US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO181

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000181 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, DRL/CRA 
 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:     DECL:  01-30-14 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, SOCI, PINR, MV, Human Rights, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  New Maldivian Human Rights Commission: 
Opportunity for USG promotion of human rights 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo - SA/INS 01/30/04 unclass e-mail 
-      (B) Colombo 164, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Bruce Lohof, Acting Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  During a recent trip to Male', PAO met 
with Ahmed Mujuthaba, the Chairman of the Human Rights 
Commission of the Maldives.  Mujuthaba said he wanted 
the newly formed Commission to help the democratization 
process in the Maldives, and later provided PAO a copy 
of the Commission's rules and regulations.  The 
formation of the Commission is an important event for 
the Maldives and Mission is reviewing how we might help 
it build capacity.  We would appreciate Department's 
views on possible sources of funding.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) MEETING THE CHAIRMAN OF NEW COMMISSION:  PAO met 
with Ahmed Mujuthaba, the Chairman of the newly formed 
Human Rights Commission of the Maldives, on January 20 
in Male'.  Mujuthaba reviewed the rules and regulations 
that govern the newly formed Commission, specifically 
noting its responsibilities and the cases that would 
come under its purview.  Mujuthaba noted that he was in 
the process of translating the "Regulations of the Human 
Rights Commission of the Maldives" from Dhivehi (the 
language of the Maldives) into English.  He predicted 
that a rough translation would be completed shortly, and 
offered to share it with Mission.  (Note:  As translated 
by Mujuthaba's office, a text of the rules and 
regulations are contained in Ref A.  The document 
states, in part, that the main objective of the 
Commission is "to protect, preserve, and promote human 
rights in the Maldives in accordance with Islamic 
jurisprudence and the Constitution of the Maldives."  In 
their details, the regulations also state that, 
following a decision by the Commission on a case, it can 
send the case to the Attorney General's Office for 
possible prosecution, among other options for legal 
redress.) 
 
3.  (C) Throughout the meeting, Mujuthaba repeatedly 
emphasized the need for a democratizing influence in the 
Maldives, as well as highlighting the role the 
Commission might play in that effort.  Mujuthaba said 
the group's primary focus in the short term would be the 
hearing of complaints brought by citizens.  He noted 
that the Commission's mandate only extended to events 
that occurred after its formation on December 10, 2003. 
 
4.  (C) PAO congratulated the Commission on its recent 
receipt of a UNDP grant.  Mujuthaba said the funds would 
be well used but that more funding would be welcome. 
Commission activities would be expensive, he said, and 
he hoped that he could attract a broad base of funding 
that would permit the Commission to keep the government 
at a distance.  Mujuthaba expressed his desire that the 
Commission could become "woven in" to the international 
human rights community.  Through this, he thought the 
Commission could learn to do its work more effectively, 
as well as taking on a mantle of international 
legitimacy.  Wrapping up, Mujuthaba noted that one of 
the impediments to human rights work in the Maldives was 
that a majority of the citizens were not aware of their 
rights as citizens of the Maldives.  On this point, he 
recalled that he had approached newspaper publishers to 
ascertain whether they would be interested in publishing 
a supplement that set out the Commission's mandate and 
educated readers on what human rights they were accorded 
by the Maldivian Constitution.  Mujuthaba said the 
publishers had declined, saying it would be too 
expensive. 
 
5.  (C) FURTHER BACKGROUND ON THE COMMISSION:  The 
Maldivian Human Rights Commission was formed in December 
2003, following the September riots in the capital of 
Male' sparked by a serious outbreak of prison violence 
on a nearby island.  President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom 
announced the formation of the Commission in his 
inaugural address for his latest term in office (he's 
been in power 25 years) given on November 11, 2003.  In 
announcing that the Commission would be formed, Gayoom 
averred that its purpose would be to "safeguard the 
civil liberties enshrined in the Constitution of the 
Maldives, and protect and promote human rights in the 
country."  In his speech, Gayoom also announced that the 
government would make additional moves toward 
democratization, but did not describe them. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  The formation of the Commission is an 
important event for the Maldives, which -- in the 
aftermath of the September riots -- is beginning to 
tentatively grapple with the issues of human rights and 
democratization.  In a carefully calibrated way, we 
believe that the USG can help this sensitive process. 
The formation of the Human Rights Commission provides an 
excellent opportunity for such assistance, and we are 
reviewing how we might help it build capacity.  In doing 
this, we would appreciate Department's views on possible 
sources of funding, including through ESF.  Mujuthaba, a 
former minister and MP with a reputation for 
independence, is a close Mission contact.  The 
Commission's Secretary General, Rashida Ali, is also an 
excellent contact, and has participated in an 
International Visitor Program to the U.S.  END COMMENT. 
 
7.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD