The Hindu : Riots in Male

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 29, 2003

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

Riots in Male

THE NOMINATION BY the Maldivian majlis or Parliament of President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom as the single candidate for the presidential election next month was expected. The election process or fix ensures that the office is barred to anyone but the incumbent head of state. Nevertheless, the Maldivian Government describes it as democratic. However, as Mr. Gayoom prepares for a sixth five-year term in office, there are increasing signs that many Maldivians are unhappy with his variant of guided democracy. At first glance, the recent rioting in Male, the capital of the Maldives, bears no apparent connection to the elections. It began with the death of a prisoner in the Maafusi jail at the hands of the National Security Service (NSS). Judging by the targets the mobs chose, it seems their anger was directed not just at the prison guards but also at Mr. Gayoom's ironhanded and seemingly irremovable governance. The rioters burnt down police stations and the election office and reportedly threw stones at the Parliament building and attacked the High Court. Guards of the NSS brought the turbulence under control in two days but only after inflicting more casualties, at least two of them fatalities. The incidents forced Mr. Gayoom to appear on national television and appeal for calm. He has also been obliged to order an enquiry into the custodial death that triggered the riots.

This is the first such outburst by the people of the Indian Ocean atoll, a popular holiday destination, during the 25 year-rule of Mr. Gayoom. The Maldivian President, who likes to be seen as an environmentalist in the forefront of the international campaign against global warming, is known to be intolerant of dissent and protest. Last year, he cracked down on a dissident email newsletter. Rights organisations have compiled a long list of human rights violations by his Government. His uninterrupted rule since 1978 has been characterised by the arbitrary jailing of those who disagree with his policies and the ill treatment and torture of prisoners. He has, of course, consistently denied these allegations and his denials might have played their part in creating a climate of impunity for outrages such as the recent death in custody. Mr. Gayoom has sought to deflect criticism of his authoritarian ways by pointing to his country's rapid economic development.

When Mr. Gayoom took over the reins of government, the people saw him as a progressive politician. He devoted himself to the task of modernising his country and made it the tourist paradise it is today. Many among the rioters were youngsters whose aspirations are quite different from those of the previous generation; their disaffection is fuelled perhaps by the very prosperity that Mr. Gayoom helped create. If he wants his country to do well, he must do much more than shrug off the unrest as the work of "hardened criminals". The interesting question for the future is: will this strongman heed the warning signals or go the way of other authoritarian leaders?

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