Maldivian Gleanings: Human rights commission

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
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