Our property is Gayyoom's booty :: Dhivehi Observer

Editorial

Our property is Gayyoom's booty

By A. S. I. Moosa (Sappe'), 03 October 2005

The whole purpose of a constitution is to protect the rights and property of the people who are bound to it. Such inalienable rights as freedom of speech, assembly, association, right to legal assistance, protection of land and property are essential to any free human being. However, time and time again, these basic fundamental rights of our people are violated in the name of national security by Gayyoom.

For well over 2 decades since assuming power, Gayyoom has had a very easy ride. He had no one to answer and no one dared to question his authority or rather his behaviour. But, over the last 2 years, things have been changing and people now demand their rights as enshrined in the constitution and not as per Gayyoom's will.

Every time someone expressed something anti-Gayyoom, they come into trouble and depending on the actual action, one can even be sentenced for life for doing something as simple as calling for an end to corruption in his government. However, in addition to physical and psychological torture one has to go through, one's properties are also used and abused by Gayyoom's security forces as if it is their own. This issue has not been addressed perhaps because it is a secondary loss. When someone is arbitrarily arrested and detained we only talk about their detention and forget the capital losses to property some have incurred such as cameras, mobile phones, books as well as computers. And, not to mention the actual value of contents stored in some of these devices.

According to reliable sources in the police, at the time of carrying out the arrest of opponents, they are not bound by an law nor any standard. They are told to apprehend the person and search the property and confiscate equipment such as mobile phones, digital cameras and computers. This has happened to so many dissidents and they have had to wait for months before they could get their hands on their own properties. What is most amazing is that they don't get arrested by a warrant nor do they police come in with a search warrant and another to confiscate things. They just do it because it is the norm and that is what they are told. And, what is sad is that these properties don't come cheap and some have saved up for months to purchase their computers and cameras and so on but Gayyoom's militia are obviously above the law as they continue to do these crimes as if it is not a big deal. In many incidents, people have not been able to get their stuff back at all and even if they did there is nothing they can do if the item is damaged. There is no one to take responsibility.

This day in age, we are still experiencing this and one wonders when all this will be over - all this barbarism - and when our constitution and laws can truly protect us. One thing for sure, we cannot expect that to happen as long as Dictator Gayyoom is in power.