long for Maldivians to wonder if they may be subject to similar rules of social behavior.
Following the crackdown in Male’, local media Raajje TV inaccurately reported that two MDP supporters had been killed. Islanders in six southern atolls responded with a firey attack on police stations, court houses and prosecutor general’s offices, leaving public facilities and legal records in ashes.
The next day, Male’-based media received reports opposition party supporters were leading police and military forces to the homes of MDP supporters, who were consequently beaten and arrested without charges.
In a previous article Minivan News investigated the claims. While the reported aggression appear to have calmed some citizens of Addu, Maldives’ southernmost atoll which reported the most severe damage, expressed concern that the quiet was temporary.
“We are not safe because we don’t know when again it will start,” said one man speaking to Minivan News outside Feydhoo’s smoldering court house.
Alif Fahumy Ahmed, whose brother-in-law was still detained in Gan’s burnt police station on February 11, was similarly watchful. “Things in Addu have calmed at the moment, but they may continue once HRCM and the reporters leave,” he said.

lunedì 13 febbraio 2012

Maldives must resolve crisis on their own: UN.

United Nations Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez Taranco said today that the Maldives must resolve the current crisis on their own without external influence:

Maldive - “I told them to surrender; otherwise Nasheed might lose his life”, Umar Naseer tells PPM rally.



The Deputy Leader of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Umar Naseer has claimed that he warned the close aides of Former President Mohamed Nasheed during the unrest of February 7 that Nasheed “might lose his life” if he did not comply with the calls for his resignation.
“I kept telling them to surrender or else you might even lose your life. I kept telling them repeatedly,” he said, adding that Nasheed had asked for security guarantees for his family.


domenica 12 febbraio 2012

PAKISTAN - Azione urgente su blasfemia.

DocumentO - Pakistan: Uomo condannato a morte per blasfemia : Muhammad Ishaq

UA: 41/12 Index: ASA 33/001/2012 Pakistan : 10 febbraio 2012
AZIONE
Un uomo pakistano, Muhammad Ishaq,che vive nello stato di  New York , USA, è stato condannato a morte per blasfemia in  Pakistan.
Una corte distrettuale della provincia del  Punjab ha confermato la sentenza di morte per  Muhammad Ishaq, sentenza emessa nel luglio del 2009 da una corte nella sua città natale , Talagang. E’ accusato di aver insultato il  Profeta Maometto (sezione  295-C  del Codice Penale Pakistano). Era stato inoltre condannato a dieci anni di prigione  e  al pagamento di una multa di 200,000 rupie. Il suo avvocato sta cercando di presentare un appello contro questa decisione all’Alta Corte di  Lahore.
Muhammad Ishaq ha vissuto negli  USA per circa  30 anni, ma è patrono del santuario sufi di Pir Faisal a Talagang. Stava visitando la città quando è stato accusato da un uomo di nome Asadullah di aver detto di essere un messaggero di Dio e di aver fatto in modo di essere venerato da parte di persone del luogo. Fu immediatamente arrestato dalla  polizia locale. Un sovrintendente anziano della polizia di  Talagang, che ha indagato sulla vicenda, ha rifiutato di procedere con le accuse dicendo che c’era bisogno di mantenere armonia tra le comunità della città. La decisione fu contestata nella Corte Distrettuale di Chakwal , ma per paura che il verdetto avrebbe causato violenza nell’area, il caso fu portato davanti alla corte del vicino Distretto di Jhelum che infine trovò  Muhammad Ishaq colpevole di blasfemia. Gli fu rifiutata la libertà su cauzione dalle successive corti giudicanti il caso e anche dalla Corte Suprema.  E’ restato in carcere da quando sono state portate avanti le accuse contro di lui tre anni fa. Muhammad Ishaq nega le accuse di blasfemia, dice che non ha mai chiesto ai suoi seguaci di venerarlo, nè ha mai detto di essere un messaggero di Dio. E’ emerso un video che mostra gente locale che tocca i suoi piedi ma è una pratica comune in molte aree del Pakistan. Per i praticanti sufi è un gesto che significa rispetto. Muhammad Ishaq ritiene che i membri di una fazione rivale portarono avanti le accuse per prendere il controllo del santuario di  Pir Faisal Shah. 
Scrivi immediatamente chiedendo al Presidente Zardari di garantire immediatamente che la sentenza di morte comminata a  Muhammad non sia eseguita
Chiedi alle autorità di rilasciare  Muhammad Ishaq immediatamente o di accusarlo di un reato riconoscibile e di processarlo in accordo agli standard internazionali nel pieno rispetto dei diritti umani;
Chiedi alle autorità pakistane di mantenere la promessa di rivedere e migliorare “le leggi a detrimento dell’armonia religiosa”, in base all’annuncio fatto dal Primo  Ministro Gilani nell’agosto del  2009. Chiedi di riformare o abolire le leggi sulla blasfemia;
Chiedi un’immediata moratoria di tutte le esecuzioni nel paese, in vista della sua completa abolizione.

Scrivi appelli prima del 22 marzo  2012 a
President
Asif Ali Zardari
Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad, Pakistan Fax: +92 51 920 4974 E-mail: publicmail@president.gov.pk Salutation: Dear President Zardari
Chief Minister, Punjab
Mian Mohammad Shahbaz Sharif Chief Minister Punjab Chief Minister’s Office 7, Club Road, GOR I Lahore, Pakistan Fax: +92 42 9920 5065 Salutation: Dear Chief Minister Sharif
Minister of Law
Rana Sanullah 3 Patiala House GOR 1
Pakistan Fax: +92 42 9920 1064 Salutation: Dear Minister Sanaullah
Invia inoltre una copia ai rappresentanti diplomatici accreditati presso il tuo paese, scrivendo l’indirizzo della locale rappresentanza diplomatica secondo quanto è scritto sotto:
Nome indirizzo fax email saluto

INFORMAZIONI AGGIUNTIVE

Le vigenti leggi sulla blasfemia furono introdotte per la prima volta in Pakistan durante il dominio britannico nel  XIX secolo e furono emendate nel  1982 e nel 1986 dal regime militare del  Generale Zia ul Haq per fare dell’insulto al Corano e al Profeta Maometto dei reati di natura criminale perseguibili rispettivamente con l’ergastolo e con la pena di morte. Le leggi sono formulate in modo vago  e sono applicate arbitrariamente dalla polizia e dalla magistratura. Le minoranze religiose sono state accusate di blasfemia in modo sproporzionato, ma la maggioranza delle vittime sono i musulmani, che sono la maggioranza del paese,  e questo riflette il pericolo che queste leggi costituiscono per tutti i membri della società pakistana e per lo stato di diritto. Le accuse portate avanti contro i singoli sono spesso derivate dalle credenze delle minoranze religiose oppure sono accuse infondate derivanti da inimicizie personali, accuse  che puntano  frequentemente all’arresto di persone per ottenere vantaggi negli affari e in dispute relative a terreni.  La polizia spesso fallisce nel registrare e nell’indagare sulle denunce e la giustizia è impedita da pregiudizi giudiziari nei confronti delle minoranze religiose.   Molte delle persone accusate o sospettate di blasfemia sono state aggredite o torturate. Alcune persone detenute in base ad accuse di blasfemia sono state uccise in prigione da compagni di prigionia o  da guardie carcerarie. Altre persone sospettate di blasfemia ma non sottoposte all’arresto sono state uccise illegalmente senza che nessuna azione fosse stata
 intrapresa da parte della polizia per proteggerli. Nel 2010 il Consiglio dell’Ideologia Islamica del Pakistan, un corpo costituzionale creato col mandato di consigliare lo stato sui temi attinenti alla religione islamica, ha chiesto la riforma delle leggi sulla blasfemia, citando le preoccupazioni  evidenziate  sopra.  Il  governo aveva promesso nel 2009 di rivedere “le leggi a detrimento dell’armonia religiosa” tra cui le leggi sulla blasfemia,  ma nonostante questo è rimasto in silenzio dopo l’assassinio del  Governatore del Punjab, Salmaan Taseer, e del  Ministro delle Minoranze  Shahbaz Bhatti, rispettivamente nel gennaio e nel marzo del  2011, uccisi in parte a causa del loro atteggiamento critico delle leggi sulla  blasfemia.
La Sezione 295-C del Codice Penale  Pakistano prevede che sia un’offesa punibile con la morte o l’imprigionamento a vita l’ “insulto” al  Profeta Maometto. La Corte Federale della  Sharia, tra i
cui compiti c’è quello di rivedere le leggi per assicurare la loro conformità alla dottrina Islamica, ha stabilito nel 1990 che ogni persona accusata di blasfemia deve fronteggiare la pena di morte e non l’ergastolo. Il Governo presentò un appello ma lo lasciò cadere nel 1991. Le persone trovate colpevoli in base alla sezione  295-C sono state condannate a morte ma non è stata eseguita nessuna condanna a morte da allora.
Gli Articoli 18 e 19  della Dichiarazione Universale dei Diritti Umani
stabiliscono che ognuno ha il diritto alla libertà di pensiero, di coscienza, religione, opinione ed espressione.  Il diritto internazionale relativo ai  diritti umani prevede che potrebbero esserci limitazioni a queste libertà solo se prescritte dalla
Legge come necessarie e adeguate, tra le altre cose, alla protezione dei diritti e delle libertà degli altri.
UA: 41/12 Index: ASA 33/001/2012 Issue Date: 10 February 2012
Cosa scrivere al Presidente Zardari

Dear President Zardari,
I ask You to ensure immediately  that Ishaq Muhammad is not executed.
I call on you to release Muhammad Ishaq immediately, or to charge him with a recognizably criminal offence and to  try him in accordance with international human rights standards;
I urge You   to fulfil the pledge to review and improve “laws detrimental to religious harmony”, announced by Prime Minister Gilani in August 2009. I ask You to reform or abolish the blasphemy laws;
I urge you to intriduce  an immediate moratorium on all executions in the country, with a view to eventual abolition of the death penalty.

Ps
Ho cercato di tradurre nel miglior modo possibile ma se qualcuno trova errori o imprecisioni me lo faccia notare

Francesco Muratore

SRI LANKA: Abductors threaten the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.

We wish to bring to your notice the abduction of Ramasamay Prabhakaran, 42, who was bundled into a white van by seven men armed with assault rifles and hand guns. This was two days before a fundamental rights case filed by him was to be taken up.

Maldive - President Waheed appoints new AG and 6 ministers.

President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik has appointed the Attorney General and seven new Ministers to his Cabinet in a ceremony held this morning at the President's Office:

Maldive - Violent social divide in Addu as uncertainty grips southern-most atoll.


One of society’s biggest fear factors is uncertainty, and in Addu it appears to be fueling a violent social divide in the isolated MDP stronghold – the second most heavily populated area in the Maldives after Male’ and the scene of the SAARC Summit in November 2011.
On Saturday several members of the international press flew to the southern-most atoll to investigate claims of firey protests, beatings and unjustified arrests. While the torched remains of every police building and most courts between Gan and hithadhoo are proof that destruction of public property – and many legal records – has taken place, the back-and-forth ‘whodunnit’ accusations color fears of revolution with a strong shade of small-town politics.


  
94 arrested in Addu violence
Fazeena Ahmed, Haveeru Online 

94 people have been arrested so far regarding the attacks on police stations, courts and various government buildings within the islands. 



sabato 11 febbraio 2012

MALDIVE - Nasheed, the "Asia’s Mandela".

The Maldives used to be a paradise for tourists but not its inhabitants. Honeymooners went there to explore each other, not the country,” writes Moorcraft for South Africa’s Business Day.
“Until 2008, it was the longest-lasting dictatorship in Asia. Then a diminutive but charismatic human rights activist, Mohamed Nasheed (known to everyone as “Anni”), defeated the old dictator, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, in the country’s first free elections.
Just 41, the young president was compared with Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama, though he told me of his respect for Mahatma Gandhi. I got to know “Anni” when he was an opposition leader who had been imprisoned 23 times, sometimes in solitary confinement, and tortured by the Gayoom regime. I made TV documentaries about him and his beautiful country, an archipelago of more than 1200 islands.
“Anni” had promised he would give me the first TV interview on his first day in power. He kept his word as we chatted in his office, with furious ambassadors from major states pacing outside his office. The islands are strategically placed amid major (oil) shipping lanes, of interest particularly to India and China.
“Not many Islamic countries have had free and fair elections to form a multiparty democracy,” he said. Despite his own mistreatment, he preached forgiveness to the old regime, because it was an Islamic principle and practical politics. He said Mandela and SA’s truth and reconciliation process were his inspiration.
The previous regime had emptied the treasury. “Our finances are in bad shape,” he admitted. “We can’t consolidate democracy if we can’t pay wages.”
He was always a man of his word, but he faced a huge task of rebuilding his country. Nasheed became a green icon worldwide, not least because he held one of his cabinet meetings underwater, with his ministers wearing scuba gear, to publicise the dangers of global warming. He talked to me about eventually relocating his 350000 citizens to Sri Lanka, India or even Australia — as his country sank beneath the waves.
His victory was a beacon to the Islamic world. Free elections and multiparty democracy without a drop of blood spilled and not a single western soldier present.
So why was such an inspirational leader deposed this week? His supporters claim he was ousted in a military and police coup-cum-mutiny, although it was not that simple. The main issue was that he won the presidency but his reformist party was in a minority in parliament — Gayoom’s supporters were in the majority. Cohabitation was difficult. Also the judiciary, largely composed of ill-educated placemen appointed by the old dictator, was often at loggerheads with the new president. Tensions came to a head in the past month, when the army detained a senior criminal court judge.
Economic factors were also in play — like Obama, the new president created a crisis of expectations. Job prospects, especially for the young, did not suddenly improve when he took over. Even some reformers felt that the human rights activist of old was being heavy-handed with his political (or family/clan) opponents. And, crucially, he was attacked by the Islamist right wing, which argued he was too secular. The Islamist parties had never achieved much in electoral terms, but they were influential — as the increasing use of the veil indicated. And even foreign intelligence agencies fretted about Jihadist growth in some of the outlying islands.
Street protests in the past few weeks were met by police crackdowns, and then old-regime elements of the police joined the protesters. Nasheed explained that his only recourse to this was to call in the small and divided army, or resign. It was a bloodless coup.
Nasheed may decide to contest the forthcoming election or not, but the forces of the old regime led by Gayoom, an Egyptian-trained cleric, in alliance with the fundamentalists, could defeat the more secular reformists.
The deposed leader is, in effect, under house arrest, enjoying the “protection” of the army.
Nasheed became a world icon not least for the environmentalists. A stirring movie about his achievements, The Island President, has recently won awards at the Sundance and Toronto film festivals. Perhaps the visionary leader became more popular abroad than at home; a sad comment on a man who promised so much.
As in SA, lesser men are likely to replace the icon.

Moorcraft is a visiting professor at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies.

PAKISTAN.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwO6ey4rVwc
Il Primo Ministro pakistano è intervistato qui da Al Jazeera. Il Pakistan è un paese immenso. Vivono in Pakistan 177 milioni di persone, il 60% con meno di due dollari al giorno. Tantissimi i problemi a partire dalla diffusione del lavoro minorile.Instabile è la frontiera occidentale dove la popolazione deve far fronte da un lato all'estremismo dei Talebani, dall'altro ai droni usati senza troppi riguardi dagli Stati Uniti. In questi anni la guerra al confine ha ampliato notevolmente il numero dei rifugiati.Le catastrofi naturali hanno diverse volte segnato il paese. Il governo è debole, accuse di corruzione indeboliscono il presidente Zardari vedovo della Bhutto ed esponente del Partito Popolare come lo stesso Gilani. La democrazia pakistana è messa a repentaglio dal ruolo dell'esercito e dell'ISI, i servizi segreti noti per il doppio gioco durante la guerra al terrorismo.  Amnesty ha lavorato a lungo e continua a lavorare sul tema delle sparizioni, aumentate in modo esponenziale dopo l'11 settembre del 2011 in seguito all'inizio della guerra al terrorismo. Tra gli scomparsi recenti  esponenti politici dei movimenti autonomisti del Belucistan e del Sindh.  Le violazioni dei diritti colpiscono altri settori della società pakistana, le donne, gli omosessuali e le minoranze religiose come gli ahmadi, gli sciiti e i cristiani.  
FM

Ex-president threatens Maldives protests.

Mohamed Nasheed, who says he was ousted in a coup, threatens more street protests and demands snap elections:
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia/2012/02/2012210173222203253.html

Maldive - India recognizes President Dr. Waheed's government: Indian Special Envoy.

India's special envoy Assistant Foreign Secretary Mr. M. Ganapathi, has said that India recognized the new Maldivian government under Indian foreign policy of "recognizing states":

Message from Human Rights Commission of the Maldives.

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives will look in to human rights violated due to arson of police stations/courts, confrontations with police. The commission requests all state institutions to refrain from treating any one in a cruel, inhumane and degrading manner. 
To report any complaints of human rights violations, please email to info@hrcm.org.mv or call 1424. For more information about lodging a complaint please visit the link.
You can report human rights violations to our toll free number 1424 and to the following mobile numbers as well: 7894742 , 7894741.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/HumanRightsCommission
 

venerdì 10 febbraio 2012

Maldive - Germany calls for Dr Waheed’s govt to “consolidate legitimacy” with “independent inquiry”.

Germany has called for Dr Waheed’s government to “consolidate its national and international legitimacy” by holding an “independent inquiry” into the circumstances around Nasheed’s resignation this week.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle expressed “deep concern about recent developments in the Maldives, particularly the violent attacks against elected officials and supporters of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).”
Germany has taken note of President Waheed’s intention to form a government of “national unity”.
“The participation of all major parties represented in Parliament will be a decisive precondition to its political authority,” Westerwelle said, calling on the new leadership “to uphold the principles
and norms of democracy and the rule of law and guarantee the right to peaceful demonstrations.”
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the Maldives for 30 years prior to Mohamed Nasheed’s victory in the country’s first democratic election in 2008, meanwhile hit out at international media in an interview with AFP, calling them “biased for depicting this as a coup or something illegal”.
“Mr Waheed is the democratically elected president of the Maldives, according to our constitution. I called him and congratulated him,” Gayoom told AFP over the phone from Malaysia.
He denied personal involvement in what Nasheed’s side has termed a coup d’état after “200 police officers and 80 Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) officers” sided with opposition protesters on Tuesday.
“No, I had no involvement at all. I had no personal involvement in anything like a coup organised by myself,” AFP reported Gayoom as saying. “He (Nasheed) resigned on his own.”
Gayoom said he would return home “within days”, and did not rule out a bid to reclaim the presidency.
“I haven’t decided yet. You can say I am keeping my options open. I don’t think I will but I cannot rule it out. It depends on the circumstances,” he told AFP.
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is meanwhile sending his special envoy M Ganapathi to assess the situation in the Maldives. High level delegations from the UN and Commonwealth are active in the capital, while US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake is due to arrive tomorrow.
Male’ remains calm this evening. But meanwhile, far from the diplomats and international media thronging in Male’, MDP supporters in the southern-most city of Addu are alleging that a brutal police and PPM crackdown against the former ruling party is taking place in retaliation for the destruction of court and police buildings on Wednesday evening.
An MDP member told Minivan News this evening that he was dragged from his house, cuffed, and thrown into a pickup “like a dog.” He was taken to Gan with 33 others where the station had been burned by Nasheed supporters on Wednesday evening.
“They poured petrol around us and said: “We will burn you, we can do anything because no one knows where are you are and no one will come to save you,” he said.

SRI LANKA: The state propaganda machinery's role in creating a brain dead nation.

Not only the content but also the style of the propaganda issued by the state media is aimed at dulling the minds and discouraging independent thought within the nation:
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/ahrc-news/AHRC-ART-010-2012

Maldive - UN envoy calls for unity and dialogue.

The UN special envoy Assistant secretary general Political affairs department Oscar Fernandez-Taranco has called for unity and dialogue to resolve the current turmoil faced by the country.
The UN special envoy who arrived Friday for talks with political leaders regarding the ongoing unrest in the country told reporters at the airport to cease the current unrest and cause division amongst the people "would not be an ideal environment for constructive dialogue”.

The UN delegation’s 3 days visit to the country is scheduled to have meetings with government, opposition and civil society leaders.

The UN envoy had been invited by Nasheed when he was still president to help end a standoff with opposition parties over the arrest and detention of Criminal Court's Chief Judge Abdulla Mohamed.

Three weeks of opposition-led protests were capped by a police mutiny that led to Nasheed's dramatic resignation on Tuesday.

Violence gripped the holiday nation a day later when Nasheed said he had been forced to step down by a conspiracy hatched with Waheed's knowledge.

Nasheed, who told a meeting of his senior party workers on Thursday night that Waheed should resign.

The UN envoy made it clear that he was not there to dictate how the political upheaval of recent days should be resolved.

"There can be no externally generated solution to something that can be solved by Maldivians themselves," Fernandez-Taranco said, adding that the UN was concerned for Nasheed's safety.

"I would personally urge all actors to end the resorting to violence," he told reporters at the airport.

Diplomatic sources said the new government was under international and regional pressure not to risk another wave of unrest by carrying out a warrant for Nasheed's arrest.

http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/40157