:: Dhivehi Observer :: Peoples Press ::

Open Letter to MDP

18 August 2004

Secretariat

Maldivian Democratic Party

Dear Secretariat,

This is the plea of an ordinary Maldivian citizen. I am writing this to you, the council members of the Maldivian Democratic Party, begging to seek immediate help from the humanity loving international community, on behalf of the many innocent people who are being brutally tortured by the evil regime of this country and on behalf of the majority of the pure and innocent people who have been kept in the dark all these years (26 years) by deliberate evil strategies, policies and propaganda of the Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom's regime. It would be much appreciated if you could pass this message to as many parties, regional and global alike of the international community.

I am a freedom loving citizen and completely believe that the fundamental rights of a human being shall be honoured and respected, but unfortunately have been deprived of this for all my life (my age is 27 years), like the vast majority of the country. In this past 26 years of the brutal regime many people have been systematically tortured and sentenced to life imprisonment for simply being critical to the government. The country is generating relatively immense income from the booming tourism industry, thanks to the beautiful islands blessed to the Maldives. However, without using this money for the development and betterment of the people and the country, Gayyoom's regime has been and continues to spend this money for the survival of his autocratic regime.

During these 26 years of the dictatorship of Gayyoom, countless number of brutal abuses of the innocent citizens has been taking place. For me personally, the last 5 days has been the darkest days of my life. I have not been able to have a good night sleep or to have a proper meal but to tremble and throw up every now and then as the brutal scenes of 13th of August 2004 continue to haunt my mind all night and day for the past many days. I am writing this in a very frightened state and therefore request anyone who reads this to pardon me if part or whole of this letter is faint.

As you would now be aware, it was a peaceful demonstration (which is permitted by the constitution, but not allowed by the regime) of more than 10,000 peace loving citizens (the crowd grew larger by itself) who have contained their frustrations towards the autocratic regime for the past 26 long years, and wanting to escape from the suffering.

I was there at the Jumhooree Maidhaan (Republic Square) from 2300 hours Thursday 12th August 2004 till 1130 hours of 13th August 2004 with the crowd (reform activists and democracy loving general public) demonstrating our frustrations peacefully as Gayyoom has failed to deliver on the promises of democratic reform for far too long and as he has been adhering to merciless and inhumane tactics to sustain his autocratic leadership. The crowd was huge in number and outstanding in behaviour. No violence was carried out by the crowd, nor was it calling for or provoking violence.

Gayyoom's regime could not however tolerate the masses gathering and increasing in number every second. Numerous efforts were unsuccessfully carried out by the National Security Services (NSS) personnel to instigate violence; however the crowd restrained from violence and maintained peace and harmony. When the efforts of NSS failed Gayyoom's brother Yameen (Minister of Trade and Industries) sent in a bunch of paid druggies (20-30 people) to create disharmony within the mass. These druggies were yelling pro government sentiments and trying hard to disrupt the peacefulness of the mass. All their attempts were unsuccessful as no one wanted to participate with them.

Shortly after I left home, I got news from a friend that the Yameen's gang has returned with sticks/truncheons and started attacking the mass to instigate violence. Yameen's gang relentlessly continued their efforts and moved on to attacking the NSS personnel (surely ordered by Yameen) who were guarding outside the Republican Square, to portray this as an act of violence by the whole mass. As the day passed the protestors grew smaller in number and NSS personnel took this opportunity to surround the crowd and attack in numbers, beating up the captured with batons and other objects. Tear gas and rubber bullets were also used according to multiple sources present at the scene.

A state of emergency was declared by Gayyoom in the afternoon and the state owned media instantly started condemning the protest and labelling the gathering as an act of violence and an act to overthrow a democratically elected government. NSS roamed through the island in full gear using abusive language and beating up almost everyone they find on the roads, no matter kids, women or elderly. According to multiple sources at least a 150 protesters were captured, severely beaten and taken to NSS custody at the scene of the event. Police hurried to the residences of the protestors who were identified and indiscriminately beat up about a 100 more of them in front of the public and carried them away to NSS custody. They continued more arrests in the evening of the same day and arrested prominent business people and politicians who were pro reformists. Multiple sources confirm that the detainees were blindfolded and badly beaten up inside the vehicles they were carried in.

Arrests continued during the days followed and still continue. Pro reformist MPs, high-flying business figures and reform activists still continue to be taken in to the custody of the NSS. According to some sources around 1500 citizens have been arrested and maltreated inside Dhoonidhoo jail, Maafushi jail, Girifushi and Kalhuthukkalaa Koshi. Many of the detainees are reported to be in fatal conditions and have been denied proper medical treatment. Their only crime was to ask for true democracy, to ask for fundamental human rights and to ask for a speedy delivery on the promises Gayyoom has made on the reform.

State owned media is propagating false news throughout the country and the majority of the citizens are in unimaginable fear. The media is recklessly trying to label the activists as traitors. This propaganda and evil strategy of the government is unquestionably to charge the detainees for high treason for which the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.

News has been leaking from the handful of sympathetic men in uniform that the detainees are brutally tortured with their hands cuffed and blindfolded. They also report that the government is carrying out the "investigation" like "Guantanamo Bay style" (detainees dressed in orange) in a desperate effort to label the detainees even as hardcore terrorists.

Words can never describe the fear we the Maldivians are in today nor can it describe the unbearable suffering of the 1500 or more detainees in Gayyoom's custody. Gayyoom is throwing all his means to hide his inhumanity and cruelty to the international community.

I on behalf of all the Maldivian citizens and those unlawfully detained, urge and beg the international community to rescue us without delay from the brutal dictatorship of Gayyoom. I understand and appreciate the efforts so far exerted by the international community, but would like to stress that the mere condemnations and requests to Gayyoom for a speedy reform is not enough today. What good would even a refined constitution do when the person most powerful would not honour it, like he has been doing for the past 26 years.

We need, request and beg for decisive and urgent action from the international community.

Please please please help us and HELP those currently under the ruthless hands of Gayyoom. He will DESTROY us like he has eliminated so many innocent people during the past 26 years to prolong his regime.

I believe that the international community would understand that every life is precious whether rich or poor, from the 3rd world or from the developed countries and would do their utmost to set us free from the brutal dictatorship of the Gayyoom regime once and forever.

Please bring us peace and harmony and liberate us from the dictatorship of the evil Gayyoom, without further delay. We are as human as anyone else in this world and cannot continue to suffer any longer. Please please help us. Please. HELP.

Yours Truly,

Mohamed Ahmed <moh_ahmeds@yahoo.com>