Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO842
2004-05-20 10:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Maldives: A/S Rocca's visit shows reform has

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM ECON SENV MOPS MV 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 000842 

SIPDIS

NOFORN

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05-20-14
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON SENV MOPS MV
SUBJECT: Maldives: A/S Rocca's visit shows reform has
momentum

Refs: Colombo 698, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 000842

SIPDIS

NOFORN

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05-20-14
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM ECON SENV MOPS MALDIVES'>MV
SUBJECT: MALDIVES: A/S Rocca's visit shows reform has
momentum

Refs: Colombo 698, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C/NF) SUMMARY: Assistant Secretary of State for
South Asian Affairs Christina B. Rocca visited MALDIVES,
May 16-17. Highlights of the visit included meetings
with President Gayoom, FM Fathulla Jameel, Defense
Minister Adam, Human Rights Commissioner Mujthaba, and
UNDP Resident Representative Minh Pham. During the
meetings, A/S Rocca discussed the GoRM's plans for
political reform, including the upcoming special session
of the Majlis (parliament),MALDIVES' least developed
country (LDC) status, and the Maldivian detainee in
Guantanamo, among other subjects. GoRM interlocutors
emphasized their full commitment to moving forward with
political reforms. A/S Rocca's visit highlighted U.S.
interest in MALDIVES and underscored our strong support
for the democratic reform agenda. END SUMMARY.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Meeting with President Gayoom
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


2. (C) During their visit to Male', Assistant Secretary
Christina Rocca and Ambassador Lunstead met with
MALDIVES President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom on May 17. A/S
Rocca said the U.S. appreciated MALDIVES' moderate voice
as an Islamic nation in international matters. She said
that Gayoom had achieved great economic success in
MALDIVES. The current attempt to reform the political
system through the convocation of a Special Majlis
("Parliament") to amend the Constitution was an
opportunity to match that economic achievement and leave
his legacy for the future.


3. (C) Gayoom said that after the vote for the Special
Majlis on May 28, he would suggest areas where the
Majlis could consider changes. The Majlis members would
decide, in an open and transparent fashion, and then he
would approve the changes. The Ambassador said that he

had seen a dramatic change in atmosphere in MALDIVES in
his three visits over the last six months. It appeared
now that all Maldivians agreed on the need for political
change; the question was the breadth and the pace of
change. Gayoom said that he had already brought in a
number of changes. The police were being separated from
the Defense Ministry and moved to the Home Ministry.
Those accused of crimes now had access to legal counsel
immediately, and all interrogations were to be recorded.
The Human Rights Commission had been established, and
the prison system was being reformed to emphasize
rehabilitation.


4. (C) On the issue of graduation from Least Developed
Country (LDC) status, Gayoom said that MALDIVES was
proud to graduate and would not want to be an LDC
forever. However, they needed a transition strategy,
because of the country's unique needs. Just two weeks
ago, a tidal surge had caused havoc on a number of
northern islands, punching large holes in the
breakwaters surrounding the islands. Gayoom then passed
out photos of that damage. MALDIVES would continue to
need assistance to deal with such challenges. The
Ambassador noted that there might be some opportunities
for the U.S. to provide some technical assistance, even
if project assistance were not available, and noted that
various USG agencies, such as the Army Corps of
Engineers, might be able to offer such technical
assistance. Gayoom said the MALDIVES would be grateful
for anything we could do.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Discussions with MFA Officials
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


5. (C) In his May 17 meeting with A/S Rocca, Foreign
Minister Fathulla Jameel discussed political change in
the MALDIVES, as well as wider political change in the
region. Jameel was particularly upbeat about the
upcoming Special Majlis, speaking generally about the
session's potential for strengthening democratic rights
in the Maldivian Constitution. He also spoke of the
work that the Majlis and Attorney General's office had
been undertaking, specifically to draft laws addressing
areas in the Constitution that called for actions in
"accordance with the law," as well as laws to address
new issues, such as intellectual property rights.
Calling the Human Rights Commission an "exciting
development," Jameel was hopeful that the body would be
adequately independent and an appropriate watchdog,
without interfering with the process of law. On the
trade front, Jameel also stated that the GoRM was
dealing with discrepancies in export goods -- mainly
garments -- being falsely certified as being of
Maldivian origin. Econoff replied that Maldivian
customs officials had an excellent working relationship
with U.S. customs officials on this matter. Jameel,
overall, was quite appreciative of MALDIVES' strong and
growing relationship with the U.S., noting the recently
signed MOU on the American Corner (see below) and the
continuing development of the Fulbright program. In
response, the Assistant Secretary commended Jameel on
the tremendous advances the country had achieved in the
last 30 years.


6. (C/NF) Turning to the issue of the Maldivian
detainee at Guantanamo, Jameel reiterated the GoRM's
request for his return. A/S Rocca replied that the USG
was ready to begin discussions about his eventual
return, but that the U.S. would likely insist on certain
conditionalities, such as his being kept under
constraint in MALDIVES. In response, Jameel said the
GoRM would be willing to take appropriate action upon
his return, after knowing more about the situation. (In
a separate May 16 conversation, the Deputy Foreign
Minister and A/S Rocca agreed that the best course of
action forward would be for Maldivian Ambassador to the
U.S. Mohamed Latheef to work directly with the
Department in Washington. Human Rights Commissioner
Ahmed Mujthaba also asked the Assistant Secretary about
the status of the Maldivian detainee -- a conversation
reported on May 19 on HAVEERU, the government-controlled
English-language news website.)


7. (C) Speaking more widely about relations among
countries in the South Asia region, Jameel was looking
forward to the next South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) Foreign Ministers meeting scheduled
for some time in July, noting that with the recent
Indian election it would likely be the first meeting
between the new Indian FM and Pakistani FM Kasuri.
Jameel was also optimistic about SAARC's efforts
regarding a possible regional free trade agreement plus
security and counterterrorism coordination. A/S Rocca
underscored continuing U.S. support for SAARC.


8. (C) A/S Rocca also met on May 16 with Deputy Foreign
Minister Hussain Shihab. He welcomed the Assistant
Secretary's visit, calling it well-timed given what he

SIPDIS
said were the GoRM's efforts to make itself more
effective and responsive. Citing two specific changes
in recent months, Shihab said the government now
required all interrogations to be recorded
(electronically) and now permitted any detained citizen
to have a lawyer present from the beginning of the law
enforcement-judicial process. (A September 2003 prison
riot over the death in custody of a prisoner followed by
rioting on Male' was a key factor that led the GoRM to
begin to address prison system reform issues.)
Discussing the planned Special Majlis, A/S Rocca asked
Shihab about its exact mandate. Shihab stated that
while some suggestions for constitutional change would
come from the President's Office, it was incumbent upon
the session's 100 participants -- 50 regular Majlis
members plus 50 others to be elected on May 28 -- to
also put forward ideas.


9. (C) Shihab went on to ask about the status of an
earlier request for a Maldivian branch of a U.S. pilot
school. Econoff replied that the FAA was hesitant to
establish overseas pilot schools. In response to
Shihab's confirmation that the GoRM was still interested
in the pilot school idea, econoff said the U.S. would
review the request. Shihab also asked about the status
of a request for consultations between the Maldivian
Health Ministry and U.S.-based doctors. The Ambassador
advised that the U.S. National Institutes of Health had
been contacted, but the U.S. was waiting for a GoRM
reply on the specialities and fields of interest of the
Maldivian health professionals. Shihab said he would
send information on this topic through Ambassador
Latheef in New York.


10. (C) Following their discussion, Shihab and A/S
Rocca signed a memorandum of understanding providing for
the establishment of an "American Corner" in the
Maldivian National Library. Shihab expressed his
appreciation for this enhancement in the two countries'
bilateral relationship, and added that the resources in
the "American Corner" alcove would increase Maldivians'
understanding of U.S. and world issues. The Assistant
Secretary also highlighted this step forward in U.S.-

SIPDIS
Maldivian relations and said that the program's
connection with the National Library was particularly
helpful in allowing for resources to be centrally
located and accessible to all Maldivians.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Meeting at Defense Ministry
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


11. (C) A/S Rocca met May 16 with Abdul Sattar Adam,
Minister of State for Defense and National Security, who
also spoke about President Gayoom's political reform
agenda. He welcomed the upcoming special Majlis session
and the ongoing drafting and debate of the bill formally
establishing the Human Rights Commission. Adam went on
to speak positively about the planned September 2004
transfer of the police from his ministry to the Home
Affairs Ministry. Such separation of the police and
defense forces was a wise idea and should work to
improve governance, the Ambassador noted. Adam agreed
but indicated that, after the transfer, the police
forces might be lacking in manpower and non-lethal
weapons expertise. A/S Rocca noted the upcoming program
in which U.S. Treasury officials were scheduled to come
to MALDIVES to work with their Maldivian counterparts on
combating money laundering and terrorist financing. She
added that the U.S. continued to explore additional
avenues for training. The Ambassador and Adam both
expressed their support for the ongoing discussions
between the two countries' military services. Adam also
remarked that the fire department would remain in his
ministry and asked if there was any U.S. program that
could provide training for firefighting personnel. The
Ambassador replied that we could help identify
organizations in the U.S. that might help, as he was
unaware of any State Department-organized assistance in
this area.


12. (C) Ambassador said that we appreciated MALDIVES'
friendship and assistance. He noted that our two
militaries had a good cooperative relationship, and
MALDIVES had helped us out, for example, when we needed
an urgent landing clearance. Adam emphasized MALDIVES'
commitment to helping the U.S. in the global fight
against terrorism. Ambassador said our governments
should look for ways to cooperate even more closely, and
offered to arrange some briefings on how we might to so.
Adam enthusiastically agreed, saying, "Whatever you
need, we will do."

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Human Rights Commissioner reviews plans
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


13. (C) During their May 16 meeting, Ahmed Mujthaba,
head of the Human Rights Commission (HRC),and A/S Rocca
discussed the status of the draft HRC bill, the work
with which the Commission was involved, and the HRC's
needs as it tried to get fully up to steam. Optimistic
about the draft HRC bill now being reviewed in a Majlis
committee, Mujthaba felt that the current version of the
bill reflected some of the concerns of the Commission,
namely the body's need for independence from the
government and its need to be able to continue an
investigation even after a case has been referred to the
legal system.


14. (C) Mujthaba said there were plans to hire
additional lawyers to increase the Commission's capacity
for conducting investigations -- to date, over 70
complaints had been received and the nine commissioners
had met 35 times since the HRC's December 2003
inception. If the current draft of the bill passed,
officially separating the HRC from the government,
Mujthaba said he would also have to hire new
commissioners, as some commissioners were currently
government employees and may be ineligible for continued
service with the Commission. He also touched on plans
to increase public consciousness on human rights issues,
including one workshop planned for June to increase
awareness about human rights among members of the media.
The Ambassador commented that several U.S.-based
organizations involved with capacity building and
training on human rights issues may also be able to
provide assistance. Mujthaba stated his interest in
such assistance, but wanted to proceed carefully with
any high profile organization to avoid antagonizing any
MPs not in favor of the commission and thereby possibly
putting the draft HRC bill in jeopardy.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Meeting with UNDP Representative
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


15. (C) In a May 16 conversation with A/S Rocca, UNDP
Resident Representative in the MALDIVES Minh Pham (Amcit
-- pls strictly protect) focused his remarks on the
country's proposed graduation from LDC status and the
newly establish Human Rights Commission. Regarding LDC
graduation, Pham said he thought government opinion,
originally centered on delaying graduation, had slowly
swung to acceptance (a view that was confirmed to A/S
Rocca during her meeting with President Gayoom the
following day). A feature of graduation would be an
appropriately structured and paced transition strategy,
Pham said, and the UNDP was ready to help the GoRM
develop such an action plan. The UNDP was also intent
on working with the HRC to build capacity within that
body and increase its standing among international human
rights organizations.

=-=-=-=
COMMENT
=-=-=-=


16. (C) A/S Rocca's visit highlighted U.S. interest in
MALDIVES and underscored our strong support for
democratic reforms. As noted, after years of semi-
autocratic one-man rule by Gayoom, the political reform
agenda has really taken off in MALDIVES in the past
several months. In the meeting with A/S Rocca, Gayoom
was relaxed and carried the discussion on for twice the
scheduled length. He does seem convinced of the need to
go forward with political reform; a question remains
whether some of his cronies can thwart these plans, or
at least retard the pace. With expectations so high,
murmurings of discontent are likely if moves toward
genuine reform are seen as being kicked down the road.


17. (C) COMMENT (Continued): With MALDIVES in this
transition stage, targeted assistance in various areas
could have a significant impact. MALDIVES may be that
rarity today -- a friendly Islamic country moving of its
own accord towards a more democratic system. That is
something we should encourage. Septels will follow with
suggestions on how we might proceed. END COMMENT.


18. (U) Assistant Secretary Rocca did not have an
opportunity to review this message before departing
Post.


19. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD