Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) has
said that "Maldives must be suspended from the Commonwealth" if they
fail to "re-establish the rule of law, properly exercise democratic
values, and ensure the separation of the Executive, Judiciary and
Legislature in keeping with Commonwealth values."
In a statement released on Tuesday titled Authoritarianism and Radicalisation Undermine Maldivian Democracy, A CHRI Investigation Finds , CHRI noted that "the Maldives should be kept under scrutiny" until then.
A fact-finding mission from CHRI visited the Maldives in November 2015, who's full report will be published at 2 pm (local time) on Wednesday.
"The mission’s objective was to evaluate Maldivian compliance with the Commonwealth’s fundamental values laid out primarily in the 2013 Charter and the Latimer House Principles as well as international standards," reads the statement.
It noted that "the intelligence collected by CHRI strongly echoes the Commonwealth’s and the international community’s concerns regarding the Maldives," and that the Maldives is in clear violation of the fundamental values of the Commonwealth in addition to numerous international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture (CAT), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to which the Maldives is a party."
Noting that it had found "a gradual but sure slide to authoritarianism accompanied by a flagrant disregard to rule of law, good governance and human rights is taking place in the Maldives," the statement said that "these problems are further exacerbated by the rise of radicalised non-state actors relentlessly harassing those perceived to be secular, unorthodox or “un-Islamic”."
"We believe that the empathy afforded to radicalised elements by an authoritarian government will both dismantle democracy and mould Maldivian society according to values and beliefs that stand in stark contradiction to the core values and principles of the Commonwealth," said the NGO.
CHRI, in its statement, also emphasized that "with a government unwilling to punish these perpetrators and instead tolerating them, Maldivian society is being moved along paths that seriously threaten democratic and Commonwealth values," and that the government policies are "disenfranchising and, in some cases, jeopardising political opposition, endangering the functioning of human rights organisations, activists and journalists, and fast narrowing the space for free expression."
Further emphasizing that it is "highly unlikely that the government will take steps to reverse the dynamics of radicalisation and authoritarianism without losing its grip on power," CHRI said that the "lack of political will within the current Maldivian government to tackle these issues makes international pressure even more necessary to push for reforms in the country."
"In a nutshell, the reforms become possible when the costs of resistance to international pressure begin to outweigh their benefits. This approach has proven to be effective," reads the statement which noted that former President Mohamed Nasheed was granted a medical reprieve in the UK, following "mounting international pressure and calls for sanctions and a tourism boycott."
Furthermore, CHRI said that "to make the Maldives government respect Commonwealth values and comply with its obligations under international law, the international community and the Commonwealth should consider further efforts in applying pressure on the PPM government."
It noted that the release of all political prisoner should be high on the agenda, but that "it must be accompanied by a thorough investigation into the abuse of power, human rights violations and threats to democracy," and that the country "should be kept under scrutiny until the time the government re-establishes the rule of law, properly exercises democratic values, and ensures the separation of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature in keeping with Commonwealth values. Failing which, the Maldives must be suspended from the Commonwealth."
CHRI called to suspended the Maldives from the Commonwealth, if the government fails and emphasized that the country’s "reinstatement should only be considered when the state demonstrates a return to these values."
In a statement released on Tuesday titled Authoritarianism and Radicalisation Undermine Maldivian Democracy, A CHRI Investigation Finds , CHRI noted that "the Maldives should be kept under scrutiny" until then.
A fact-finding mission from CHRI visited the Maldives in November 2015, who's full report will be published at 2 pm (local time) on Wednesday.
"The mission’s objective was to evaluate Maldivian compliance with the Commonwealth’s fundamental values laid out primarily in the 2013 Charter and the Latimer House Principles as well as international standards," reads the statement.
It noted that "the intelligence collected by CHRI strongly echoes the Commonwealth’s and the international community’s concerns regarding the Maldives," and that the Maldives is in clear violation of the fundamental values of the Commonwealth in addition to numerous international agreements, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention against Torture (CAT), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), to which the Maldives is a party."
Noting that it had found "a gradual but sure slide to authoritarianism accompanied by a flagrant disregard to rule of law, good governance and human rights is taking place in the Maldives," the statement said that "these problems are further exacerbated by the rise of radicalised non-state actors relentlessly harassing those perceived to be secular, unorthodox or “un-Islamic”."
"We believe that the empathy afforded to radicalised elements by an authoritarian government will both dismantle democracy and mould Maldivian society according to values and beliefs that stand in stark contradiction to the core values and principles of the Commonwealth," said the NGO.
CHRI, in its statement, also emphasized that "with a government unwilling to punish these perpetrators and instead tolerating them, Maldivian society is being moved along paths that seriously threaten democratic and Commonwealth values," and that the government policies are "disenfranchising and, in some cases, jeopardising political opposition, endangering the functioning of human rights organisations, activists and journalists, and fast narrowing the space for free expression."
Further emphasizing that it is "highly unlikely that the government will take steps to reverse the dynamics of radicalisation and authoritarianism without losing its grip on power," CHRI said that the "lack of political will within the current Maldivian government to tackle these issues makes international pressure even more necessary to push for reforms in the country."
"In a nutshell, the reforms become possible when the costs of resistance to international pressure begin to outweigh their benefits. This approach has proven to be effective," reads the statement which noted that former President Mohamed Nasheed was granted a medical reprieve in the UK, following "mounting international pressure and calls for sanctions and a tourism boycott."
Furthermore, CHRI said that "to make the Maldives government respect Commonwealth values and comply with its obligations under international law, the international community and the Commonwealth should consider further efforts in applying pressure on the PPM government."
It noted that the release of all political prisoner should be high on the agenda, but that "it must be accompanied by a thorough investigation into the abuse of power, human rights violations and threats to democracy," and that the country "should be kept under scrutiny until the time the government re-establishes the rule of law, properly exercises democratic values, and ensures the separation of the Executive, Judiciary and Legislature in keeping with Commonwealth values. Failing which, the Maldives must be suspended from the Commonwealth."
CHRI called to suspended the Maldives from the Commonwealth, if the government fails and emphasized that the country’s "reinstatement should only be considered when the state demonstrates a return to these values."
source- https://raajje.mv/59101
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