British Government Warns Against All but Essential Travel to Maldives Capital.

(Dive Travel Business News - February 9, 2010) -- A coup d'état in the Maldives on Tuesday February 7 has resulted in the removal of President Mohamed Nasheed.   The UK Foreign Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Male Island. There are political demonstrations in the capital Malé, which have resulted in violent clashes involving police, military and demonstrators.  There have been reports of unrest on other non-resort islands generally around municipal buildings such as police stations and courtrooms.

The situation remains uncertain. Tourists in Malé, or those who choose to travel to Malé, should exercise caution, avoid demonstrations and beware of spontaneous gatherings. Tourists should check with their tour operator or travel company for further information.

This travel advisory does not include Malé International Airport (which is on the island of Hulhule) or travel from the airport to any part of the country other than Malé Island. There are currently no reports of social unrest or demonstrations at Malé International Airport, or at the tourist resorts. Most of the Maldives' nearly 1 million annual visitors never reach the capital.  Instead, they are taken straight from the airport island by speedboat or seaplane to their resorts. The international airport remains open and is operating normally.

The Republic of Maldives consists of 1,190 islands (approximately 200 are inhabited) grouped together in a double chain of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka. It has a population of fewer than 325,000, with approximately 100,000 people residing in the capital city of Malé, and an estimated 100,000 foreign workers. Beautiful atolls, inhabited by over 1,100 species of fish and other sea life, attract hundreds of thousands of dive and snorkel travelers and luxury tourists each year.

In 2008, Mohamed Nasheed was the first democratically elected president in the Maldives' first multi-party elections, ending the 30-year rule of authoritarian leader Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.  A press statement from Mr. Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party, issued on February 7, gave this account of what happened:

"Last night, rogue elements from the Maldives Police Service, in conjunction with the supporters of former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, overthrew the democratically elected government of President Nasheed. President Nasheed was taken to the President's Office under the custody of the security forces and subsequently resigned.

"We also condemn the violent attacks carried out against our members by the Maldives Police Service, including Members of Parliament (MP)and our former Chairperson, Mariya Didi, and other MPs from the party.

"We call upon the international community to assist us in establishing democracy in the Maldives and protect the officials of the government of President Nasheed. We fear for the safety of President Nasheed and senior members of his government."

A loose coalition of Mr. Gayoom's supporters and religious groups has now formed a government with Mr. Nasheed's former ally and Vice President Waheed Hassan sworn in as president. Mr. Nasheed said that he had resigned "to prevent violence" after police and opposition-led protesters took control of the state broadcaster in the capital, Male.

In the months building up to Monday's coup, Gayoom loyalists joined forces with disaffected police forces and hard-line religious leaders to paint ex-President Nasheed as anti-Islamic and selling the country to Jews and Christians.  

At one stage, opposition forces called for a ban on spas, which were considered to be anti-Islamic. President Nasheed's government concurred only to quickly lift the ban when protesters, some of whom were engaged in the tourist industry, realized that their own profits were being affected.

The Maldivian economy greatly relies on tourism. Tourism is estimated to account for two-thirds of the Maldives' gross domestic product of about $1 billion where resort ownership is highly controlled in the hands of a few.  Since the country has little industry of its own, other than the production of souvenirs and clothes, tourism has yet to create a comfortable source of living for all Maldivians. As a result of this, control over tourism services has become highly politicized.

The "coup" was engineered after Mr. Nasheed came into open conflict with the judiciary, which was packed with judges appointed under Mr. Gayoom's rule. Protests began last month after Mr. Nasheed ordered the military to arrest top criminal court judge Abdulla Mohamed on charges of corruption and political bias. Abdulla Mohamed is said to be close to former President Gayoom. The Nasheed government said the judiciary was unwilling to allow investigation of judicial misconduct against Abdulla Mohamed.

When he took office in November 2008, Mohamed Nasheed faced enormous challenges in underpinning democratic rule in the Maldives.  Mr. Nasheed was hemmed in from all sides by Gayoom supporters who retained control of most political and private institutions. The tourist industry, the media, and most importantly, the judiciary, were still dominated by close relatives and rich and powerful supporters of Mr. Gayoom.

During his time as President, Nasheed tirelessly promoted the Maldives throughout the international community and 'stole the show' at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009, where he placed the threat his country was facing as rising sea levels have the potential to sink his country. The Maldives is the lowest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 metres (7 ft 7 in), with the average being only 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level. More than 80 per cent of the country's land is composed of coral islands that rise less than one metre above sea level.

Ahead of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference, the Maldives garnered international attention when the former President announced that some of the country's tourism revenues would be diverted to buy a new homeland, as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to flood the luxury tourist destination. Nasheed and members of his Cabinet had already donned scuba gear to hold the world's first underwater Cabinet meeting, to highlight the threat of global warming to the low-lying Indian Ocean nation.  Spending about a half hour on the seabed, then-President Nasheed and his cabinet signed a document calling for global cuts in carbon emissions.

Under Mr. Nasheed's government, there had been a freer press and greater transparency, which meant that misdeeds of government officials were exposed along with those of the opposition.

According to John-James Robinson, Editor of MinivanNews.com, an independent English language news outlet in the Maldives, local media is now under the control of the opposition, who took over with police assistance on Tuesday and renamed the state broadcasting service TVM - its name under Mr. Gayoom. He said: "The MDP appeared to have disappeared yesterday; today Nasheed has stood up and declared Dr. Waheed's government illegitimate."

There is some concern for Mr. Nasheed's safety as there has now been a call from a Gayoom supporter for Mr. Nasheed's detention so that he can face charges of corruption and misuse of power.

A police spokesman is quoted as saying that police were investigating the discovery of at least 100 bottles of alcohol inside a truck removing garbage from the presidential residence, as Mr. Nasheed prepared to relinquish power. The consumption of alcohol outside tourist resorts is a crime in the Maldives, a Muslim country. If charged and convicted of possession of alcohol, Nasheed could be sent to jail for three years, banished abroad, placed under house arrest, or fined.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement that he hoped Nasheed's resignation would lead to a peaceful resolution of the political crisis. He called on all Maldivians to cement the nation's democratic gains. A UN team headed by Assistant Secretary General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco is scheduled to travel to the Maldives later this week to help the country to resolve its political tensions.

The Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation (MMPRC) released a statement “to reassure our industry colleagues that no resort, or tourist has been affected by this unusual event and that anyone intending to come to the Maldives on vacation can be reassured that their holiday will not be affected in anyway. The Maldives is unique for its one-island, one-resort geography and guarantees that no guests should be part of any local political issues. We look forward to seeing you soon.”

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