A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
Among the branches of the tallest tree, there is still a branch that is not a branch, actually, but a pole. A while ago, there was the al-Qaeda flag. Because a while ago, this was not Himandhoo Island: for its 600 inhabitants, it was Himandhoo Emirate. We are just 50 miles away from Male. But […]
Yameen Rasheed, 29-year-old, popular blogger and human rights defender from the Maldives, was brutally murdered on 23 April 2017. While the horrific attack was widely condemned both within and outside the country, so far belief in justice for Yameen has been hampered by serious questions related to the integrity of the investigation. The decision to […]
Discrimination is often the transference of moral degradation to others. The Maldives presents many examples of it in its treatment of migrant workers. Take Malé’s old Sultan Park, now upgraded and renamed Rasrani Bageecha. Its large, open space and fine old trees provide a rare haven of peace in the otherwise congested capital. On Fridays, […]
The original Dhivehi article was published on vfp.mv website on 1st October 2017. The following is a loose translation: In the past four years, the number of gang-related murders and violence had escalated to record heights. During the past two weeks, gang violence had claimed the lives of several young people. This triggered loud calls […]
The original Dhivehi article was published on Avas.mv website on 30th September 2017. The following is a loose translation: Is Malé safe anymore? Who is there to guarantee the safe return from a visit to a corner shop without getting stabbed in the throat or chest? In the capital city Malé, which has become a […]
The original Dhivehi article was published on Avas.mv website on 27th September 2017. The following is a loose translation: ‘Happiness from ATM’ (referring to ATM installation on the island by the Bank of Maldives), ‘Library to enrich education’, ‘A generator to ensure power supply’, all these covers basic necessities. In an island, there should be […]
Encouraged by Moody’s positive credit profile of the Maldives released on Wednesday, the Abdulla Yameen Government has decided to stick to its existing economic policies for the remainder of its term amidst criticism by the prophets of doom in the opposition. “The report is a further vindication of this administration’s economic plans. It confirms that […]
An old man’s confession Today morning, my sleep got disrupted by some loud sound. I couldn’t clearly make out what the sound was. Though, the sound was familiar enough but either I have trouble hearing or I have become too immune to these sounds. It must have been another blast somewhere. My body is all […]
Political situation in Maldives has been swinging from the tragic to the farcical in the last two months as President Yameen struggles to retain his hold on power. Having sent his nemesis – former President Nasheed to 13 years prison on an utterly bogus charge of ‘terrorism’, President Yameen thought that the remaining leaders could […]