US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO2201

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002201 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  12-31-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, ECON, PINR, MV, Maldives, Human Rights 
SUBJECT:  Maldivian Gleanings:  Human rights commission 
established; Prison riots report submitted to President 
 
Refs:  Colombo 2113, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Bruce Lohof, Acting Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) This edition of Maldivian gleanings reviews the 
following: 
 
>> Maldivian government establishes national human 
rights commission 
 
>> Report on September rioting submitted to President 
Gayoom 
 
>> Former attorney general reflects on Gayoom and 
country's political system 
 
>> Tourism breaks record 
 
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Human Rights Commission Established 
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2.  (U) Following through on a promise made during his 
November 11 inaugural address, President Maumoon Abdul 
Gayoom on December 10 established a Human Rights 
Commission for the Maldives to act as a "source of human 
rights information" and "assist in education and 
promoting awareness and respect for human rights." 
While the  commission's precise terms of reference are 
still being developed, the Maldivian government 
announced that the nine-person commission would function 
"in accordance with the Paris Principles, as adopted by 
the UN General Assembly, which sets out recommendations 
for the role, functions, and nature of human rights 
institutions." 
 
3.  (U) In a related development, the Maldivian 
government -- per Gayoom's request in his inaugural 
address for advice from citizens regarding political and 
development issues -- announced that it had received 840 
proposals for reform from the public.  These proposals 
would be examined in early 2004, the GoRM said. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  The establishment of the commission is 
a key aspect of Gayoom's reform effort announced in the 
wake of the September 2003 riots (see below).  Exactly 
how the commission will operate and whether it will be 
given real powers is not yet clear.  If the commission 
is not given substantive powers and fails to investigate 
GoRM officials fully, the effort could boomerang on 
Gayoom, underscoring the widespread perception that he 
is running the government for himself and his cronies. 
END COMMENT. 
 
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Report on Prison Riots Provided to Gayoom 
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5.  (U) Immediately following the September 19 death of 
a Maldivian prisoner while in custody and the ensuing 
riots at the prison and on the capital island of Male' 
(see Reftels), Gayoom appointed a Presidential 
Commission to investigate what had transpired, and the 
Maldivian government's role in the inmate's death and 
shooting at the Maafushi prison.  (Note:  The Maafushi 
island prison is located on a separate island a short 
distance from Male'.)  On December 29, the five-person 
commission, which had spent three months compiling 
information and interviewing over 300 people, presented 
its completed report to the President.  In accepting the 
report, Gayoom stated that he would forward its findings 
to the Attorney General for further action by January 
15. 
 
6.  (SBU) (Note:  As reported in Reftels, Gayoom has 
also taken other steps in the wake of the September 
unrest, including firing 11 National Security Service 
(NSS) officers and reassigning the NSS deputy.  Gayoom 
also launched an investigation to probe the riots in 
Male'.  In an effort to spur reform of the antiquated 
prison system, Gayoom also renamed the "Department of 
Corrections" the "Department of Penitentiary and 
Rehabilitation Services."  Maldivian officials also 
traveled to Malaysia and Singapore in mid-December to 
study the penal system and facilities in those two 
countries.  End Note.) 
 
7.  (C) COMMENT:  The September unrest was highly 
traumatic for the Maldives, which is a small, close-knit 
society unused to violence.  Given lingering raw 
feelings, Maldivians are clearly looking for a serious 
report and not a whitewash of GoRM actions.  For his 
part, President Gayoom appears to be taking the matter 
seriously, indicating to the Ambassador in their early 
December meeting that he intended to make the report 
public (see Reftel).  END COMMENT. 
 
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Former Attorney General on Political Situation 
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8.  (C) On December 26, former Maldivian Attorney 
General Mohammed Munavvar met with poloff in Colombo. 
Expressing no remorse after being ousted as attorney 
general during Gayoom's November 11 cabinet reshuffle, 
Munavvar stated that he was still the Majlis 
(Parliament) representative from his southern atoll 
district.  He added, however, that he was unsure if he 
would run for reelection during the next Majlis election 
in late 2004.  Munavvar candidly spoke about his 
dissatisfaction with the recent presidential election 
process, stating that Gayoom had received one hundred 
percent support in the Majlis vote because no one of 
note had run against him.  Regarding Gayoom's long 
political reign, he said that people were of two minds 
about the future.  When Gayoom's current term ends five 
years from now, some people want the entire Gayoom clan 
out of politics altogether.  Others, feeling that 
Gayoom's family was there to stay, were pointing to 
Gayoom's brother, Abdullah Yameen, Minister of Trade and 
Industries, or Gayoom's brother-in-law, Ilyas Ibrahim, 
Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, as possible 
presidential successors.  Munavvar felt, however, that 
challenges to Gayoom's regime were growing, especially 
from a loose opposition organization operating overseas 
known as the Maldivian Democratic Party. 
 
9.  (C) COMMENT:  Munavvar has been a close contact of 
the Mission for some time.  As is the case with many 
Maldivian interlocutors, however, he has usually been 
relatively tight-lipped about the political situation in 
the country.  Now that he is out of office, he evidently 
feels that he can be more outspoken -- at least in 
private.  His remarks tend to confirm what we have 
picked up:  many Maldivians -- including some in the 
leadership circles -- are not fully confident in 
Gayoom's rule and in his reform efforts.  The fact that 
Munavvar is critical of Gayoom is important:  Munavvar 
remains a very well-known personage in Addu Atoll, a 
populous region in the southern part of the country. 
FYI:  Per Munavvar's comment, we have vaguely heard of 
the Maldivian Democratic Party, but have picked up 
little about its political platform or operations.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
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Tourism sets record 
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10.  (U) On December 1, President Gayoom and his wife, 
Nasreena, personally welcomed the 500,000th tourist to 
visit the Maldives in 2003 in a ceremony at the 
Presidential Palace on Male' island.  The lucky Italian 
honoree will receive a complimentary Maldivian vacation. 
Since Maldivian tourism began some 30 years ago, 2003 
has netted the highest number of tourists, with the 
500,000 figure being the first time the island nation 
has crossed that threshold.  (Official tourism figures 
cite 485,000 visitors in 2002 and 460,000 in 2001.) 
From what contacts within the tourism industry have told 
us, the numbers of tourists continues to climb:  Six new 
weekly charter flights, including new routes from 
Central Europe, were recently added, and resorts 
throughout the island were sold out for the 2003 holiday 
season. 
 
11.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Tourism is the key revenue and 
foreign exchange earner for the Maldivian economy, and 
is a major reason why Maldivian per capita income is the 
highest in South Asia.  Twenty years ago the industry 
was still small and undeveloped, but now it includes 
approximately 90 resorts spread throughout the island 
chain.  After a big dip in the aftermath of September 
11, 2001 and a smaller one after the October 2002 Bali 
bombings, the industry is clearly doing better than 
ever.  In light of the recent pattern of downturns, 
however, Maldivian officials remain keenly aware of how 
sensitive the industry is to the international situation 
and how important it is that the economy diversifies. 
END COMMENT. 
 
12.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD