Repression and the denial of democracy in the Maldives

Sarah Ludford backed a call by the European Parliament for the EU to apply serious pressure on the government of the Maldives - including withdrawal of non-humanitarian aid, smart sanctions against the elite, and warnings to tourists unaware of the authoritarian politics of this Indian Ocean paradise - for an end to the state of emergency and other human rights breaches. She reproached the Commission for its website references to everything being hunky-dory there, prompting a chastened Commissioner Verheugen to promise to update it.

Ludford (ALDE/ADLE). - Mr President, you would be hard pressed to discover from the Commission website that there was a problem in the Maldives. It says that the political situation in the Maldives has remained remarkably stable over the past two decades, providing a conducive environment for development. I suppose you could call 26 years of unbroken dictatorship stability of a sort, but it is hardly conducive to development. The Country Strategy Paper states that political developments have progressed over the past two decades, with enhanced democratic practices and increased respect for human rights; but this judgment is unbelievable since the paper subsequently notes problems of arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, lack of an independent judiciary and restrictions on free speech, protest and freedom of religion. It is incredible that the Commission can, in these circumstances, record President Gayoom's commitment to democratisation.

The Maldives ambassador was on the phone to me this morning. He advised me that the troublesome elements were Islamic fundamentalists. That is not my information. However, the more the legitimate opposition, such as the Maldivian Democratic Party, and fundamental rights are suppressed, the more people will be driven into the arms of extremists.

Verheugen, Commission - Mr President, honourable Members, the Commission is as concerned as you are about the state of emergency in the Maldives and the continued detention of members of the constitutional Assembly, opposition leaders and journalists. The measures imposed under the 'state of emergency' are draconian. President Gayoom has clearly overreacted to what amounted to a peaceful protest.

The EU has already reacted strongly. On 17 August, the United Kingdom Foreign Office issued a strong statement calling for the state of emergency to be lifted. On 22-24 August, the EU Presidency led a fact-finding mission that met with various ministers, some of the detainees and several eye-witnesses. The mission led to an official EU démarche on 6 September, which was not well received by the Maldives Government, and to a strong public statement calling on the President to release prisoners, lift the state of emergency and continue with constitutional reforms.

The President was clearly stung by these statements. He sent the Minister for Tourism to the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy to explain the situation. He reassured the European Union that he intends to continue with his promised constitutional reforms. He agreed that Amnesty International and the Red Cross should visit the prisons.

In shaping our response for the future, we should also recognise that the President undertook some reforms before the summer - discussions in the Majlis Assembly and the establishment of the Human Rights Commission - but that he was clearly moving too slowly for the citizens of the Maldives.

Building on this, a resolution from the European Parliament that would underline the main messages already passed by the EU would be very valuable. It should also push the President to move on his offer for the Red Cross to monitor the prisons, stress that the European Union will continue to monitor the situation closely and, if warranted, take up the President's offer for the EU Representatives to return to the country for further dialogue.

However, it would, in our view, be premature to consider travel restrictions, suspension of aid and other more punitive actions at this stage. If the situation worsens and the state of emergency is not lifted, such measures should be considered. But let us first see if the President will respect his promises to return to normal rule and resume the reform process as soon as possible.

I appreciate the information provided by the honourable Member, Baroness Ludford, concerning the Commission's website. I was not aware of it, but I have already given instructions for it to be checked. Obviously, there is a need to update the website and that will happen immediately.