US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1823

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001823 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/18/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT: GORM INDIRECTLY TARGETS OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER STAFF 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead, for reasons 1.4 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary: In a perceived crackdown on an opposition 
newspaper, police in Male detained two popular columnists for 
"Minivan" on October 13 on charges unrelated to journalism. 
Mohamed Nasheed and Ablo Saeed were summoned to the police 
station and detained on respective charges of "instigating 
incitement activity" in connection to the August 12-14 
disturbances and possible drug possession.  Both are 
columnists for "Minivan," the only opposition newspaper which 
began production in July 2005 and has, according to its 
staff, quickly become the biggest-selling newspaper in the 
country.  (Note: The Minivan radio station and web site, 
based in Colombo, has been operational for a couple of years. 
 It was formerly officially the organ of the opposition 
Maldives Democratic Party (MDP), although its director claims 
they are independent of the party now. End Note.)  Nasheed is 
also an MDP supporter, and was scheduled to address a rally 
the day after his detention and was predicted to run for MP 
for Male in the upcoming by-election.  Maldives Foreign 
Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed stressed to Poloff that these 
charges are unrelated to the journalists' work for "Minivan" 
and upheld the GORM's commitment to free press and human 
rights.  However, with over half of "Minivan" staff under 
investigation, Editor Aminath Najeeb claims that the 
government is systematically targeting the opposition press. 
End Summary. 
 
Criminals in "Minivan"? 
----------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Maldives police summoned popular columnist and 
Maldives Democratic Party (MDP) supporter Mohamed Nasheed 
with a "chit" to the police station on October 13.  Nasheed 
is popularly known as the "Colonel," a name given to 
acknowledge his time spent in the National Security Service 
(NSS) and to distinguish him from the MDP Chairman by the 
same name.  The Colonel, who is predicted to run as an MP for 
the MDP in the upcoming by-election, has been detained in 
connection with the August 12-14, 2005 disturbances in Male. 
Although the police have already released most of the 
approximately 100 people arrested in the protests, Foreign 
Minister Shaheed told Poloff in a phone conversation on 
October 17 that the Colonel's case has been under 
investigation for the last two months, but is entirely 
unrelated to his work as a journalist.  According to Shaheed, 
the Colonel gave a speech criticizing police during the 
disturbances, which may have incited the mobs, and took 
advantage of unspecified "sensitive" information that he 
gained during his training with the NSS.  However, "Minivan" 
staff in Sri Lanka Paul Roberts questioned the police's 
decision to postpone his detention until October 13, one day 
before he was scheduled to address an MDP rally in Male. 
 
3.  (C) Ablo Saeed, popularly known as "Fahala," was detained 
on unknown charges, but is likely to be linked to drug 
possession.  Saeed's wife told "Minivan" that when Fahala 
turned himself in voluntarily at the station, the police 
forced a statement without the presence of his lawyer, 
strip-searched him, took his clothing away and then planted 
drugs in the pockets of his pants.  FM Shaheed did not know 
the exact charges against Fahala, but claimed that he has a 
track record of drug abuse and crime.  When asked about 
Saeed's wife's accusations, Shaheed maintained that he had 
personally told the police to follow proper procedures. 
Saeed's wife refuted reports that her husband would have 
carried drugs into the station when he was summoned, and 
added that the detention is certainly connected to his work 
at "Minivan." 
 
"Minivan" Putters Along 
----------------------- 
 
4.  (U) From his office in Sri Lanka, "Minivan" journalist 
and UK citizen Paul Roberts told Poloff that seven of the 
fifteen Maldives staff are currently under investigation, 
evidence that the government is targeting journalists who 
criticize the government.  Although the newly appointed 
Minister of Information approved "Minivan's" registration in 
July 2005 after a year of indecision, Roberts noted that the 
government administration remains largely unchanged and is 
unwilling to put up with media criticism.  Under Maldivian 
press laws, if a paper is unable to print three consecutive 
editions, it is automatically de-registered.  Despite the 
investigations and detentions of half of the staff, Roberts 
predicted that "Minivan" would continue to print, but he 
remained concerned, however, about the string of attacks 
against the media.  "Individually, the investigations, 
blacklisted journalists and arrests could be seen as 
unconnected," he observed, "but taken together, they 
represent the government's attempt to prevent free media in 
the Maldives." 
 
FM Shaheed Committed to Freedom of the Press 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) FM Shaheed claimed to PolOff that these arrests are 
unrelated to journalism and upheld the GORM's commitment to a 
free media.  "The Government does not make arrests based on 
opposition to the President," Shaheed stressed, adding that 
"compared to two years ago, the Maldives has complete freedom 
of the press."  He did, however, admit that the biggest 
challenge to a modern, liberal democracy in the Maldives is 
the lack of a transparent legal structure.  He called for the 
government to enact a Police Powers Act to place limits on 
arrests and codify legal procedures.  That said, interpreting 
these two arrests as a crackdown on the press would be 
"mislabeling the situation" he concluded. 
 
Political Crackdown or Law and Order Problem? 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) The government has allowed the creation of the 
opposition structure, but just like the recent moves to 
inhibit the new opposition parties' ability to play a 
functional role in the political process, the GORM now 
appears to be limiting the ability of the press to perform 
the full range of media functions, including criticism of the 
government.  After delaying "Minivan's" publication by a 
year, to put seven of the fifteen staff under investigation 
within the first three months and detain MDP supporters on 
questionable charges raises serious questions about the 
GORM's commitment to the free press.  Shaheed was very 
concerned that these cases not be "mislabeled" by the 
international community and defensive of the Maldives' human 
rights record, but he recognized the shortcomings in the 
government's legal structure.  Further developments in these 
cases will reveal whether the government is sincerely 
attempting to tackle problems of law and order as the Foreign 
Minister attested, or merely attempting to restrict political 
criticism in the press. 
LUNSTEAD