Hoax photo of Nasheed meeting Artur Brothers circulated by State Defence Minister turns into meme Minivan News: The meme has blossomed to include Nasheed encountering deceased Chairman of Apple Inc, Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Justin Beiber, Professional Wrestler/Rapper/Actor John Cena, the Pope, popular antagonist of the Star Wars franchise Darth Vader, fictional lead character in the Sacha Baron Cohen comedy ‘Dictator’ Admiral General Haffaz Aladeen, DC Comics superhero Batman, Rowan Atkinson’s UK comedy icon Mr Bean, and ‘Big Bird’ from US children’s television show Sesame Street.
Maldives prez urges patience in rape victim flogging case “We appreciate the international compassion for this young woman and ask for your patience as this case moves through the judicial system,” President Waheed said in a statement. "Currently the case is being appealed and I have urged the judiciary to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.”
Good, succinct read on the situation from The Independent Trouble in paradise: The darker side of the Maldives
This generated a huge buzz in Maldives yesterday: Speaker of Parliament Abdulla Shahid dumped his old party which was aligned with the government to join the MDP, the largest group opposing the coup-backed government. He said he expects to bring “many young, assertive technocrats” with him. This is a positive move for several reasons. The obvious one is that as speaker he holds power in Parliament. The second one is that he is highly respected and trusted -- an experienced policymaker -- and Maldivians who oppose the current government count his defection from the coup government as a significant move. The third reason that is becoming more evident as days go by is that the opposition has too few leaders. Mohamed Nasheed, the former president, is not only the ousted president, he is the charismatic face of the secular pro-democracy movement and he wears several other hats as well. Maldivians cannot afford to put all of their eggs in one basket, especially since he has been jailed several times, placed under house arrest, was forced to seek refuge at the Indian consulate, and still has the threat of a trial which the government may try to push forward as it gets closer to the September election. There were legitimate and publicly discussed concerns that the Artur brothers, Armenian thugs-for-hire who were finally asked to leave the islands last week, had been hired by the current government to assassinate Nasheed. There was a historically large rally at which Shalid and Nasheed spoke. I joined the UStream chatbox during the rally to let them know the stream had clear reception in the US, never mind that I couldn't understand a word. Minivan News and other English language media in Maldives have covered the defection but Sun.mv which is regarded as the government mouthpiece, has not mentioned it as of today. Also yesterday, a small march was held in the capital to call for the implementation of Islamic Sharia.
A US military base in the Maldives? Interesting read that includes a description of the agreement, but there's lots of conjecture. According to the draft agreement, which I have seen, the Maldives will give the US unfettered access to, and use of, not just the military facility (or facilities) to be established but also all Maldivian aerial ports and seaports for whatever purpose it wants. http://www.dhivehisitee.com/executive/us-military-base-maldives/
The Island President documentary about Mohamed Nasheed is a fascinating encapsulation of his work on climate change early in his presidency. I was already tuned into Nasheed, the coup and struggles in the Maldives but my respect for "Anni" grew ten-fold after watching the film. He and other leaders of island nations banded together to force a change in China's policy on carbon emissions. It was a victory, but still just a recommendation, not a binding agreement. Nonetheless, it showed impressive negotiating skills. A David vs Goliath situation. Is airing on PBS. Can't find a streaming version yet. Nasheed conducts an underwater cabinet meeting in the Maldives:
U.S. forced to comment on leaked Status of Forces Agreement. No military base in Maldives, says former ambassador. Hmmm http://minivannews.com/politics/no-us-base-says-blake-as-us-un-diplomats-visit-male-57621
This is interesting, considering the United States has repeatedly denied any interest in a base in Maldives. Asian Tribune: US-Maldives military pact: When bases are not bases Washington, D.C. 11 May: The agreement between the United States and United Kingdom for the use of the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia as a military base expires in December 2016 unless the two parties agree on an extension by December 2014. The Sunday Times: US agreement with the Maldives – making ripples in the Indian Ocean? Sunday, May 12, 2013
Two more sex videos of Supreme Court judge leaked http://minivannews.com/politics/two-more-sex-videos-of-supreme-court-judge-leaked-61323
Supposed GCHQ tap of President, daughter, son-in-law discusses martial law, foreign worker voting, ‘smear campaigns’ http://minivannews.com/politics/sup...w-foreign-worker-voting-smear-campaigns-61288
My brothers, arrested, cuffed, for a fucking white-underwear-SC which annuls our elections. WE VOTE OR WE STRIKE ! UNDERWEAR PROTEST!!11!!!!1!!
Comment: The audacity of dictatorship http://minivannews.com/politics/comment-the-audacity-of-dictatorship-66944
Minivan News @MinivanNews 1h5:45pm: 'We don't want tourists to come...it all goes to businessmen that lead this coup": says protester #Maldives http://bit.ly/19HXNfG http://minivannews.com/politics/liv...rreparable-damage-to-the-state”-says-ec-67016
No voting today. Election postponed until further notice. Gayoom is the former dictator and current puppet master. New Map Chalkupy - says "Where's my vote?" Dead Man Voting
October 6th, 2013 Police arrest 12 during large MDP protest on charges of police assault, obstruction. A common sight these days: Former education minister was under house arrest yesterday as Maldives honored Teacher's Day What a contrast to the calm luxury resorts where the tourists are clueless or uncaring about the loss of basic rights.
Really great summary http://minivannews.com/politics/comment-the-maldives-egypt-and-the-revenge-of-the-deep-state-69375
Maldives officials refuse candidates’ proposal to move up presidential revote to avoid crisis http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...8a6f38-3fa1-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html
Let's hope Yameen is less a tyrant than his older brother who ordered jailing, rape, torture and death of dissidents. Am not optimistic since this family also controls the courts, police, street gangs, drug traffic and tourism industry. Further, Yameen won with support of religious extremists who despise women, love Sharia and would like to obliterate rational education.
From my experience of revolutions, though I and many outsider like me couldn't really understand situation there, the possibility of anti-corrupted government is very low. I'd seen only china succeed so well, in the period of mao. The corruption is not only of money but also Ideology, the people with power gets highly corrupted with ideology and there would also be addiction as I've seen. And In this case though, the political complexity is highly fluctuating, and I believe the citizens should not rely on any words of any leaders. They have to unite, and protest. Here the protest also is two major type as we know peaceful and violent. A peaceful protest are ignored by many rude governments and violent protest are indeed very destructive in nature: the people should think themselves that what would be more destructive there protest or there being dominated by a flesh and bone as they are. The people of Maldives should know that the leader leads because of followers, the citizen are the major part of the country's existence. There should never be a person, an idol leading the group as they might get corrupted as I said and they could stand against the citizens who follow them. There should only be the ideas that lead the group. The sense of love and affection. No-one have actual right to claim the nation as there's. Maldives not only citizen but also army and police should also understand this complexity as tomorrow they would be there like a stone. The one of great fault with human are that they think and don't stand against when they have nothing to loose and when everything is gone they realize it, also people couldn't see the depth of things and the reality is there are no laws indeed and we don't have to walk the same path: the only thing that matters is do we walk over good or a evil path. Well Its just an opinion and There is nothing in actual I can do then typing this words and post it over this form as my respond, everything about there life depends on how they do.
