Maldives’ exiled leader rebuked
Beijing slams his ‘land grab’ remark as nonsense
China on Thursday rebuked as nonsense a claim by the exiled opposition leader of the Maldives that China is engaged in a “land grab” that undermines the country’s independence and poses a threat to the entire Indian Ocean region.
Exiled Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed published an article Wednesday in The Indian Express, claiming that China is among foreign powers who “are engaged in a ‘land grab’ of Maldivian islands, key infrastructure, and even essential utilities.”
“As I watch my country in exile, I fear that, piece by piece, island by island, the Maldives is being sold off to China,” Nasheed wrote in the article.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said the claim is total nonsense.
“When Mr. Nasheed was president, China has offered assistance to the Maldives and promoted the pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. This has obtained a lot of achievements. I don’t know whether Mr. Nasheed will regard this kind of cooperation as grabbing,” Geng told reporters at the regular news briefing on Thursday.
“China’s aid to the Maldives has never attached any political conditions. It doesn’t interfere with Maldives’ sovereignty or independence, and is not a threat to the security of the Indian Ocean region.”
On Tuesday, Nasheed called on India to send troops to free jailed judges and political detainees, according to AFP.
The tiny island nation has been grappling with a political crisis after President Abdulla Yameent refused to obey a Supreme Court order to release nine political prisoners and declared a state of emergency.
China, however, said the international community should play a constructive role on the basis of respecting the sovereignty of the Maldives and urged relevant parties in the Maldives to resolve differences through dialogue and negotiation.
The UN human rights chief warned Wednesday that a crackdown on dissent in the Maldives is tantamount to “an all-out assault on democracy,” after Yameen appeared to gain the upper hand in the bitter power struggle, AFP reported.
The UN Security Council was set to discuss the situation during a closed-door meeting on Thursday, diplomats said, and will hear a report by the UN political affairs department, which asked the top UN body to take up the matter.