Munavvar's shadow cabinet approved by National Council

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)'s National Council on Wednesday approved the shadow cabinet of Dr. Munavvaru, the party's new President. The shadow cabinet largely consists of parliamentary group members. However, it appears to be a an inclusive cabinet that aims to bring all different support groups of the party together into the cabinet, hence strengthening the unity of the party. more

Music show in Male' to mark the 2nd anniversary of MDP registration

Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) was registered on 25th June 2005, after Dictator Gayyoom was forced by pressure from the international community as well as the locals. MDP has come a long way since its inception in exile in 2004 and subsequently after it was allowed to register and operate in the Maldives in 2005. MDP boasts the largest membership of any party and is by far the largest party in the country. To mark its 2nd official anniversary, a music show is organised by MDP in Alimas Carnival, on Tuesday evening at 9:00pm.

How much does Golha Boa Gayyoom cost us?More than US$71.5 million over the past six years

Maldives has recently been promoted to a Developing Country from the Least Developed Countries category. However, the living standard of the Maldivian people does not reflect that rise.
The only indication that the economic well-being of the country has improved is the criminal misappropriation of state funds sustaining President Gayyoom's lavish life style.
For example, in 2003 the total revenue and grants published by Maldives Monetary Authority was US$238 million, of which $14 million was Presidential expenses. For his palace, yachts, exclusive hideaway islands such as Aarah, his massive office complex and his huge staffs' salaries... etc. read more

DO Readers' Review

Golha Boa's Gayyooms' Multimillion Dollar Luxury Yacht 'MV Arumaazu' and Expensive Rolex Watch Collection Should be Sold on e-bay.com to Raise Funds for Relief and Reconstruction..

Times are hard in our tiny nation now. There are a lot of luxuries that should now be discarded off to raise funds and help the thousands of homeless people and restore their livelihoods.
Gayyoom has a lot of things that 'we' have bought for him, not with our consent of course but certainly with our money. We must therefore demand these luxurious items to be sold in order to raise the billions of dollars that we now need to rebuild the nation, everything from building shelters, food, medicine and restoring the livelihoods of the displaced persons.
Gayyoom's Official website has revealed the following "accurate" figures of the sums required immediately and for the short term period. We, of course do not want to question as to how he deduced these figures, he has more than 27 years of experience in governing Maldives, hence it is only fair to assume that he knows best and could never be wrong.read more

Golha Boa's DRP thugs attacked addu reformists

Addu - On Sunday, a popular reformist Mohamed Didi, S. Hithadhoo, Donfaiybageechaage, was physically assaulted by a DRP thug called Adduge Alla. After the assault Alla reportedly went into hiding and police ignored the complaints by Mohamed Didi, who suffered a head injury due to the assault and had to be treated. However, to the shock of many, this thug Alla and his associate Koaraahan'doonaalhige, Hussain Salhi (Jaahilu), were both accompanied by police when attacking a group of reformists near Children's park on Sunday evening and another reformist Ahmed Hassan, Mududhaasge, Hithadhoo was again injured seriously after he was knocked unconscious by the thugs in the presence of police. The victim is now admitted to Hithadhoo Regional Hospital and his condition is reported to be very serious. Police have not taken any action against the DRP thugs rather they appear to be protecting them, sources confirmed. Tension remains high in Hithadhoo as family and friends of these two victims are likely to retaliate.

Saddam Hussain Salih (Jaahilu) with Golhaa Boa

(..!!ޖާހިލު ކަލޯ... ކަލޯ ސައިޒަށް ކަނޑާލާ ވަގުތު ޖެހެނީ...އިންތިޒާރު ކުރޭ)

Minivan News Goes Global

By Minivan News

June 15, 2007

From June 2007, Minivan News will go global: bringing our readers in the Maldives international news, comment and analysis from the world’s leading politicians, academics and commentators.

Minivan News was selected by Project Syndicate, a major international news association, as the most professional news agency in the Maldives. As such, we were granted exclusive rights to publish commentary from some of the most interesting international writers.

Every Friday, when most newspapers in the Maldives sleep, Minivan News will publish high quality articles on a range of issues, from the conflict in the Middle East to global warming and the threat of rising sea levels.

To kick off our international coverage, we’ve published an exclusive report from Tawanda Mutasah, who traveled to Zimbabwe to find out first hand what life is like for opposition supporters in one of the world’s most ruthless dictatorships.

Tell us what global issues you’d like to hear more about, by emailing minivan.news@gmail.com.

Read More >>

Golha Force personal Arrested After Drink-Fuelled Crash

Hussain Asif, a Constable in the Maldives Police Service, has been arrested for crashing a car into a stationery pick up and two parked cars in the early hours of Wednesday morning. When police arrived at the accident scene in the artificial beach area of Malé, they discovered eleven beer cans in the car. Local media also report a bottle of spirits and used condoms were found in the car. Asif, and his male passenger, Hussain Rasheed, are both being questioned by police.

Inmates Offer To End Maafushi Hunger Strike

Minivan News
The hunger striking inmates of Maafushi prison have said they will sign a government offer and call off their strike, if Ahmed Mujtabha and Shaheed Zaki are taken to the island to observe the agreement. The government has so far refused to comment on the demands, but no contact has been made with Shaheed Zaki. When inmates made the same demand on Monday, the government responded with an operation to end the hunger strike by force. more

MDP Activists Freed from golha boa torture chamber

Five members of the opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) were freed on Tuesday after short spells in detention. Mohamed Saeed (Dhagadey), President of the MDP’s Isthiufaa Gofi, had been held for 52 days after being arrested for allegedly organising a demonstration outside Irushaadhiyyaa School.After his release, Dhagadey said, “My arrest and continued detention was politically motivated because of my involvement with the reform movement,” pointing out he was held for over a month after police had completed questioning. A judge can give permission for a suspect to be held for up to 51 days during an investigation, without the police providing proof of any crime committed.

Another police operation in Maafushi jail

Maafushi - A Star Force team went to Maafushi jail again on Monday to try and confiscate mobile phones as news keep coming out of the jail despite their first operation. More than 40 people were rounded up for many hours and their cells were searched. The problem here is that the inmates in jail continues to communicate with their friends and friendly media sources and bring out their plight to the public domain. more

more pics of Maafushi jailuploaded 12/06/07

'Maafushi Jail Hunger Strike' continues and authorities fail to solve the problem

The hunger strike by Maafushi jail is still continuing and the authorities are not able to solve the problem. Yesterday, Deputy Home Minister and a crony of the regime, Azima Shukoor met with inmates and offered them an option to meet with their families in return for calling off the strike but the inmates refused. According to inmates, their demands must be met or else they will continue with the hunger strike. The final list has now grown to over 450, with several female inmates now joining in the strike. more

more pics of Maafushi jail updated 11/06/07

Dictator Golha Boa's party not welcome in Kolamaafushi

On 9th June 2007, a team from Dictator's Dhivehi Rundinge Party (DRP) failed to hold a meeting in Kolamaafushi this weekend to muster support for a Presidential System of Government. Teams of DRP are travelling across the country to promote the Presidential System ahead of the long delayed referendum on the type of government to be included in the new constitution. Scores of people gathered near the harbour of Kolamaafushi and chanted slogans calling for the resignation of the Dictator and told the visitors that they were not welcome in the island. DRP was unable to hold the meetings they planned the night before and reformists in the island celebrated their achievements with traditional rice pudding 'Bondibaiy' on Friday night. Similar incidents are reported from other islands. photo album

Golha Force and army confiscating mobile phones to stop reports coming out of jail

Maafushi Jail - Police and the army have begun an operation to confiscate mobile phones from inmates who have been able to report the news to local media. A combined force are working in Maafushi jail since this morning and they are confiscating mobile phones along with items such as iron bars which have been kept hidden underground by inmates. However, the main purpose of this operation is stop information and news from flowing into the media via mobile phones which has proven very useful, with SMS and MMS services. A chosen group of media persons from pro-government news outlets such as Haveeru and Miadhu are witnessing the operation and reporting everything the police and the army want to report. Hundreds of inmates are still on hunger strike and they did not resist this operation, our sources say. Photos from Maafushi jail.view photos from jail

More than 250 Maafushi jail inmates still on hunger strike and dozens needing medical attention

Male' - 00:30 - Sources in Male' are reporting that more than 250 inmates of Maafushi jail are still continuing with the hunger strike which they began on Tuesday after the unrest and the death of an inmate Muslih Abbas on Wednesday. According to sources in Jail, more than 18 people fro the group are in very bad conditions and the authorities are failing in taking care of them and in some cases even refusing to give them proper medical care. more

www.maldiviandetainees.net Updated
Reporting network for relatives of persons detained launched following the demonstration of 12 and 13 of August 2004 in Male, Maldives

Detainees Network

Maldivian Detainees Network Lates Update on inmates in hospital now

Ahmed Irushad - Acquaintance of detainee reported the police brought the detainee to the IGM Hospital at around 04:30 on 6 June 2007.Acquaintance of detainee reported the police informed the hospital that they had found the detainee unconscious outside of the prison in Maafushi Island after the detainee broke out of the prison. Acquaintance of detainee reported the doctors at IGM Hospital pumped the detainee’s stomach and noted the detainee had overdosed on drugs. Acquaintance of detainee reported the hospital initially treated the detainee at the Intensive Care Unit but later transferred the detainee to a general ward. Acquaintance of detainee reported the detainee is not yet discharged from hospital. more

Australia awards grant to Maldivian Detainees Network

Press Release

Australian Development Counsellor, Percy Stanley, today announced that the Australian Government had awarded the Maldivian Detainee Network a grant of close to Australian Dollar 50,000 under its Human Rights Small Grants Scheme (HRSGS), which provides grants to in-country organisations (primarily non-government) for activities aimed at promoting and protecting human rights in a direct and tangible way. The focus of the scheme is the Asia-Pacific region, and it is the first time that a Maldivian organisation has received the award. more

Golha Force Accused Of Violence As Maafushi Inmate Buried

The body of Maafushi prison inmate Muslih Abbas was buried on Wednesday afternoon. Police and state media have reported he died of a drug overdose, but Muslih’s death certificate records the cause of death as unknown.Five further Maafushi inmates have been treated in the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Malé, after at least four hundred prisoners broke out from the island prison on Tuesday night. Police have so far denied there was any physical confrontation with guards, saying only that three inmates were hospitalised after “swallowing pharmaceuticals.” But three of the inmates treated at IGMH had physical injuries consistent with assault. Read More >>

photos of Muslih's injuries

some pictures from Maafushi Jail

European Union Press Release

European Union calls for a proper investigation into the death of Hussain Salah and reminds Maldives Dictator Golha Boa that the use of force cannot solve political problems.

The EU believes that there needs to be a proper investigation into recent events, including Mr. Salah’s death some weeks ago and that the use of force cannot solve political problems. At the same time, tragic though Mr. Salah’s death is, political leaders in Maldives need to raise their sights above these events and focus on how to revive the talks aimed at introducing democracy. The EU urgently calls upon the President of the Maldives to take concrete steps in this direction by creating an enabling environment for talks. more

MDP Election Preliminary Results
Dr Munavvaru Elected President of the

Maldivian Democratic Party

Congratulations..!

click here for details

Human Rights Commission Slams Police(Golha Force) Over Kibidhoo Protests

By Ajay Makan
May 31, 2007

The Maldives Human Rights Commission has published a damning report into police handling of demonstrations on Kibidhoo and Ihavandhoo earlier this year. The Commission, which was established by the government and whose members are state appointees, found that police on Kibidhoo used iron finger rings against demonstrators on 28 and 29 March, and that women and children had suffered both “physical abuse” and “psychological effects.” The report says the "police did this intentionally" and called for perpetrators "to be identified and taken to trial."

“Even after the crowd dispersed police went after and attacked people. Apart from the physical abuse inflicted on women and children, they were effected psychologically as well,” it says. Read More >>

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Endemic Corruption in Maldives: Concrete Proof

Abdulla Shahid has a brand new 10 storey building. Mohamed Hussain has one. Ilyas Ibrahim has a building. Ahmed Abdulla has a building. Samarey has a building. Fathulla lives in a nice little palace, has a holiday retreat island. Mohamed Rasheed Ibrahim has one. Abdul Rasheed Hussain has one. Anbaree has a building. Umar Zahir has a building. Endherimaage is a high rise multiplex city on its own. Who in the regime doesn't have a building? read more