Ousted Maldivian President dragged along street by policemen
Nasheed’s party chairman Moosa Manik gives first hand account of melee as he recovers in a hospital in Colombo
Ousted Maldivian President, Mohamed Nasheed and two of his Party‘s senior members had to hide inside a hardware shop in Male to escape a teargas and baton attack by policemen, before being detected and dragged out like common criminals along the streets of the city, an official who was injured in the incident and now receiving treatment at a private hospital in Colombo, said.
Moosa Manik (51), a Member of Parliament (MP) of the Maldives and Chairman of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) of President Nasheed, recollected how they hid inside the hardware shop, as riot police charged the crowds who had taken to the streets in protest at the ousting of the President last Wednesday.
“One policeman held me by the neck, as the others assaulted me after I was dragged out. I was semiconscious when I saw one man pull out a knife and stab me on the head with it,” Manik told the Sunday Times from his hospital bed.
Along with him, President Nasheed was also dragged out by the policemen, but he did not wit- ness what fate befell the President in the melee, Manik said.
Later, he was taken to a hospital in Male, by a relative who was a police officer, and brought to Sri Lanka in the early hours of Friday, to undergo medical treatment for multiple injuries he received, including a cut to his skull.
Leaving the country too had proved an ordeal for him and his family members, with the newly installed government releasing a list of names of people who could not leave Male.“after arguing with Immigration and Police officials for more than an hour, we, managed to get him onboard the flight to Colombo,” said Mudurikath Moosa, Manik’s son who is now by his bedside.
The street protests which culminated with the ousting of President Nasheed, began with the arrest of the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court of the Maldives, Abdulla Mohamed on January 16. While Nasheed’s government accused the judge of complicity with criminals, his opponents said this was a move to interfere with the judiciary.
Moosa Manik, however, said the ousting of the President had been instigated by former President Abdul Gayoom and his supporters who have joined forces with other extremist parties to capture power.
He was also critical of Vice President Dr. Mohamed Waheed who took office as President, after Nasheed was forced out of office.
“Under our Constitution, the Vice President can take over if the President is unable to discharge his duties, but now, he is attempting to change the Cabinet and turn everything around in an undemocratic manner,” Moosa said.
He also alleged that large scale arrests of MDP supporters have taken place, with around 500 detained so far, including his son-in-law, an MDP activist.
For members of the MDP who carried out a protracted campaign to restore democracy in the archipelago, Nasheed’s overthrow came as a shock, but not wholly unexpected.“there have been moves by persons linked to Gayoom, to oust the government for some time. But they are making a big mistake, because the people of the Maldives have tasted democracy, and they do not want to go back to autocratic rule,” said Moosa, better known in his motherland as “Reeko Mossa”, being a well-known movie actor in his younger years.
The injuries he suffered have in no way dampened Manik’s desire to continue with the struggle for democracy. “The moment I get better, I am going back, even if they kill me. We have fought hard for democracy in our country. I have served many years in jail, but we will not allow the rights of our people to be hijacked in this manner,” he said.