Maldives sends envoys to China, Pak and S Arabia
INDIA SKIPPED? Male says dates proposed were not suitable for New Delhi NEW DELHI:
Maldives’ beleaguered President Abdulla Yameen, facing pressure from the world community to end a state of emergency, has dispatched envoys to the “friendly nations” of China, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia even as a similar visit to India was cancelled.
The island nation’s envoy to India, Ahmed Mohamed, was quoted by PTI as saying, “India was in fact the first stop planned and proposed for a visit of a special envoy of the president of Maldives. However, the dates proposed were not suitable for the Indian leadership.
“We understand the external affairs minister is out of the country and the prime minister is leaving for the UAE during the week,” he added.
The Maldives plunged into political turmoil last week after Yameen refused to obey a Supreme Court order clearing former president Mohamed Nasheed of terror charges and freeing eight top opposition leaders. Yameen instead imposed a 15-day emergency and detained two top judges.
An official said three members of the Cabinet, on the direction of Yameen, will visit “friendly nations of the Maldives and provide updates on the current situation”.
Economic development minister Mohamed Saeed was sent to China while foreign minister Mohamed Asim left for Pakistan on Wednesday. Agriculture minister Mohamed Shainee was scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
The move showed Yameen’s regime had decided to align itself closely with China, which had on Wednesday opposed any foreign intervention in the Maldives while responding to Nasheed’s call to India to use its military to end the turmoil in the nation.
Yameen has progressively moved closer to China as his tenuous grip on power has been challenged by Nasheed. He has cracked down on protests and detained opposition leaders.
India has said it is disturbed by developments in the Maldives, including the emergency imposed by Yameen and the president’s refusal to abide by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
India has officially given little indication how it plans to react to the emerging situation in the Maldives though reports have suggested that troops and air force planes have been kept in readiness if some sort of intervention becomes necessary.