The Maldives government leased &quot;Feydhoo Finolhu&quot;, an uninhabited island near the country&#39;s capital city of Male, to a Chinese firm for 50 years at a cost of&nbsp;$4 million. The name of the company is yet to be disclosed.

This week, Indian media reported concerns expressed by some government officials, saying that leasing a Maldivian island close to the capital city and the main airport to a Chinese firm might&nbsp;negatively effect India&#39;s&nbsp;strategic interests.

Speaking at a press conference&nbsp;on Wednesday, Chinese ambassador to the Maldives Wang Fukang said China was rather surprised by the concerns raised in Indian media over this matter.&nbsp;

He said, though he is aware of the public announcement by the Maldives&#39; tourism minister, he does not know the company which was awarded Feydhoo Finolhu. According to him, the Maldives government is yet to officially inform the Chinese firm that was&nbsp;awarded&nbsp;the island.

&quot;Foreign investors are important to Maldives tourism and economy. As far as I know there are three Chinese companies involved in resort construction in the Maldives. So I think that&#39;s how this also happened,&quot; he said.

Fukang criticised Indian media, noting that every country has the opportunity to invest in the Maldives.&nbsp;&quot;Maldives I think is open to all foreign investors.&quot;&nbsp;

Maldives recently amended its Tourism Act to allow the government to lease islands without a bidding process. Feydhoo Finolhu was among 11 islands listed by the government to be leased without a bid.&nbsp;

(WION)

Some Indian government officials worry about Maldives cheaply leasing to a Chinese company an empty island so near its airport and main city

The Maldives government leased "Feydhoo Finolhu", an uninhabited island near the country's capital city of Male, to a Chinese firm for 50 years at a cost of $4 million. The name of the company is yet to be disclosed. This week, Indian media reported concerns expressed by some government officials, saying that leasing a Maldivian island close to the capital city and the main airport to a Chinese firm might negatively effect India's strategic interests. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Chinese ambassador to the Maldives Wang Fukang said China was rather surprised by the concerns raised in Indian media over this matter. He said, though he is aware of the public announcement by the Maldives' tourism minister, he does not know the company which was awarded Feydhoo Finolhu. According to him, the Maldives government is yet to officially inform the Chinese firm that was awarded the island. "Foreign investors are important to Maldives tourism and economy. As far as I know there are three Chinese companies involved in resort construction in the Maldives. So I think that's how this also happened," he said. Fukang criticised Indian media, noting that every country has the opportunity to invest in the Maldives. "Maldives I think is open to all foreign investors." Maldives recently amended its Tourism Act to allow the government to lease islands without a bidding process. Feydhoo Finolhu was among 11 islands listed by the government to be leased without a bid. (WION)

Beijing surprised by Indian concern over Maldives leasing island to Chinese firm

With the beginning of the new year Maldives re-branded its main&nbsp;airport.

Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was officially re-named &quot;Velana International Airport&quot; and&nbsp;inaugurated&nbsp;by tPresident Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom at&nbsp;12 am&nbsp;on January 1.

At a ceremony held at Hulhule&#39; island, the Aerodrome license of Velana International Airport was handed over to the Maldives Airports Company Limited by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority.

President Yameen decided to re-brand the airport&nbsp;during a cabinet meeting held&nbsp;last&nbsp;Monday after&nbsp;Cabinet consultations; focusing on the transformation of the airport in line with&nbsp;the Administration&#39;s economic&nbsp;vision.

According to the&nbsp;President&#39;s office, Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was renamed as part of the efforts being made by&nbsp;the administration to make the airport a gateway for future development and growth.

There is a huge, ongoing project to develop the airport and the government says&nbsp;upon completion of this project&nbsp;the tourism sector will see significant growth while at the same time the airport would work towards becoming a major hub for distance travel.

For the vital role played by late&nbsp;president and prime minister Ibrahim Nasir in realisng the airport, the re-branded name still represents him,&nbsp;&quot;Velana&quot; is a reference to him.&nbsp;

This is the third time&nbsp;Maldives has changed the name of its airport. The initial name &quot;Hulhule Airport&quot; was changed to &quot;Male&#39; International Airport&quot; in early 1980&#39;s and then it was changed to &quot;Ibrahim Nasir International Airport&quot; during former president Mohamed Nasheed&#39;s administration.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The airport was renamed as part of the efforts being made by to make the airport a gateway for future development and growth

With the beginning of the new year Maldives re-branded its main airport. Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was officially re-named "Velana International Airport" and inaugurated by tPresident Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom at 12 am on January 1. At a ceremony held at Hulhule' island, the Aerodrome license of Velana International Airport was handed over to the Maldives Airports Company Limited by the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority. President Yameen decided to re-brand the airport during a cabinet meeting held last Monday after Cabinet consultations; focusing on the transformation of the airport in line with the Administration's economic vision. According to the President's office, Ibrahim Nasir International Airport was renamed as part of the efforts being made by the administration to make the airport a gateway for future development and growth. There is a huge, ongoing project to develop the airport and the government says upon completion of this project the tourism sector will see significant growth while at the same time the airport would work towards becoming a major hub for distance travel. For the vital role played by late president and prime minister Ibrahim Nasir in realisng the airport, the re-branded name still represents him, "Velana" is a reference to him. This is the third time Maldives has changed the name of its airport. The initial name "Hulhule Airport" was changed to "Male' International Airport" in early 1980's and then it was changed to "Ibrahim Nasir International Airport" during former president Mohamed Nasheed's administration. (WION)

Maldives renames its international airport

Former President of the Maldives and leader of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom called on the government Monday to lift the restraints its has allegedly placed on the country&#39;s media. He also called for the establishment of an environment conducive for free media.

In a statement released by him, he highlighted journalists and media organisations allegedly being intimidated by the government and raised concerns over the ongoing criminal investigations against several journalists. &nbsp;

Gayoom said several journalists have been arrested and convicted while they were going about their duty.

He said media freedom and journalism are among the&nbsp;fundamentals needed to make a government accountable for its actions and to ensure the rights of citizens.

Expressing the concerns of PPM members over the several challenges faced for media freedom in Maldives, Gayoom alleged that the new Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act was an attempt by the government to silence the media and limit press freedom and freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution.&nbsp;

&quot;Creating a law in the name of defamation with hefty punishments, is to hide certain people&#39;s&nbsp;corruption activities and silencing journalism,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Regarding an ongoing criminal investigation under the defamation act, Gayoom said reporting a word of another person is not a crime and a journalist or media stations should not bear the punishment for it.

Gayoom also raised concern over the lack of efforts to find abducted journalist Ahmed Rilwan, who has been missing for over two years.

He called on the government to investigate threats and attacks against journalists and take actions against those responsible for it.

(WION)

 
&nbsp;

In a statement, he highlighted journalists and media organisations allegedly being intimidated by the government

Former President of the Maldives and leader of ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom called on the government Monday to lift the restraints its has allegedly placed on the country's media. He also called for the establishment of an environment conducive for free media. In a statement released by him, he highlighted journalists and media organisations allegedly being intimidated by the government and raised concerns over the ongoing criminal investigations against several journalists. Gayoom said several journalists have been arrested and convicted while they were going about their duty. He said media freedom and journalism are among the fundamentals needed to make a government accountable for its actions and to ensure the rights of citizens. Expressing the concerns of PPM members over the several challenges faced for media freedom in Maldives, Gayoom alleged that the new Defamation and Freedom of Speech Act was an attempt by the government to silence the media and limit press freedom and freedom of speech guaranteed by the constitution. "Creating a law in the name of defamation with hefty punishments, is to hide certain people's corruption activities and silencing journalism," he said. Regarding an ongoing criminal investigation under the defamation act, Gayoom said reporting a word of another person is not a crime and a journalist or media stations should not bear the punishment for it. Gayoom also raised concern over the lack of efforts to find abducted journalist Ahmed Rilwan, who has been missing for over two years. He called on the government to investigate threats and attacks against journalists and take actions against those responsible for it. (WION)

Maldives: Ex-president Gayoom calls on govt to lift restraints on media

Less than half of Maldives lawmakers voted on Wednesday in favour of leaving the Commonwealth, a decision announced last week by President Abdulla Yameen-led government.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The vote highlighted deep divisions among the parliamentarians over the decision to the leave the group of mostly former British colonies, Reuters reported. &nbsp;It could bolster the opposition coalition, one of whose members called on the international community to help restore political stability to Maldives, as Yameen&#39;s ruling party grapples with a formal split.

&nbsp;

Only 39 lawmakers in the 85-member house endorsed the exit while 19 voted against the decision, including six from Yameen&#39;s own party. The remaining lawmakers were absent, the parliament&#39;s official website showed.

&nbsp;

The Indian Ocean archipelago remains mired in political unrest since Mohammad Nasheed, its first democratically elected leader, was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Earlier this week, on Monday, the ruling party formally into two factions, one run by the president and the other by his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the country for three decades through 2008.

&nbsp;

Yameen government&#39;s decision to quit Commonwealth, weeks after the organisation warned the country of suspension over failing to promote the rule of law and democracy, could serve as ammunition to the opposition coalition, Maldives United Opposition (MUO).&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The coalition was formed in June by Nasheed, who is living in exile in Britain, with an aim of toppling Yameen.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The coalition says the administration is trying to cover up corruption including money laundering, accusations the government has denied. On Wednesday the group launched a campaign to lobby international support for political reform.

&nbsp;

&quot;There is no hopes domestically. We have exhausted all the options. We need more pressure from the international community to press the government for democracy,&quot; Abdulla Riyaz, a MUO lawmaker, told reporters in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The divided vote could bolster the opposition as the ruling government grapples with a formal split

Less than half of Maldives lawmakers voted on Wednesday in favour of leaving the Commonwealth, a decision announced last week by President Abdulla Yameen-led government. The vote highlighted deep divisions among the parliamentarians over the decision to the leave the group of mostly former British colonies, Reuters reported. It could bolster the opposition coalition, one of whose members called on the international community to help restore political stability to Maldives, as Yameen's ruling party grapples with a formal split. Only 39 lawmakers in the 85-member house endorsed the exit while 19 voted against the decision, including six from Yameen's own party. The remaining lawmakers were absent, the parliament's official website showed. The Indian Ocean archipelago remains mired in political unrest since Mohammad Nasheed, its first democratically elected leader, was ousted in disputed circumstances in 2012. Earlier this week, on Monday, the ruling party formally into two factions, one run by the president and the other by his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the country for three decades through 2008. × Earlier this week, on Monday, the ruling party formally into two factions, one run by the president and the other by his half-brother Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who ruled the country for three decades through 2008. Yameen government's decision to quit Commonwealth, weeks after the organisation warned the country of suspension over failing to promote the rule of law and democracy, could serve as ammunition to the opposition coalition, Maldives United Opposition (MUO). The coalition was formed in June by Nasheed, who is living in exile in Britain, with an aim of toppling Yameen. The coalition says the administration is trying to cover up corruption including money laundering, accusations the government has denied. On Wednesday the group launched a campaign to lobby international support for political reform. "There is no hopes domestically. We have exhausted all the options. We need more pressure from the international community to press the government for democracy," Abdulla Riyaz, a MUO lawmaker, told reporters in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Maldives Parliament divided over Commonwealth exit ?

During its visit to Maldives, a Pakistani delegation carried what seems to be a targeted &quot;campaign&quot; against India. Pakistan senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, in his meeting with the President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Monday stressed that Pakistan was committed to ensuring peace and stability in the South Asian region.&nbsp;

&quot;Pakistan is a peace-loving country and desires peace in the region for stability, well-being and alleviation of poverty in the region,&quot; he said at the meeting, accompanied by the Pakistani delegation which included senator Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, senator Najmul Hassan and Pakistan&rsquo;s ambassador in the Maldives.

He blamed India of &quot;fostering unrest&quot; and &quot;continuing to sponsor state terrorism in Pakistan&quot; and said that despite such provocations Pakistan looks for lasting peace in the region, in accordance with the United Nations resolutions.&nbsp;

Rabbani told the Maldives president that recently a serving Indian naval commander Kulbhushan Yadav was arrested in Pakistan. &quot;This along with other steps being taken by India clearly show its expansion designs in the region.&quot;&nbsp;

It comes at a time when the regional South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November, had been cancelled over the ongoing tensions between the two regional powers, India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

The senate chair told the Maldives president that Pakistan respected their decision to leave the Commonwealth, but stressed on the need to continue constructive engagements.&nbsp;

Rabbani, in his meeting with the speaker of People&rsquo;s Majlis (Parliament of the Maldives), &nbsp;Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, on Sunday accused India of using the SAARC platform to further its political agenda against Pakistan.

Pakistan called upon other SAARC countries to reassess the group&#39;s role, particularly, keeping &quot;India&#39;s attitude&quot; in mind. Rabbani said, &quot;any one country should not be permitted to monopolise the forum.&quot; According to the Senate statement, he further emphasised that it would be appropriate for SAARC member states to censor such a move in the future.&nbsp;

Rabbani also highlighted the gross violation of human rights and international laws by India in Jammu and Kashmir, in both his meetings with the Maldivian President as well as the speaker of the People&rsquo;s Majlis.&nbsp;

&quot;He further brought to the notice of the speaker the use of pellet bullets and the loss of eyesight of innocent children. He stated that over 90 days have passed and the valley continued to be under curfew, innocent men, women and children have lost their lives. When all they are demanding is the implementation of the UN resolutions granting them the right of self-determination,&quot; the statement by the senate of Pakistan said.&nbsp;

Maldives, which claims to have an &#39;India first foreign policy&#39;, refrained from including Pakistan&#39;s observations in any official statement by its authourities. Both the President&#39;s office and the People&#39;s Majlis, only stated the discussions to strengthen bilateral ties between Maldives and Pakistan.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

Making a case against India, a Pakistani delegation on a visit to Maldives blamed India of 'fostering unrest' in the South Asian region

During its visit to Maldives, a Pakistani delegation carried what seems to be a targeted "campaign" against India. Pakistan senate chairman Mian Raza Rabbani, in his meeting with the President of Maldives Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom on Monday stressed that Pakistan was committed to ensuring peace and stability in the South Asian region. "Pakistan is a peace-loving country and desires peace in the region for stability, well-being and alleviation of poverty in the region," he said at the meeting, accompanied by the Pakistani delegation which included senator Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa, senator Najmul Hassan and Pakistan’s ambassador in the Maldives. He blamed India of "fostering unrest" and "continuing to sponsor state terrorism in Pakistan" and said that despite such provocations Pakistan looks for lasting peace in the region, in accordance with the United Nations resolutions. Rabbani told the Maldives president that recently a serving Indian naval commander Kulbhushan Yadav was arrested in Pakistan. "This along with other steps being taken by India clearly show its expansion designs in the region." It comes at a time when the regional South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November, had been cancelled over the ongoing tensions between the two regional powers, India and Pakistan. The senate chair told the Maldives president that Pakistan respected their decision to leave the Commonwealth, but stressed on the need to continue constructive engagements. Rabbani, in his meeting with the speaker of People’s Majlis (Parliament of the Maldives), Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, on Sunday accused India of using the SAARC platform to further its political agenda against Pakistan. Pakistan called upon other SAARC countries to reassess the group's role, particularly, keeping "India's attitude" in mind. Rabbani said, "any one country should not be permitted to monopolise the forum." According to the Senate statement, he further emphasised that it would be appropriate for SAARC member states to censor such a move in the future. Rabbani also highlighted the gross violation of human rights and international laws by India in Jammu and Kashmir, in both his meetings with the Maldivian President as well as the speaker of the People’s Majlis. "He further brought to the notice of the speaker the use of pellet bullets and the loss of eyesight of innocent children. He stated that over 90 days have passed and the valley continued to be under curfew, innocent men, women and children have lost their lives. When all they are demanding is the implementation of the UN resolutions granting them the right of self-determination," the statement by the senate of Pakistan said. Maldives, which claims to have an 'India first foreign policy', refrained from including Pakistan's observations in any official statement by its authourities. Both the President's office and the People's Majlis, only stated the discussions to strengthen bilateral ties between Maldives and Pakistan. (WION)

Pakistan blames India for 'instability' in region, calls for reassessment of SAARC's role

JEFF TO EDIT ON TUESDAY

&nbsp;

The Maldives, an island nation in Indian Ocean known for its luxury tourism, is becoming more affordable&nbsp;with its growing tourist guesthouse business.&nbsp;

Maldives has been an upmarket luxury tourism destination since the beginning of its tourism industry, with a unique model of one-island, one-resort. &nbsp;Each resort,&nbsp;built up in an environment friendly private island with a white sand beach, crystal clear sea and all the luxury facilities one would need to have a perfect holiday, made it a popular tourist destination across the globe. But it also made it prohibitively&nbsp;expensive. &nbsp;

Enjoying&nbsp;life without doing too much damage to the&nbsp;wallet is&nbsp;a dream for many. Finally in 2010,&nbsp;Maldives relaxed its tourism rules, which had&nbsp;limited&nbsp;tourism to resorts in uninhabited Islands only. Now that it&#39;s allowed,&nbsp;guest&nbsp;house tourism on local islands offers&nbsp;an affordable alternative to the expensive resorts. &nbsp;

Maldives Getaways Private Limited, a public relations and a marketing agency, has been promoting and providing essential services to the emerging guest house business in Maldives through the brand &quot;Guesthouses Maldives&quot;.&nbsp;

Dr&nbsp;Hussain Sunny Umar, Director of Business Development with&nbsp;Maldives Getaways, told WION that&nbsp;with the growing guest house business, Maldives will&nbsp;hopefully&nbsp;reach its&nbsp;target of two&nbsp;million tourists by 2020.

&quot;Some 1.2 million tourists were attracted past year to Maldives.&nbsp;The global tourism, however, represents over 1.2 billion tourists, and the luxury market is just one per cent. Opening up to the entire market means more products and more opportunities. The guest house market is a complementary market for resorts; those who cannot afford high-end luxury resorts now have&nbsp;the chance to visit at least once while enjoying the budget tourism,&quot; Dr&nbsp;Sunny said.&nbsp;

The resort model comes with a private island, whereas&nbsp;guest house&nbsp;does not, meaning&nbsp;it may not offer as much as privacy as the resorts.&nbsp;Guests here would&nbsp;have to&nbsp;respect&nbsp;the local community and&nbsp;customs. Since Maldives is a Muslim country, alcohol will be prohibited on local islands and women will need to dress much more modestly than on a resort.&nbsp;

Some guest&nbsp;houses are similar to&nbsp;all-inclusive hotels, while others are more like inns with bed and breakfast. Luxury facilities and amenities in resorts will be of a higher order than&nbsp;the guest houses, located on inhabited islands by locals across the country. However, guest houses also offers many exciting activities like diving, snorkeling, watersports, night fishing, excursions to uninhabited islands and more.

Guest houses&nbsp;offer&nbsp;tourists&nbsp;something closer to the real Maldivian experience,&nbsp;by letting them&nbsp;spend their vacation among&nbsp;locals, which is impossible&nbsp;in resorts&nbsp;unless tourists seek&nbsp;a guided excursion to a local island. On&nbsp;resorts, tourists&nbsp;only see that specifically designed private vacation island which does not resemble the local community or Maldivian way of life.&nbsp;

&quot;The global context of tourism is changing and people want to learn and enjoy more of tourism than mere luxury life in quiet resorts. There is more to local islands in terms of activities,&quot; Dr&nbsp;Sunny said.

At&nbsp;the end of 2010 there were&nbsp;only 18 tourist guest houses in Maldives. But today there are hundreds, and many more being built. The occupancy rate of guest houses&nbsp;increased by 3.9 per cent by&nbsp;June 2016,&nbsp;while in the same period the resort occupancy has decreased by 4.9 per cent.&nbsp;

Mohamed Yasir, Marketing Executive of Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation (MMPRC) explained to WION the current situation of guest hose business in Maldives.

&quot;As of September 2016 there is a total of 372 Guest House operating in the Maldives. In terms of bed number there is a total of 5,535 bed capacity. By August 2016 guesthouse have an average occupancy of 29.1 per cent. In terms of bed nights 94,663 nights were booked. Compared to 2015 the number of bed nights have increase by 12.0 per cent,&quot; he said.

&quot;Over 150,000 tourists came to Maldives for guesthouses in 2015. The total tourism receipts for guesthouses is some $120,000,000,&quot; Dr&nbsp;Sunny also added.&nbsp;

It&#39;s not only&nbsp;tourists who&nbsp;benefits from the&nbsp;guest house business. The island of Maafushi in Kaafu atoll is the pioneer of&nbsp;guest house tourism. The president of Maafushi Council told WION that the guest house business has not only developed the island and created job opportunities for the locals, but also is contributing to the economy of the country.&nbsp;

&quot;In 2010 it started with just one&nbsp;guest house. Today Maafushi has around 50 guest house with 800 beds. End of the year we are expecting it to increase for 1000 beds. Last year Maafushi paid MVR 9.17 million as tax out of which a great portion is derived directly or indirectly from tourism industry,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Maldives Getaways held&nbsp;the very first guest house&nbsp;conference in Maldives, which was a one&nbsp;day networking event to promote and market the emerging guest house industry. These kind of events are necessary to promote the new emerging industry. 
&quot;As the guesthouse business is fairly new concept in the Maldivian tourism industry the sector requires support in marketing and promotion. MMRPC has been assisting in marketing activities initiated by the guest house sector,&quot; the Marketing Executive, Mohamed Yasir said.

While speaking at the opening ceremony of the Guesthouse Maldives Conference, Finance Minister Ahmed Munawar said for further development of the tourism industry in Maldives, it is essential to develop the guest house business. &nbsp;

Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation also agrees with the importance of guest house model in Maldives tourism industry.&nbsp;

&quot;The Guesthouse will be playing a vital role in the Maldivian Tourism Industry in the near future. As Maldives is heavily dependent on the Tourism Industry it is essential to offer different categories of accommodation. As the global tourism industry is becoming more competitive, to attract more tourist product diversification is essential,&quot; Yasir said.

Guest house business will expand Maldivian tourism Industry offering more options to everyone. Asian markets like India and China has already increased over the past few years. Maldives is no longer just a luxury destination. If go local, now anyone can do Maldives without too much damage to your bank account.&nbsp;

&quot;The tourism will change, but in a good way. There will be an influx of new tourism markets which was not attracted earlier. We foresee an exponential growth in this industry and we project guesthouse properties to reach 1000 in over 100 islands by 2020 attracting more than 500,000 tourists,&quot; Dr&nbsp;Sunny said.&nbsp;

(WION) 
&nbsp;

JEFF TO EDIT ON TUESDAY The Maldives, an island nation in Indian Ocean known for its luxury tourism, is becoming more affordable with its growing tourist guesthouse business. Maldives has been an upmarket luxury tourism destination since the beginning of its tourism industry, with a unique model of one-island, one-resort. Each resort, built up in an environment friendly private island with a white sand beach, crystal clear sea and all the luxury facilities one would need to have a perfect holiday, made it a popular tourist destination across the globe. But it also made it prohibitively expensive. Enjoying life without doing too much damage to the wallet is a dream for many. Finally in 2010, Maldives relaxed its tourism rules, which had limited tourism to resorts in uninhabited Islands only. Now that it's allowed, guest house tourism on local islands offers an affordable alternative to the expensive resorts. Maldives Getaways Private Limited, a public relations and a marketing agency, has been promoting and providing essential services to the emerging guest house business in Maldives through the brand "Guesthouses Maldives". Dr Hussain Sunny Umar, Director of Business Development with Maldives Getaways, told WION that with the growing guest house business, Maldives will hopefully reach its target of two million tourists by 2020. "Some 1.2 million tourists were attracted past year to Maldives. The global tourism, however, represents over 1.2 billion tourists, and the luxury market is just one per cent. Opening up to the entire market means more products and more opportunities. The guest house market is a complementary market for resorts; those who cannot afford high-end luxury resorts now have the chance to visit at least once while enjoying the budget tourism," Dr Sunny said. The resort model comes with a private island, whereas guest house does not, meaning it may not offer as much as privacy as the resorts. Guests here would have to respect the local community and customs. Since Maldives is a Muslim country, alcohol will be prohibited on local islands and women will need to dress much more modestly than on a resort. Some guest houses are similar to all-inclusive hotels, while others are more like inns with bed and breakfast. Luxury facilities and amenities in resorts will be of a higher order than the guest houses, located on inhabited islands by locals across the country. However, guest houses also offers many exciting activities like diving, snorkeling, watersports, night fishing, excursions to uninhabited islands and more. Guest houses offer tourists something closer to the real Maldivian experience, by letting them spend their vacation among locals, which is impossible in resorts unless tourists seek a guided excursion to a local island. On resorts, tourists only see that specifically designed private vacation island which does not resemble the local community or Maldivian way of life. "The global context of tourism is changing and people want to learn and enjoy more of tourism than mere luxury life in quiet resorts. There is more to local islands in terms of activities," Dr Sunny said. At the end of 2010 there were only 18 tourist guest houses in Maldives. But today there are hundreds, and many more being built. The occupancy rate of guest houses increased by 3.9 per cent by June 2016, while in the same period the resort occupancy has decreased by 4.9 per cent. Mohamed Yasir, Marketing Executive of Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation (MMPRC) explained to WION the current situation of guest hose business in Maldives. "As of September 2016 there is a total of 372 Guest House operating in the Maldives. In terms of bed number there is a total of 5,535 bed capacity. By August 2016 guesthouse have an average occupancy of 29.1 per cent. In terms of bed nights 94,663 nights were booked. Compared to 2015 the number of bed nights have increase by 12.0 per cent," he said. "Over 150,000 tourists came to Maldives for guesthouses in 2015. The total tourism receipts for guesthouses is some $120,000,000," Dr Sunny also added. It's not only tourists who benefits from the guest house business. The island of Maafushi in Kaafu atoll is the pioneer of guest house tourism. The president of Maafushi Council told WION that the guest house business has not only developed the island and created job opportunities for the locals, but also is contributing to the economy of the country. "In 2010 it started with just one guest house. Today Maafushi has around 50 guest house with 800 beds. End of the year we are expecting it to increase for 1000 beds. Last year Maafushi paid MVR 9.17 million as tax out of which a great portion is derived directly or indirectly from tourism industry," he said. Maldives Getaways held the very first guest house conference in Maldives, which was a one day networking event to promote and market the emerging guest house industry. These kind of events are necessary to promote the new emerging industry. "As the guesthouse business is fairly new concept in the Maldivian tourism industry the sector requires support in marketing and promotion. MMRPC has been assisting in marketing activities initiated by the guest house sector," the Marketing Executive, Mohamed Yasir said. While speaking at the opening ceremony of the Guesthouse Maldives Conference, Finance Minister Ahmed Munawar said for further development of the tourism industry in Maldives, it is essential to develop the guest house business. Maldives Marketing and Public Relation Corporation also agrees with the importance of guest house model in Maldives tourism industry. "The Guesthouse will be playing a vital role in the Maldivian Tourism Industry in the near future. As Maldives is heavily dependent on the Tourism Industry it is essential to offer different categories of accommodation. As the global tourism industry is becoming more competitive, to attract more tourist product diversification is essential," Yasir said. Guest house business will expand Maldivian tourism Industry offering more options to everyone. Asian markets like India and China has already increased over the past few years. Maldives is no longer just a luxury destination. If go local, now anyone can do Maldives without too much damage to your bank account. "The tourism will change, but in a good way. There will be an influx of new tourism markets which was not attracted earlier. We foresee an exponential growth in this industry and we project guesthouse properties to reach 1000 in over 100 islands by 2020 attracting more than 500,000 tourists," Dr Sunny said. (WION)

Maldives

The chairman of the senate of Pakistan, Mian Razan Rabbani, met&nbsp;the speaker of People&rsquo;s Majlis (the unicameral legislative body of the Maldives), &nbsp;Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, on Sunday and held discussions about strengthening bilateral ties.&nbsp;

Rabbani arrived in Maldives on Saturday night following an invitation by Maseeh Mohamed.

Ahead of departure from Pakistan, Rabbani had said&nbsp;that Pakistan places its bilateral relationship with the island nation&nbsp;at high esteem and desires to further enhance mutual cooperation and parliamentary linkages. &quot;Both the countries have supported each other on international forums and boosting parliamentary cooperation would give further impetus to our friendly ties,&quot; he had said.&nbsp;

He was greeted at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport&nbsp;by Maseeh Mohamed and some members of parliament (MPs), including the majority leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik.

The senate chaiman is also scheduled to meet the President of the Maldives and visit the Islamic center during his visit.

It&#39;s pertinent to mention that the regional SAARC summit that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November&nbsp;had been canceled over the ongoing tensions between the two regional powers, India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

India was the first country to pull out of SAARC summit and was later followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Sri Lanka became the fifth country to pull out of the regional summit leaving the current SAARC chair Nepal, and the host country Pakistan and the Maldives. Pakistan has subsequently postponed the summit after the massive pullout.&nbsp;

Both Maldives and Nepal have urged the South Asian nations to create a conducive environment for the summit. &nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
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The four-day visit is to strengthen parliamentary cooperation between Pakistan and the Maldives and explore avenues of bilateral ties

The chairman of the senate of Pakistan, Mian Razan Rabbani, met the speaker of People’s Majlis (the unicameral legislative body of the Maldives), Abdulla Maseeh Mohamed, on Sunday and held discussions about strengthening bilateral ties. Rabbani arrived in Maldives on Saturday night following an invitation by Maseeh Mohamed. Ahead of departure from Pakistan, Rabbani had said that Pakistan places its bilateral relationship with the island nation at high esteem and desires to further enhance mutual cooperation and parliamentary linkages. "Both the countries have supported each other on international forums and boosting parliamentary cooperation would give further impetus to our friendly ties," he had said. He was greeted at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport by Maseeh Mohamed and some members of parliament (MPs), including the majority leader Ahmed Nihan Hussain Manik. The senate chaiman is also scheduled to meet the President of the Maldives and visit the Islamic center during his visit. It's pertinent to mention that the regional SAARC summit that was scheduled to be held in Pakistan in November had been canceled over the ongoing tensions between the two regional powers, India and Pakistan. India was the first country to pull out of SAARC summit and was later followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan. Sri Lanka became the fifth country to pull out of the regional summit leaving the current SAARC chair Nepal, and the host country Pakistan and the Maldives. Pakistan has subsequently postponed the summit after the massive pullout. Both Maldives and Nepal have urged the South Asian nations to create a conducive environment for the summit. (WION)

Pakistan senate chairman visits Maldives to strengthen bilateral ties

Britain&#39;s foreign secretary Boris Johnson on Thursday expressed UK&#39;s disappointment after Maldives announced its decision to leave the Commonwealth.

Johnson, however, said the&nbsp;UK will continue to work with the troubled island nation in the Indian Ocean.

&quot;We believe in the Commonwealth and its commitment to improve the lives of people across all its member states. The Commonwealth is an organisation dedicated to developing free and democratic societies, and to promote peace and prosperity. And we regret that the Maldives has chosen to leave,&quot; Johnson said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;We will continue to work with the Maldives government to help strengthen democracy, particularly freedom of speech and the media and independence of the judiciary. The stability of the country must be central to what happens next,&quot; he said.

Maldives on Thursday decided to leave the Commonwealth, an intergovernmental organisation that now constitutes of 52 member states, mostly former British colonies.&nbsp;

The Maldives government accused the Commonwealth of trying to interfere in its domestic issues ever since former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned in February 2012. Male also alleged that Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Secretariat have treated the Maldives &quot;unfairly&quot;.

Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for the third time since 2012 had placed Maldives on CMAG&#39;s formal agenda, a step towards suspension or expulsion from the multilateral body. This comes at the CMAG&#39;s last meeting held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

(WION)&nbsp; 
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Boris Johnson expressed UK's disappointment as Male announced its decision to leave Commonwealth

Britain's foreign secretary Boris Johnson on Thursday expressed UK's disappointment after Maldives announced its decision to leave the Commonwealth. Johnson, however, said the UK will continue to work with the troubled island nation in the Indian Ocean. "We believe in the Commonwealth and its commitment to improve the lives of people across all its member states. The Commonwealth is an organisation dedicated to developing free and democratic societies, and to promote peace and prosperity. And we regret that the Maldives has chosen to leave," Johnson said in a statement. "We will continue to work with the Maldives government to help strengthen democracy, particularly freedom of speech and the media and independence of the judiciary. The stability of the country must be central to what happens next," he said. Maldives on Thursday decided to leave the Commonwealth, an intergovernmental organisation that now constitutes of 52 member states, mostly former British colonies. The Maldives government accused the Commonwealth of trying to interfere in its domestic issues ever since former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned in February 2012. Male also alleged that Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Secretariat have treated the Maldives "unfairly". Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) for the third time since 2012 had placed Maldives on CMAG's formal agenda, a step towards suspension or expulsion from the multilateral body. This comes at the CMAG's last meeting held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. (WION)

Maldives quits Commonwealth: UK will continue to work with Male, says Boris Johnson?

Maldives announced the decision to leave the Commonwealth today over &quot;unfair treatment&quot;.&nbsp;

The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation made up of 52 member states, mostly former British colonies. The Maldives joined in 1982.&nbsp;

President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom took the decision following a cabinet meeting. &quot;The decision to leave the Commonwealth was difficult but inevitable,&quot; a statement later released by the&nbsp;ministry of foreign affairs said.&nbsp;

The Maldives government said that the Commonwealth had been trying to interfere in the domestic issues ever since former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned in February 2012.

&quot;The Commonwealth sought to take punitive actions against the Maldives since 2012 after the then President of Maldives resigned, and transfer of power took place as per the procedures set out in the Constitution. The Commonwealth&rsquo;s decision to penalise the Maldives was unjustified especially given that the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI), established with the help of the Commonwealth, found that the transfer of power in the Maldives was consistent with the constitutional provisions,&quot; the statement by the foreign ministry said.&nbsp;

The Maldives government also said that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Secretariat have treated the Maldives &quot;unfairly&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The Commonwealth has sought to become an active participant in the domestic political discourse in the Maldives, which is contrary to the principles of the Charters of the United Nations and the Commonwealth. The CMAG and the Commonwealth Secretariat seem to be convinced that the Maldives, because of the high and favourable reputation that the country enjoys internationally, and also perhaps because it is a small state that lacks material power, would be an easy object that can be used, especially in the name of democracy promotion, to increase the organisation&rsquo;s own relevance and leverage in international politics,&quot; it said.&nbsp;

The Maldivian government claims to&nbsp;offer&nbsp;maximum cooperation to the Commonwealth, show&nbsp;maximum transparency and engage&nbsp;with the Commonwealth at the highest levels. The government says the Commonwealth has not acknowledged the progress and achievements that the Maldives accomplished in cultivating a culture of democracy in the country and in building and strengthening democratic institutions.&nbsp;

&quot;Government of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has enacted a total of 110 pieces of legislations. Out of which, 94 legislations were directly related to the core values set out in the Commonwealth Charter. An overwhelming majority of these legislations (69 out of 94) were specifically designed to promote human rights, to strengthen democratic governance, and to reinforce the separation of powers. These achievements have resulted in strengthening the rule of law and produced tangible outcomes in strengthening democratic institutions in the country,&quot; the government highlights in the official statement.&nbsp;

Pertinently, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) had decided to put Maldives on CMAG&#39;s formal agenda, a step towards suspension or expulsion from the multilateral body. This comes&nbsp;at the CMAG&#39;s last meeting held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The decision was taken after reviewing Maldives&#39; progress on a six-point reform agenda:&nbsp;progress in political dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition;&nbsp;release of political prisoners;&nbsp;an end to the government using the country&rsquo;s anti-terrorism act to jail political opponents and dissidents;&nbsp;separation of powers and an independent judiciary;&nbsp;and freedom and space for civil society, which&nbsp;CMAG had proposed earlier this year.

After announcing the decision to leave Commonwealth Maldives, the government stated&nbsp;that its international engagement will continue, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

&nbsp;

&#39;Isolation will not solve the problems&#39;&nbsp;

Reacting to the announcement,&nbsp;Amnesty International&rsquo;s South Asia Director, Champa Patel, said the Maldives authorities should address their own human rights situation rather than lash out at legitimate criticism. &ldquo;Instead of complaining about unfair treatment, the Maldives government should look at engaging more constructively with the international community,&quot; &nbsp;the rights body said.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Human rights have been in a complete freefall in the country over the past few years. The government has locked up opponents through politically motivated trials and led an unprecedented crackdown on independent media.&quot; &nbsp;

Former President of the Maldives and Leader of ruling PPM, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said: &quot;As someone who led Maldives into Commonwealth 34 years ago, I am disappointed that we have left. Isolation will not solve our problems.&quot;

Yameens&#39;s first vice president, Dr&nbsp;Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, also reacted saying:&nbsp;&quot;Yameen&#39;s abrupt decision to leave the Commonwealth after CMAG&#39;s scrutiny shows that he is temperamentally unfit to lead the country.&quot;

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Commonwealth &#39;hopes&#39; &nbsp;the separation is temporary&nbsp;

Responding to Maldives&#39; decision, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: &ldquo;I have received news that the Maldives Government has today decided to leave the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth family at large &ndash; its member governments and its peoples worldwide &ndash; will share my sadness and disappointment at this decision.&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Commonwealth Charter reflects the commitment of our member states to democracy and human rights, development and growth, and diversity. We will continue to champion these values and to support all member states, especially small and developing states, in upholding and advancing these practically for the enduring benefit of their citizens.

&ldquo;Therefore, we hope that this will be a temporary separation and that Maldives will feel able to return to the Commonwealth family and all that it represents in due course.&rdquo;

(WION)&nbsp;

'Yameen's abrupt decision to leave the Commonwealth after CMAG's scrutiny shows that he is temperamentally unfit to lead the country'

Maldives announced the decision to leave the Commonwealth today over "unfair treatment". The Commonwealth is an intergovernmental organisation made up of 52 member states, mostly former British colonies. The Maldives joined in 1982. President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom took the decision following a cabinet meeting. "The decision to leave the Commonwealth was difficult but inevitable," a statement later released by the ministry of foreign affairs said. The Maldives government said that the Commonwealth had been trying to interfere in the domestic issues ever since former president Mohamed Nasheed resigned in February 2012. "The Commonwealth sought to take punitive actions against the Maldives since 2012 after the then President of Maldives resigned, and transfer of power took place as per the procedures set out in the Constitution. The Commonwealth’s decision to penalise the Maldives was unjustified especially given that the Commission of National Inquiry (CoNI), established with the help of the Commonwealth, found that the transfer of power in the Maldives was consistent with the constitutional provisions," the statement by the foreign ministry said. The Maldives government also said that the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) and the Commonwealth Secretariat have treated the Maldives "unfairly". "The Commonwealth has sought to become an active participant in the domestic political discourse in the Maldives, which is contrary to the principles of the Charters of the United Nations and the Commonwealth. The CMAG and the Commonwealth Secretariat seem to be convinced that the Maldives, because of the high and favourable reputation that the country enjoys internationally, and also perhaps because it is a small state that lacks material power, would be an easy object that can be used, especially in the name of democracy promotion, to increase the organisation’s own relevance and leverage in international politics," it said. The Maldivian government claims to offer maximum cooperation to the Commonwealth, show maximum transparency and engage with the Commonwealth at the highest levels. The government says the Commonwealth has not acknowledged the progress and achievements that the Maldives accomplished in cultivating a culture of democracy in the country and in building and strengthening democratic institutions. "Government of President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has enacted a total of 110 pieces of legislations. Out of which, 94 legislations were directly related to the core values set out in the Commonwealth Charter. An overwhelming majority of these legislations (69 out of 94) were specifically designed to promote human rights, to strengthen democratic governance, and to reinforce the separation of powers. These achievements have resulted in strengthening the rule of law and produced tangible outcomes in strengthening democratic institutions in the country," the government highlights in the official statement. Pertinently, Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) had decided to put Maldives on CMAG's formal agenda, a step towards suspension or expulsion from the multilateral body. This comes at the CMAG's last meeting held in September on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The decision was taken after reviewing Maldives' progress on a six-point reform agenda: progress in political dialogue between the ruling party and the opposition; release of political prisoners; an end to the government using the country’s anti-terrorism act to jail political opponents and dissidents; separation of powers and an independent judiciary; and freedom and space for civil society, which CMAG had proposed earlier this year. After announcing the decision to leave Commonwealth Maldives, the government stated that its international engagement will continue, both bilaterally and multilaterally. 'Isolation will not solve the problems' Reacting to the announcement, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, Champa Patel, said the Maldives authorities should address their own human rights situation rather than lash out at legitimate criticism. “Instead of complaining about unfair treatment, the Maldives government should look at engaging more constructively with the international community," the rights body said. “Human rights have been in a complete freefall in the country over the past few years. The government has locked up opponents through politically motivated trials and led an unprecedented crackdown on independent media." Former President of the Maldives and Leader of ruling PPM, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, said: "As someone who led Maldives into Commonwealth 34 years ago, I am disappointed that we have left. Isolation will not solve our problems." Yameens's first vice president, Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, also reacted saying: "Yameen's abrupt decision to leave the Commonwealth after CMAG's scrutiny shows that he is temperamentally unfit to lead the country." Commonwealth 'hopes' the separation is temporary Responding to Maldives' decision, Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland said: “I have received news that the Maldives Government has today decided to leave the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth family at large – its member governments and its peoples worldwide – will share my sadness and disappointment at this decision. “The Commonwealth Charter reflects the commitment of our member states to democracy and human rights, development and growth, and diversity. We will continue to champion these values and to support all member states, especially small and developing states, in upholding and advancing these practically for the enduring benefit of their citizens. “Therefore, we hope that this will be a temporary separation and that Maldives will feel able to return to the Commonwealth family and all that it represents in due course.” (WION)

Maldives quits Commonwealth over 'unfair treatment'

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom can secure another term in office even without the support of his half-brother and the leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, PPM&#39;s deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla said today.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The ongoing row between President Yameen and his half-brother former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has created a divide in the ruling PPM. While PPM council had requested to grant the party ticket for 2018 presidential election to President Yameen without a primary, Maumoon had refused saying that he cannot go against the democratic values of the party.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Abdulla, however, told local reporters today during a press conference in the capital city of Male that Yameen will get re-elected in 2018 with or without the support of his half-brother Maumoon.

&nbsp;

&quot;Yameen will definitely win the 2018 election. Anyone who doesn&#39;t want to back him can stay at home. PPM parliamentary group and the council will work together and secure a second term for President Yameen. We do not have any doubt over this,&quot; he said.

&nbsp;

It&#39;s pertinent to mention that PPM charter says that the presidential candidate from the party must be elected through a primary held three to six months prior to the presidential elections.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Yameen&#39;s former home minister Umar Naseer has announced that he will run for the President in 2018 and he has been rallying support for the PPM Presidential Primary.

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
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'Anyone who doesn't want to back him can stay at home,' PPM's deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla said today

Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom can secure another term in office even without the support of his half-brother and the leader of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, PPM's deputy leader Abdul Raheem Abdulla said today. The ongoing row between President Yameen and his half-brother former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has created a divide in the ruling PPM. While PPM council had requested to grant the party ticket for 2018 presidential election to President Yameen without a primary, Maumoon had refused saying that he cannot go against the democratic values of the party. Abdulla, however, told local reporters today during a press conference in the capital city of Male that Yameen will get re-elected in 2018 with or without the support of his half-brother Maumoon. "Yameen will definitely win the 2018 election. Anyone who doesn't want to back him can stay at home. PPM parliamentary group and the council will work together and secure a second term for President Yameen. We do not have any doubt over this," he said. It's pertinent to mention that PPM charter says that the presidential candidate from the party must be elected through a primary held three to six months prior to the presidential elections. Meanwhile, Yameen's former home minister Umar Naseer has announced that he will run for the President in 2018 and he has been rallying support for the PPM Presidential Primary. (WION)

'Maldives President can secure another term without half-brother's support,' says PPM's deputy leader

A year after an official audit report exposed a USD 79 million corruption scandal in Maldives, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has apologised to the people of his country adding that he has now placed necessary mechanisms to avoid such scams. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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During his visit to the Fuvahmulah city on Monday night, Gayoom said: &ldquo;Tonight I want to apologise because the MMPRC (Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation) scandal transpired in this regime.&quot;&nbsp;

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Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, leader of the Maldives United Opposition (MUO) and the first vice president under the Yameen government, however, questioned the sincerity of his&nbsp;apology, saying:&nbsp;&quot;If Yameen is sincere, he would resign and face the the investigation, else people will not accept his apology.&quot;&nbsp;

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<h5>Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had questioned Yameen over the transfer of funds, amounting to USD 1 million, to his personal account in Islamic Bank of the Maldives.</h5>
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Last year, an official audit report had revealed the USD 79 million corruption scandal in the state tourism promotion company, MMPRC, that involving President Yameen.&nbsp;

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Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had questioned Yameen over the transfer of funds, amounting to USD 1 million, to his personal account in Islamic Bank of the Maldives. However, he denied any knowledge of such a transfer happening.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a recent documentary by Al Jazeera&rsquo;s award-winning investigative unit also claimed&nbsp;to expose $1.5 billion embezzlement in the Maldives. Stealing Paradise, the documentary, alleged that the President, apart from other government officials, were also&nbsp;involved in the scandal. &nbsp;President Yameen has been accused of &quot;receiving cash bags having $1 million&quot;. But the Maldivian government has dismissed the allegations insisting that Al Jazeera has failed to provide any evidence&nbsp;to substantiate the claims against President Yameen.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

Referring to the scam, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom said a necessary mechanism has now been put in place to avoid such scandals

A year after an official audit report exposed a USD 79 million corruption scandal in Maldives, President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has apologised to the people of his country adding that he has now placed necessary mechanisms to avoid such scams. During his visit to the Fuvahmulah city on Monday night, Gayoom said: “Tonight I want to apologise because the MMPRC (Maldives Marketing and Public Relations Corporation) scandal transpired in this regime." Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, leader of the Maldives United Opposition (MUO) and the first vice president under the Yameen government, however, questioned the sincerity of his apology, saying: "If Yameen is sincere, he would resign and face the the investigation, else people will not accept his apology." Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had questioned Yameen over the transfer of funds, amounting to USD 1 million, to his personal account in Islamic Bank of the Maldives. × Last year, an official audit report had revealed the USD 79 million corruption scandal in the state tourism promotion company, MMPRC, that involving President Yameen. Maldives Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had questioned Yameen over the transfer of funds, amounting to USD 1 million, to his personal account in Islamic Bank of the Maldives. However, he denied any knowledge of such a transfer happening. Meanwhile, a recent documentary by Al Jazeera’s award-winning investigative unit also claimed to expose $1.5 billion embezzlement in the Maldives. Stealing Paradise, the documentary, alleged that the President, apart from other government officials, were also involved in the scandal. President Yameen has been accused of "receiving cash bags having $1 million". But the Maldivian government has dismissed the allegations insisting that Al Jazeera has failed to provide any evidence to substantiate the claims against President Yameen. (WION)

MMPRC corruption scandal: Maldives President apologises to people for first time

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on &#39;Advancement of Women&#39;, on Monday urged that it should be ensured&nbsp;that women are not&nbsp;treated as &#39;followers&#39; or merely &#39;beneficiaries&#39;, but as &#39;leaders&#39;, &#39;contributors&#39; and &#39;agents of change&#39;.

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The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where&nbsp;she highlighted the country&rsquo;s &quot;efforts towards achieving gender equality&quot;.&nbsp;

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&ldquo;Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

The statement also noted that the country&#39;s inclusive education policy guarantees that &quot;all girls have equal access to education&quot;, while the Employment Act guarantees that &quot;men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work&quot;.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the&nbsp;board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting.&quot;

&nbsp;

Despite the the country&#39;s achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after&nbsp;the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to &quot;achieve a&nbsp;world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights&quot;. &nbsp;

&nbsp;

The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, &ldquo;which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country&#39;s history&rdquo;, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives&rsquo; Constitution.

&nbsp;

&quot;Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind,&quot; the statement by the delegation reads.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

A Maldives delegation at UN General Assembly highlighted that women should be looked upon as 'agents of change'

At the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), a Maldives delegation while debating on 'Advancement of Women', on Monday urged that it should be ensured that women are not treated as 'followers' or merely 'beneficiaries', but as 'leaders', 'contributors' and 'agents of change'. The statement was delivered by the second secretary at the permanent mission of the Maldives to the United Nations, Zeena Mohamed Didi, where she highlighted the country’s "efforts towards achieving gender equality". “Our policy to achieve gender equality is clear: continue to invest in girls and women, continue to give them the right tools to realise their true potential, and continue to introduce structural and normative changes to enable women to fight for their constitutionally guaranteed rights before the law. We believe that misinterpretation of tradition or religion is not a valid basis for discriminatory practices against women and girls.” The statement also noted that the country's inclusive education policy guarantees that "all girls have equal access to education", while the Employment Act guarantees that "men and women have equal access to employment and equal pay for equal work". "The government has set a goal to ensure that at least one-third of all the board members are women in the state-owned companies. At the national level, the government has also adopted measures to integrate gender perspectives in policy, planning, and budgeting." Despite the the country's achievements, the delegation said it is sharply conscious that four decades after the adoption of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and two decades after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the country has not been able to "achieve a world where girls and women are able to fully enjoy their rights". The statement noted that the recently enacted Gender Equality Act, “which is a groundbreaking legislation in the country's history”, sets out the role of the government, business entities, non-governmental organisations and other employers in the implementation of this Act, It also requires the state and political parties to ensure that equal opportunities exist for women and men to participate at all levels in political life. The Act seeks to ensure gender equality in all spheres of society and give full effect to the equal rights guaranteed by the Maldives’ Constitution. "Investing in women today means investing in the future of the world. We need to accelerate our efforts, both domestically and at the international front to ensure that we are indeed, leaving no one behind," the statement by the delegation reads. (WION)

Maldives highlights efforts to achieve gender equality at UN

Opposition parties in Maldives, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) headed by the former president Mohamed Nasheed and the Adhaalath Party (AP), have agreed to engage in a political dialogue with the government after the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) placed Maldives on its formal agenda in its meeting on September 23.

The CMAG, comprising&nbsp;foreign ministers from nine member countries, saw a discussion on the political crisis in the south Asian country of the Maldives on Friday.

The Commonwealth&#39;s democracy watchdog expressed disappointment that a substantive dialogue had not been initiated to resolve the crisis that has seen long-term detention of political leaders and an environment of fear and intimidation in the island nation.

Both parties have insisted that one of the main aim of the political dialogue is to free jailed opposition leaders and they would push for it during the talks with the government.

Meanwhile, the government in a statement stressed on the &ldquo; the vital importance of all-parties initiating, and engaging in, dialogue without any pre-conditions&rdquo; following which the Adhaalath party said it is willing to participate in party talks as encouraged by the United Nations, CMAG, and other stakeholders.&nbsp;

On Sunday, the government had asked both the opposition parties to send the details of its representatives &ldquo;as they were the only parties that have not yet done so despite previous requests&rdquo;.

The parties, however, are yet to decide the representatives &nbsp;to take part in all-party talks with the government.

(WION)&nbsp;

The CMAG saw a discussion on the political crisis in Maldives last week

Opposition parties in Maldives, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) headed by the former president Mohamed Nasheed and the Adhaalath Party (AP), have agreed to engage in a political dialogue with the government after the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) placed Maldives on its formal agenda in its meeting on September 23. The CMAG, comprising foreign ministers from nine member countries, saw a discussion on the political crisis in the south Asian country of the Maldives on Friday. The Commonwealth's democracy watchdog expressed disappointment that a substantive dialogue had not been initiated to resolve the crisis that has seen long-term detention of political leaders and an environment of fear and intimidation in the island nation. Both parties have insisted that one of the main aim of the political dialogue is to free jailed opposition leaders and they would push for it during the talks with the government. Meanwhile, the government in a statement stressed on the “ the vital importance of all-parties initiating, and engaging in, dialogue without any pre-conditions” following which the Adhaalath party said it is willing to participate in party talks as encouraged by the United Nations, CMAG, and other stakeholders. On Sunday, the government had asked both the opposition parties to send the details of its representatives “as they were the only parties that have not yet done so despite previous requests”. The parties, however, are yet to decide the representatives to take part in all-party talks with the government. (WION)

Maldives government, opposition set for all-party talks?

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) is taking part in India&#39;s Bharat International Tourism Bazaar (BITB), along with a&nbsp;number of resorts, travel agents and airlines of the Maldives.&nbsp;

&quot;India is one of the fastest growing and largest travel markets in the world, and MATATO intends to have a&nbsp;strong presence in India&rsquo;s leading travel shows with our members and industry partners,&quot; MATATO said in a statement.

Bharat International Tourism Bazaar (BITB) is the first edition of ITB India hosting in alliance with ITB Berlin.

The three-day fair from 4th October to 6th October in the&nbsp;Indian capital of New Delhi expects over 500 exhibitors to meet.

India is the fastest progressive market in the Maldives tourism industry, with an increase of 21.5 per cent compare to 2015, by the end of July 2016.

Maldives has been increasing promotion events in India with roadshows in several major cities and also adding more flights to India.&nbsp;

(WION)

The three-day exhibition from 4th October to 6th October in the?Indian capital of New Delhi expects over 500 exhibitors to meet

The Maldives Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) is taking part in India's Bharat International Tourism Bazaar (BITB), along with a number of resorts, travel agents and airlines of the Maldives. "India is one of the fastest growing and largest travel markets in the world, and MATATO intends to have a strong presence in India’s leading travel shows with our members and industry partners," MATATO said in a statement. Bharat International Tourism Bazaar (BITB) is the first edition of ITB India hosting in alliance with ITB Berlin. The three-day fair from 4th October to 6th October in the Indian capital of New Delhi expects over 500 exhibitors to meet. India is the fastest progressive market in the Maldives tourism industry, with an increase of 21.5 per cent compare to 2015, by the end of July 2016. Maldives has been increasing promotion events in India with roadshows in several major cities and also adding more flights to India. (WION)

Maldives takes part in India's largest tourism fair

The Maldives National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) held talks aimed at&nbsp;stopping the financing&nbsp;of terrorism.

The discussion was held at the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and was headed by the Minister of Defence, &nbsp;Adam Shareef Umar, and the Governor of MMA, Dr&nbsp;Azeema Adam.

The discussion was centered on possible collaborative measures that could be taken against financing&nbsp;terrorism, as well as money laundering.

The Maldives established the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in order to combat the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism in the country.

Citing the&nbsp;Indian Intelligence Bureau, Media Report says that&nbsp;the future threat of Islamic State (IS)&nbsp;in&nbsp;South Asia&nbsp;could be from the Maldives, rather than from Bangladesh.

This intelligence report said, in addition to the people who have already joined to the terrorist group, IS&nbsp;may have as many as 500 sympathisers in the Maldives.

There are conflicting accounts of the IS presence in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has denied that IS has any presence in the country at all, and attributed the rash of high-profile killings that plagued the country this summer to a local&nbsp;offshoot&nbsp;of&nbsp;al-Qaeda.

But groups like Stratfor, a global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas, have issued reports stating&nbsp;that IS is focusing on expanding in Bangladesh.

(WION)

The discussions aimed at uprooting terrorism come as reports indicate that Islamic State may be expanding in the Maldives

The Maldives National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) held talks aimed at stopping the financing of terrorism. The discussion was held at the Ministry of Defence and National Security, and was headed by the Minister of Defence, Adam Shareef Umar, and the Governor of MMA, Dr Azeema Adam. The discussion was centered on possible collaborative measures that could be taken against financing terrorism, as well as money laundering. The Maldives established the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in order to combat the growing threat of radicalisation and extremism in the country. Citing the Indian Intelligence Bureau, Media Report says that the future threat of Islamic State (IS) in South Asia could be from the Maldives, rather than from Bangladesh. This intelligence report said, in addition to the people who have already joined to the terrorist group, IS may have as many as 500 sympathisers in the Maldives. There are conflicting accounts of the IS presence in Bangladesh. Prime Minister Sheik Hasina has denied that IS has any presence in the country at all, and attributed the rash of high-profile killings that plagued the country this summer to a local offshoot of al-Qaeda. But groups like Stratfor, a global intelligence company based in Austin, Texas, have issued reports stating that IS is focusing on expanding in Bangladesh. (WION)

Maldives officials hold talks to stop terrorism funding

In his address on the occasion of World Tourism Day, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom today asserted that one of the highest priority of his administration is to expand and diversify the tourism industry.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

While four new resorts have already started operations in the country&nbsp;so far this year, nine more resorts are scheduled for completion, the President stressed.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;A collaborative push by all Maldivians is&nbsp;crucial for the sustainable development of the country&#39;s tourism,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Yameen encouraged tourism sector partners to further contribute to the development of the nation&rsquo;s transportation infrastructure in order to facilitate industry growth.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The President also&nbsp;highlighted that while the Maldivian tourism sector is thriving, his&nbsp;administration endevours&nbsp;to expand and develop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to cater to the increasing demand of the industry would further open the gates towards catering to 7.5 million visitors per year.

&nbsp;

World Tourism Day is celebrated annually across the globe on September 27. This year&#39;s theme for World Tourism Day is &#39;Tourism for all &ndash; Promoting Universal Accessibility&#39;,&nbsp;which Maldivian President says is inline with his administration&#39;s outlook for country&#39;s tourism industry.

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Maldives President today said that diversifying the tourism sector is his administration's top priority

In his address on the occasion of World Tourism Day, Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom today asserted that one of the highest priority of his administration is to expand and diversify the tourism industry. While four new resorts have already started operations in the country so far this year, nine more resorts are scheduled for completion, the President stressed. "A collaborative push by all Maldivians is crucial for the sustainable development of the country's tourism," he added. Yameen encouraged tourism sector partners to further contribute to the development of the nation’s transportation infrastructure in order to facilitate industry growth. The President also highlighted that while the Maldivian tourism sector is thriving, his administration endevours to expand and develop Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to cater to the increasing demand of the industry would further open the gates towards catering to 7.5 million visitors per year. World Tourism Day is celebrated annually across the globe on September 27. This year's theme for World Tourism Day is 'Tourism for all – Promoting Universal Accessibility', which Maldivian President says is inline with his administration's outlook for country's tourism industry. (WION)

World Tourism Day: Maldives set to open nine more resorts this year

Natives of the world have their own way of living, distant from the rest. These are some 7 indigenous tribes from South Asia that are almost near- extinction: &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Veddas</li>
</ul>
&lsquo;The Forest People&rsquo; or Veddas are indigenous to Sri Lanka. Their language Vedda, is now extinct and the tribe speaks Sinhala and Tamil. They practise the religion of animism, worshipping the spirit of nature. The area&rsquo;s last cave dwellers worship dead ancestors, called Nae Yaku. The hunt gatherers also have a peculiar deity unique to them named Kande Yakka, spirit of the mountain or rock.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/sri-20160921110620.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Veddas, Sri Lanka 
 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Jarawa</li>
</ul>
One of the Adivasi indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in India, Jarawas are considered to be one of the most isolated natives in the world. Away from prying eyes earlier, they used to stay naked at all times with some adornments in the form of accessories made of palm leaves and sea shells. Currently, they are just 250-400 in number.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/jarawa-20160921110919.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Jarawa, India
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Kalash</li>
</ul>
Indo-Aryan indigenous people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, can easily be clubbed under the country&rsquo;s smallest religion. A unique group, the Kalash people are polytheists who lay emphasis on nature and offer sacrifices as a part of their culture. Their mythology and folklore has been compared by researchers to that of ancient Greece but are closer to Indo-Iranian traditions. They also have their own, distinct language.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/kalash-20160921111307.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Kalash, Pakistan
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Naga</li>
</ul>
A collection of several tribes, Nagas are native to north-eastern India and north-western Myanmar. They speak some 89 distinct languages, all part of Tibeto-Burman family. Nagas are expert craftsmen and each tribe has a unique way of constructing their house. Till 1969, Nagas also used to engage in headhunting, preserving the heads of their enemies as trophies. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/naga1-20160921111631.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Naga, India
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Lhop</li>
</ul>
A small tribe of southwest Bhutan, The Lhop or Doya people are said to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the country. They trace their descent matrilineally and marry their cross cousins. Currently 2,500 in number, the tribe speaks Tibeto-Burmese language. Their religion is Tibetan Buddhism mixed with animism and they embalm their deceased who are then placed in a foetal position in a circular adorned coffin, above the ground.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/lhop-20160921112024.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Bhutan 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Bodo</li>
</ul>
Indigenous to Nepal and north-eastern India, Bodos are a silkworm rearing tribe. All families have their own silkworms and girls learn how to spin silk at a young age. Weaving also forms an integral part of their culture. The Bodos are a strong-knit community and practice a form of forefather worship called Obonglaoree.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/bodo-20160921114552.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Bodo tribal dance, Nepal
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Giraavaru</li>
</ul>
Native to Giraavaru Island in Maldives, the same named tribe were essentially those considered to be of lower caste than the others. Consequently due to isolation, they developed a series of heritable genetic disorders. The tribe is strictly monogamous and prohibits divorce. It is usually seen to be headed by a woman called Foolhuma-Dhaitha. They also wear unique necklaces of tiny blue beads, not seen on any other tribe.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/maldives1-20160921115809.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Maldives dance
</div>
 
Every South Asian country has various indigenous tribes of its own making it rich in cultures and traditions.&nbsp; 
 
 
(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Isolated from the world, married to their uniqueness and caught in a time warp

Natives of the world have their own way of living, distant from the rest. These are some 7 indigenous tribes from South Asia that are almost near- extinction: Veddas ‘The Forest People’ or Veddas are indigenous to Sri Lanka. Their language Vedda, is now extinct and the tribe speaks Sinhala and Tamil. They practise the religion of animism, worshipping the spirit of nature. The area’s last cave dwellers worship dead ancestors, called Nae Yaku. The hunt gatherers also have a peculiar deity unique to them named Kande Yakka, spirit of the mountain or rock. Veddas, Sri Lanka Jarawa One of the Adivasi indigenous peoples of the Andaman Islands in India, Jarawas are considered to be one of the most isolated natives in the world. Away from prying eyes earlier, they used to stay naked at all times with some adornments in the form of accessories made of palm leaves and sea shells. Currently, they are just 250-400 in number. Jarawa, India Kalash Indo-Aryan indigenous people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan, can easily be clubbed under the country’s smallest religion. A unique group, the Kalash people are polytheists who lay emphasis on nature and offer sacrifices as a part of their culture. Their mythology and folklore has been compared by researchers to that of ancient Greece but are closer to Indo-Iranian traditions. They also have their own, distinct language. Kalash, Pakistan Naga A collection of several tribes, Nagas are native to north-eastern India and north-western Myanmar. They speak some 89 distinct languages, all part of Tibeto-Burman family. Nagas are expert craftsmen and each tribe has a unique way of constructing their house. Till 1969, Nagas also used to engage in headhunting, preserving the heads of their enemies as trophies. Naga, India Lhop A small tribe of southwest Bhutan, The Lhop or Doya people are said to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the country. They trace their descent matrilineally and marry their cross cousins. Currently 2,500 in number, the tribe speaks Tibeto-Burmese language. Their religion is Tibetan Buddhism mixed with animism and they embalm their deceased who are then placed in a foetal position in a circular adorned coffin, above the ground. Bhutan Bodo Indigenous to Nepal and north-eastern India, Bodos are a silkworm rearing tribe. All families have their own silkworms and girls learn how to spin silk at a young age. Weaving also forms an integral part of their culture. The Bodos are a strong-knit community and practice a form of forefather worship called Obonglaoree. Bodo tribal dance, Nepal Giraavaru Native to Giraavaru Island in Maldives, the same named tribe were essentially those considered to be of lower caste than the others. Consequently due to isolation, they developed a series of heritable genetic disorders. The tribe is strictly monogamous and prohibits divorce. It is usually seen to be headed by a woman called Foolhuma-Dhaitha. They also wear unique necklaces of tiny blue beads, not seen on any other tribe. Maldives dance Every South Asian country has various indigenous tribes of its own making it rich in cultures and traditions. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

7 unique indigenous tribes of South Asia

Art transcends all borders and goes beyond the definition of geographical divides. Here are some 11 noteworthy cultural festivals celebrated in the South Asian region that you must know about: 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Jaisalmer Desert Festival, India</li>
</ul>
Set against the sand dunes, the festival is a unique showcase of folk culture. Held every year, there are programs for folk singing, puppet shows, acrobats, fire dancing, and others. Home of the camels, you can also take a camel ride, enjoy a game of camel polo, participate in camel decoration and pack some exciting desert memories with you.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/jaisalmer-20160915100616.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
A glimpse of Jaisalmer Desert Festival in India 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Kala Pola, Sri Lanka</li>
</ul>
Kala Pola is Sri Lanka&rsquo;s open-air art exhibition cum fair which happens every year. Attracting artists from across the country, it serves as a launch pad for talent. A wide array of art forms are displayed for the crowd to cheer and appreciate.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_del6189267-20160915100439.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
Kala Pola festival in Sri Lanka 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Annual Bhutan International Festival, Bhutan</li>
</ul>
It&rsquo;s a collaborative effort to encourage different countries to come and engage, while showcasing their culture and art. The festival boasts of some of the best entertainment performances by world known artists. The festival has an intimate setting and welcomes everyone interested.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/bhutan1-20160915103529.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Bhutanese monks at the Bhutan International festival 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Rann Utsav, India</li>
</ul>
Rann Utsav is a quarter year-long winter celebration in white sandy desert. You set up your makeshift tents and absorb the local tradition and culture. The region known for it&rsquo;s distinct handicrafts, also offers options for kite flying, camel rides and desert safaris.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/rann1-20160915103938.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Local artists at Rann Utsav
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>World Performing Arts Festival, Pakistan</li>
</ul>
An international cultural event, this festival brings performing artists from all over the world to celebrate music, theatre, concert, dance, puppet shows and others. Serving as a nurturing ground for local talent, it brings to fore the vibrancy of Pakistan&rsquo;s talents and helps people engage in a cultural exchange.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/pakistan-20160915113108.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
World Performing Arts Festival, Pakistan
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Hornbill Festival, India</li>
</ul>
The aboriginal Naga tribes of Nagaland are a sight to watch. Held every year in the month of December, Hornbill festival is a weeklong celebration of music, culture, art, sport and cuisine takes place. You will see some exquisite paintings, wood carvings and sculptures that form an essential part of Nagaland&rsquo;s cultural identity.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/000_del527342-20160915113835.jpg" />
<div class="media-description">
A Naga tribesman eats a stump of smouldering firewood during annual Hornbill Festival
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Afghan Arts and Culture Festival, Afghanistan</li>
</ul>
It is one of the largest coming together of artists and music bands in Afghanistan. Opening its doors to fellow countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan United States, the festival started with an aim to show the world Afghanistan&rsquo;s rich culture. Bikers, break dancers, rock bands and other performers come together every year.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/afghan1-20160915012131.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Local Afghan dancers
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>South Ari Atoll, Maldives</li>
</ul>
A festival with a thought, South Ari Atoll is a collaboration between artists from Maldives and Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme. It is a platform for showcasing artworks representing the island&rsquo;s marine diversity with a special emphasis on the shark population of Maldives. 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/cqi9uwpumaae2vl.jpg-large-20160916014323.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
South Ari Atoll in Maldives where the Conservation festival happens
</div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Pohela Boishakh, Bangladesh</li>
</ul>
The Bengali New Year is celebrated with a lot of fervour all across the state of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Called Vasanta Utsav, the festivals starts at Shantiniketan in India and Bangladesh at the same time. The festivity celebrates art and diversity of both the regions. Among songs, dance and fairs, people are seen enjoying themselves around that time of the year.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/crh9vswuaaamwpn.jpg-large-20160916015136.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
Pohela Boishakh in Bangladesh 
&nbsp;
</div>

<ul>
	<li>Kathmandu International Art Festival, Nepal</li>
</ul>
Almost in every three years, Nepal celebrates its artists with an International Art festival. Artists come together to exhibit their works at different venues in the capital city of Kathmandu.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="" class="img-responsive" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/a8hm7l3ceaac3w9.jpg-large-20160916015737.jpeg" />
<div class="media-description">
A glimpse of Kathmandu International Art Festival, Nepal
</div>
 
 
(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Discover how art and culture in South Asia binds the region together

Art transcends all borders and goes beyond the definition of geographical divides. Here are some 11 noteworthy cultural festivals celebrated in the South Asian region that you must know about: Jaisalmer Desert Festival, India Set against the sand dunes, the festival is a unique showcase of folk culture. Held every year, there are programs for folk singing, puppet shows, acrobats, fire dancing, and others. Home of the camels, you can also take a camel ride, enjoy a game of camel polo, participate in camel decoration and pack some exciting desert memories with you. A glimpse of Jaisalmer Desert Festival in India Kala Pola, Sri Lanka Kala Pola is Sri Lanka’s open-air art exhibition cum fair which happens every year. Attracting artists from across the country, it serves as a launch pad for talent. A wide array of art forms are displayed for the crowd to cheer and appreciate. Kala Pola festival in Sri Lanka Annual Bhutan International Festival, Bhutan It’s a collaborative effort to encourage different countries to come and engage, while showcasing their culture and art. The festival boasts of some of the best entertainment performances by world known artists. The festival has an intimate setting and welcomes everyone interested. Bhutanese monks at the Bhutan International festival Rann Utsav, India Rann Utsav is a quarter year-long winter celebration in white sandy desert. You set up your makeshift tents and absorb the local tradition and culture. The region known for it’s distinct handicrafts, also offers options for kite flying, camel rides and desert safaris. Local artists at Rann Utsav World Performing Arts Festival, Pakistan An international cultural event, this festival brings performing artists from all over the world to celebrate music, theatre, concert, dance, puppet shows and others. Serving as a nurturing ground for local talent, it brings to fore the vibrancy of Pakistan’s talents and helps people engage in a cultural exchange. World Performing Arts Festival, Pakistan Hornbill Festival, India The aboriginal Naga tribes of Nagaland are a sight to watch. Held every year in the month of December, Hornbill festival is a weeklong celebration of music, culture, art, sport and cuisine takes place. You will see some exquisite paintings, wood carvings and sculptures that form an essential part of Nagaland’s cultural identity. A Naga tribesman eats a stump of smouldering firewood during annual Hornbill Festival Afghan Arts and Culture Festival, Afghanistan It is one of the largest coming together of artists and music bands in Afghanistan. Opening its doors to fellow countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan United States, the festival started with an aim to show the world Afghanistan’s rich culture. Bikers, break dancers, rock bands and other performers come together every year. Local Afghan dancers South Ari Atoll, Maldives A festival with a thought, South Ari Atoll is a collaboration between artists from Maldives and Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme. It is a platform for showcasing artworks representing the island’s marine diversity with a special emphasis on the shark population of Maldives. South Ari Atoll in Maldives where the Conservation festival happens Pohela Boishakh, Bangladesh The Bengali New Year is celebrated with a lot of fervour all across the state of West Bengal in India and Bangladesh. Called Vasanta Utsav, the festivals starts at Shantiniketan in India and Bangladesh at the same time. The festivity celebrates art and diversity of both the regions. Among songs, dance and fairs, people are seen enjoying themselves around that time of the year. Pohela Boishakh in Bangladesh Kathmandu International Art Festival, Nepal Almost in every three years, Nepal celebrates its artists with an International Art festival. Artists come together to exhibit their works at different venues in the capital city of Kathmandu. A glimpse of Kathmandu International Art Festival, Nepal (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

11 cultural festivals in South Asia that you must attend at least once in your lifetime

They say that every food has its own story to tell. The South Asian region also has some of the most lip-smacking street foods that every foodie must try. 
 
Here is a list of some delicacies from the region, recommended by social media users, that you must try:&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Nepal</li>
</ul>
 Some must-haves are: Chatamari (crepe made of rice flour), &nbsp;spiced and grilled buffalo meat locally known as Choila, which&nbsp;goes best with a homemade liquor called Newari, and&nbsp;&nbsp;Nepalese-style barbecued meat better known as Sekuwa. 
 
You can also try noodle soup, Thukpa. 
 
Sweet dish made with rice, Phirni, is quite popular here.&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NepalNOW?src=hash">#NepalNOW</a> Foodies&#39; Diary<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/chatamari?src=hash">#chatamari</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/foddie?src=hash">#foddie</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dinner?src=hash">#dinner</a> ??: <a href="https://twitter.com/AGhale">@aghale</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0y2IEkDSN">pic.twitter.com/s0y2IEkDSN</a>
&mdash; nepalNOW (@thenepalnow) <a href="https://twitter.com/thenepalnow/status/688972896962768896">January 18, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
No one ever said you can never celebrate Tuesdays. :D<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Choila?src=hash">#Choila</a> from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BajekoSekuwa?src=hash">#BajekoSekuwa</a> <a href="https://t.co/0ayqEisJLM">pic.twitter.com/0ayqEisJLM</a>
&mdash; Foodmandu (@foodmandu) <a href="https://twitter.com/foodmandu/status/740146342354419712">June 7, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Mutton Sekuwa????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sekuwa?src=hash">#sekuwa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mutton?src=hash">#mutton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/khasi?src=hash">#khasi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/khasikosekuwa?src=hash">#khasikosekuwa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/barbecue?src=hash">#barbecue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nepalifood?src=hash">#nepalifood</a> <a href="https://t.co/clZ5aQUbS8">pic.twitter.com/clZ5aQUbS8</a>
&mdash; Nepali Tummy (@NepaliTummy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NepaliTummy/status/750836376556347392">July 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Chicken Thukpa Recipe thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/HungryForeverCo">@hungryforeverco</a> - get the recipe <a href="https://t.co/SOLiTlz9u2">https://t.co/SOLiTlz9u2</a> <a href="https://t.co/hwSGE6IfAQ">pic.twitter.com/hwSGE6IfAQ</a>
&mdash; eat365 (@eat365) <a href="https://twitter.com/eat365/status/771498038925885440">September 2, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>India</li>
</ul>
 India is expansive in size and offers a huge range of street foods due to country&#39;s diversity. 
 
Some delicacies worth giving a try are: Jalebi (crisp deep-fried refined flour and yogurt batter spirals dunked in saffron sugar syrup)&nbsp;in sweets, savoury snacks like Chaaat, Golgappas (fried crisps with flavoured water), Chole Bhature (fried bread coupled with spicy&nbsp;chickpea preparation) and Aloo Tikki (spiced, crispy potato patties).&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Awesome?src=hash">#Awesome</a> Food : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Made?src=hash">#Made</a> jalebi 1st time.. Yumm yumm yummmy.... Shape n taste turned out good&hellip; <a href="https://t.co/KnYXOKsabf">https://t.co/KnYXOKsabf</a> <a href="https://t.co/7CllnMwCPx">pic.twitter.com/7CllnMwCPx</a>
&mdash; Vilo Kanis (@SeeYouGuysCom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeeYouGuysCom/status/716950724664496128">April 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Can I eat chaat all day? Indian street food love. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/travel?src=hash">#travel</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/streetfood?src=hash">#streetfood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/indianchaat?src=hash">#indianchaat</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vxkngf2p6h">https://t.co/Vxkngf2p6h</a> <a href="https://t.co/qZpdHslZrt">pic.twitter.com/qZpdHslZrt</a>
&mdash; The Saccharine Habit (@foodbysssourabh) <a href="https://twitter.com/foodbysssourabh/status/663496860393299968">November 8, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
???? - ????? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CholeBhature?src=hash">#CholeBhature</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianCuisine?src=hash">#IndianCuisine</a> ???? <a href="https://t.co/9hjg7PIv9A">pic.twitter.com/9hjg7PIv9A</a>
&mdash; Planet Spices (@planetspices) <a href="https://twitter.com/planetspices/status/774675444079689728">September 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Experience the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flavours?src=hash">#flavours</a> of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash">#India</a> in our dishes! Taste the savoury <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Samosa?src=hash">#Samosa</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AlooTikki?src=hash">#AlooTikki</a> for yourself! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianFood?src=hash">#IndianFood</a> <a href="https://t.co/S6SmcfAFox">pic.twitter.com/S6SmcfAFox</a>
&mdash; Tandoori Flame (@Tandoori_Flame) <a href="https://twitter.com/Tandoori_Flame/status/757991391595204608">July 26, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
This Golgappa is specially for u di?? <a href="https://twitter.com/shreyaghoshal">@shreyaghoshal</a> as my <a href="https://twitter.com/snehajh37544769">@snehajh37544769</a> promised u but u have to come online soon <a href="https://t.co/Miie836hpc">pic.twitter.com/Miie836hpc</a>
&mdash; &hearts;Siri?? SGian&hearts; (@sirishapappu77) <a href="https://twitter.com/sirishapappu77/status/774304964961116160">September 9, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp;

<ul>
	<li>Pakistan</li>
</ul>

Street&nbsp;food lovers in Pakistan cannot afford to give a miss to &#39;Kebabs&#39; (grilled and barbecued meat), Nihari (beef or lamb stew cooked slowly for a long period of time) and Biryani, a mixed rice dish.&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Food?src=hash">#Food</a> street <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nothia?src=hash">#Nothia</a> bazar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Peshawar?src=hash">#Peshawar</a> cantt <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Peace?src=hash">#Peace</a> <a href="https://t.co/ySQhDRFdcI">pic.twitter.com/ySQhDRFdcI</a>
&mdash; Muhammad Mudassir (@mudassir98u) <a href="https://twitter.com/mudassir98u/status/769542906323562496">August 27, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Kebabs<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ramazan?src=hash">#Ramazan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ramadan?src=hash">#ramadan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/iftar?src=hash">#iftar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kebab?src=hash">#kebab</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/night?src=hash">#night</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/party?src=hash">#party</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/foodilicious?src=hash">#foodilicious</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sizzling?src=hash">#sizzling</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bbq?src=hash">#bbq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/burger?src=hash">#burger</a> <a href="http://t.co/BOw2qPfJ4J">pic.twitter.com/BOw2qPfJ4J</a>
&mdash; Irfan Ahmad Rana (@IRFANRANACRP) <a href="https://twitter.com/IRFANRANACRP/status/615534828016918528">June 29, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

 
 
&nbsp;

<ul dir="ltr">
	<li lang="in">Afghanistan</li>
</ul>
?The landlocked country has a unique take on non-vegetarian food items. 
 
You can have steamed Afghani dumpling, locally known as Mantu, filled with lamb. The dish is best served with yogurt and&nbsp;kidney beans in a tomato sauce and dried mint. 
 
Bolani, traditional&nbsp;baked or fried&nbsp;flatbread&nbsp;stuffed with vegetables, is also popular among food&nbsp;connoisseurs. You can also feast on Afghani rice while travelling.&nbsp;
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Awesome?src=hash">#Awesome</a> Food : <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mantu?src=hash">#Mantu</a> - afghan steamed beef dumplings with lentil and yogurt <a href="https://t.co/3sGnOcaPxB">https://t.co/3sGnOcaPxB</a> <a href="https://t.co/cPmlM1UVuQ">pic.twitter.com/cPmlM1UVuQ</a>
&mdash; Vilo Kanis (@SeeYouGuysCom) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeeYouGuysCom/status/768826199351123968">August 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Did you try? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bolani?src=hash">#Bolani</a> with Leek and Potato, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pashtun?src=hash">#Pashtun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cuisine?src=hash">#Cuisine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Peshawar?src=hash">#Peshawar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanistan?src=hash">#Afghanistan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quetta?src=hash">#Quetta</a> <a href="https://t.co/hgb2OKPVDM">pic.twitter.com/hgb2OKPVDM</a>
&mdash; Pukhtoogle (@Pukhtoogle) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pukhtoogle/status/665818947573424128">November 15, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/filetMignon?src=hash">#filetMignon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/halal?src=hash">#halal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afghanfood?src=hash">#afghanfood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/afghancuisine?src=hash">#afghancuisine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Afghanifood?src=hash">#Afghanifood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/naringe?src=hash">#naringe</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kabli?src=hash">#kabli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/palaw?src=hash">#palaw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/paloa?src=hash">#paloa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfghaniRice?src=hash">#AfghaniRice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grilled?src=hash">#grilled</a> <a href="https://t.co/eHJqWcxb0X">pic.twitter.com/eHJqWcxb0X</a>
&mdash; TheSilkRoadRest (@thesilkroadrest) <a href="https://twitter.com/thesilkroadrest/status/767411518904336384">August 21, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;
<ul dir="ltr">
	<li lang="in">Sri Lanka</li>
</ul>
?Dig into egg hoppers (pancakes and fried egg), or satiate your taste buds with sesame balls called Thalaguli. &nbsp;&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
11 Delicious Ways to Experience the Best of Sri Lanka: <a href="https://t.co/VotYkpVWqH">https://t.co/VotYkpVWqH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/delicious?src=hash">#delicious</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/food?src=hash">#food</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/culinary?src=hash">#culinary</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/srilanka?src=hash">#srilanka</a> <a href="https://t.co/3b44WCsUcg">pic.twitter.com/3b44WCsUcg</a>
&mdash; SmarterTravel (@SmarterTravel) <a href="https://twitter.com/SmarterTravel/status/771380215801081856">September 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Thala Guli. Must try sweet in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SriLanka?src=hash">#SriLanka</a>. A delicacy made from Sesame seeds and jaggery. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/food?src=hash">#food</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/delicious?src=hash">#delicious</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/travel?src=hash">#travel</a> <a href="https://t.co/ijK9jATxMa">pic.twitter.com/ijK9jATxMa</a>
&mdash; Yasoma Galloluwe (@pgtravels_sl) <a href="https://twitter.com/pgtravels_sl/status/772487061534375936">September 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Colors of Pettah<a href="https://t.co/yTHWz2Aoj5">https://t.co/yTHWz2Aoj5</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/srilanka?src=hash">#srilanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pettah?src=hash">#pettah</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/food?src=hash">#food</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/people?src=hash">#people</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryDaySriLanka?src=hash">#EveryDaySriLanka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/streetphotography?src=hash">#streetphotography</a> <a href="https://t.co/giaGkOXJUD">pic.twitter.com/giaGkOXJUD</a>
&mdash; Nazly Ahmed (@nazly) <a href="https://twitter.com/nazly/status/770436212876206080">August 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<ul dir="ltr">
	<li lang="in">Bangladesh</li>
</ul>
?Influenced by Indian Bengali cuisine, Morog Pulao is a special kind of rice with large portions of chicken.&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Best of Bangladesh food: Kacchi Biryani! <a href="https://t.co/ddJbzsM5bP">https://t.co/ddJbzsM5bP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bangladesh?src=hash">#Bangladesh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/food?src=hash">#food</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/travel?src=hash">#travel</a> <a href="https://t.co/CAJjFAl9ug">pic.twitter.com/CAJjFAl9ug</a>
&mdash; BonVoyageurs (@BonVoyageurs) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonVoyageurs/status/763888129342332928">August 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Bhutan</li>
</ul>
?Try the hot and spicy Ema Datshi, red rice and stew made of chilies, cheese and veggies. 
 
Shakam Datshi, a dish prepared with dried beef with red chillies, is also popular&nbsp;for its unique cheesy texture
<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Missing <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EmaDatshi?src=hash">#EmaDatshi</a>, the signature Bhutanese Cuisine. It&#39;s made of chili peppers and cheese.<a href="https://twitter.com/EaseIndiaTravel">@EaseIndiaTravel</a> <a href="https://t.co/2RNCfTdden">pic.twitter.com/2RNCfTdden</a>
&mdash; Neha Sharma (@NehaSharmaHere) <a href="https://twitter.com/NehaSharmaHere/status/714296161344028672">March 28, 2016</a></blockquote>
</div>
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
<ul>
	<li>Maldives</li>
</ul>
?The island country is famous for its sea food.&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Lobster for tonight - Lily Beach Resort<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bmrtg?src=hash">#bmrtg</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash">#Maldives</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lobster?src=hash">#lobster</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E9%A9%AC%E5%B0%94%E4%BB%A3%E5%A4%AB?src=hash">#????</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E4%B8%AD%E5%9B%BD?src=hash">#??</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/picoftheday?src=hash">#picoftheday</a> &hellip; <a href="http://t.co/odabtA40SJ">http://t.co/odabtA40SJ</a> <a href="http://t.co/NaobrfUG6N">pic.twitter.com/NaobrfUG6N</a>
&mdash; MALDIVITY&trade; (@MALDIVITY) <a href="https://twitter.com/MALDIVITY/status/597157583372349442">May 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Whatever yr Favourite Meal, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash">#Maldives</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/culinarydelight?src=hash">#culinarydelight</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Prawn?src=hash">#Prawn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VisitMaldivesYear2016?src=hash">#VisitMaldivesYear2016</a> <a href="https://t.co/iZIVzBiq5c">pic.twitter.com/iZIVzBiq5c</a>
&mdash; Y &amp; Y Maldives (@ynymaldives) <a href="https://twitter.com/ynymaldives/status/663688597879414785">November 9, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Try this <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/recipe?src=hash">#recipe</a> for Goan style shrimp kebabs from Constance Moofushi - <a href="https://t.co/MC9lvk6VF6">https://t.co/MC9lvk6VF6</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/seafood?src=hash">#seafood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Maldives?src=hash">#Maldives</a> <a href="https://t.co/Z1UZVPjs8p">pic.twitter.com/Z1UZVPjs8p</a>
&mdash; Constance Hotels (@constancehotels) <a href="https://twitter.com/constancehotels/status/739743646543548417">June 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

 
 
(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

<div class="twitter-block"><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Ditch the fancy restaurants and taste the region's authentic flavours on the roads

They say that every food has its own story to tell. The South Asian region also has some of the most lip-smacking street foods that every foodie must try. Here is a list of some delicacies from the region, recommended by social media users, that you must try: Nepal Some must-haves are: Chatamari (crepe made of rice flour), spiced and grilled buffalo meat locally known as Choila, which goes best with a homemade liquor called Newari, and Nepalese-style barbecued meat better known as Sekuwa. You can also try noodle soup, Thukpa. Sweet dish made with rice, Phirni, is quite popular here. #NepalNOW Foodies' Diary#chatamari #foddie #dinner ??: @aghale pic.twitter.com/s0y2IEkDSN — nepalNOW (@thenepalnow) January 18, 2016 No one ever said you can never celebrate Tuesdays. :D#Choila from #BajekoSekuwa pic.twitter.com/0ayqEisJLM — Foodmandu (@foodmandu) June 7, 2016 Mutton Sekuwa????#sekuwa #mutton #khasi #khasikosekuwa #barbecue #nepalifood pic.twitter.com/clZ5aQUbS8 — Nepali Tummy (@NepaliTummy) July 6, 2016 Chicken Thukpa Recipe thanks to @hungryforeverco - get the recipe https://t.co/SOLiTlz9u2 pic.twitter.com/hwSGE6IfAQ — eat365 (@eat365) September 2, 2016 India India is expansive in size and offers a huge range of street foods due to country's diversity. Some delicacies worth giving a try are: Jalebi (crisp deep-fried refined flour and yogurt batter spirals dunked in saffron sugar syrup) in sweets, savoury snacks like Chaaat, Golgappas (fried crisps with flavoured water), Chole Bhature (fried bread coupled with spicy chickpea preparation) and Aloo Tikki (spiced, crispy potato patties). #Awesome Food : #Made jalebi 1st time.. Yumm yumm yummmy.... Shape n taste turned out good… https://t.co/KnYXOKsabf pic.twitter.com/7CllnMwCPx — Vilo Kanis (@SeeYouGuysCom) April 4, 2016 Can I eat chaat all day? Indian street food love. #Delhi #travel #streetfood #indianchaat https://t.co/Vxkngf2p6h pic.twitter.com/qZpdHslZrt — The Saccharine Habit (@foodbysssourabh) November 8, 2015 ???? - ????? #CholeBhature #IndianCuisine ???? pic.twitter.com/9hjg7PIv9A — Planet Spices (@planetspices) September 10, 2016 Experience the #flavours of #India in our dishes! Taste the savoury #Samosa and #AlooTikki for yourself! #IndianFood pic.twitter.com/S6SmcfAFox — Tandoori Flame (@Tandoori_Flame) July 26, 2016 This Golgappa is specially for u di?? @shreyaghoshal as my @snehajh37544769 promised u but u have to come online soon pic.twitter.com/Miie836hpc — ♥Siri?? SGian♥ (@sirishapappu77) September 9, 2016 Pakistan Street food lovers in Pakistan cannot afford to give a miss to 'Kebabs' (grilled and barbecued meat), Nihari (beef or lamb stew cooked slowly for a long period of time) and Biryani, a mixed rice dish. #Food street #Nothia bazar #Peshawar cantt #Pakistan #Peace pic.twitter.com/ySQhDRFdcI — Muhammad Mudassir (@mudassir98u) August 27, 2016 Kebabs#Ramazan #ramadan #Pakistan #iftar #kebab #night #party #foodilicious #sizzling #bbq #burger pic.twitter.com/BOw2qPfJ4J — Irfan Ahmad Rana (@IRFANRANACRP) June 29, 2015 Afghanistan ?The landlocked country has a unique take on non-vegetarian food items. You can have steamed Afghani dumpling, locally known as Mantu, filled with lamb. The dish is best served with yogurt and kidney beans in a tomato sauce and dried mint. Bolani, traditional baked or fried flatbread stuffed with vegetables, is also popular among food connoisseurs. You can also feast on Afghani rice while travelling. #Awesome Food : #Mantu - afghan steamed beef dumplings with lentil and yogurt https://t.co/3sGnOcaPxB pic.twitter.com/cPmlM1UVuQ — Vilo Kanis (@SeeYouGuysCom) August 25, 2016 Did you try? #Bolani with Leek and Potato, #Pashtun #Cuisine #Peshawar #Afghanistan #Quetta pic.twitter.com/hgb2OKPVDM — Pukhtoogle (@Pukhtoogle) November 15, 2015 #filetMignon #halal #afghanfood #afghancuisine #Afghanifood #naringe #kabli #palaw #paloa #AfghaniRice #grilled pic.twitter.com/eHJqWcxb0X — TheSilkRoadRest (@thesilkroadrest) August 21, 2016 Sri Lanka ?Dig into egg hoppers (pancakes and fried egg), or satiate your taste buds with sesame balls called Thalaguli. 11 Delicious Ways to Experience the Best of Sri Lanka: https://t.co/VotYkpVWqH #delicious #food #culinary #srilanka pic.twitter.com/3b44WCsUcg — SmarterTravel (@SmarterTravel) September 1, 2016 Thala Guli. Must try sweet in #SriLanka. A delicacy made from Sesame seeds and jaggery. #food #delicious #travel pic.twitter.com/ijK9jATxMa — Yasoma Galloluwe (@pgtravels_sl) September 4, 2016 Colors of Pettahhttps://t.co/yTHWz2Aoj5#srilanka #pettah #food #people #EveryDaySriLanka #streetphotography pic.twitter.com/giaGkOXJUD — Nazly Ahmed (@nazly) August 30, 2016 Bangladesh ?Influenced by Indian Bengali cuisine, Morog Pulao is a special kind of rice with large portions of chicken. Best of Bangladesh food: Kacchi Biryani! https://t.co/ddJbzsM5bP #Bangladesh #food #travel pic.twitter.com/CAJjFAl9ug — BonVoyageurs (@BonVoyageurs) August 12, 2016 Bhutan ?Try the hot and spicy Ema Datshi, red rice and stew made of chilies, cheese and veggies. Shakam Datshi, a dish prepared with dried beef with red chillies, is also popular for its unique cheesy texture Missing #EmaDatshi, the signature Bhutanese Cuisine. It's made of chili peppers and cheese.@EaseIndiaTravel pic.twitter.com/2RNCfTdden — Neha Sharma (@NehaSharmaHere) March 28, 2016 Maldives ?The island country is famous for its sea food. Lobster for tonight - Lily Beach Resort#bmrtg #Maldives #lobster #???? #?? #picoftheday … http://t.co/odabtA40SJ pic.twitter.com/NaobrfUG6N — MALDIVITY™ (@MALDIVITY) May 9, 2015 Whatever yr Favourite Meal, #Maldives #culinarydelight #Prawn #VisitMaldivesYear2016 pic.twitter.com/iZIVzBiq5c — Y & Y Maldives (@ynymaldives) November 9, 2015 Try this #recipe for Goan style shrimp kebabs from Constance Moofushi - https://t.co/MC9lvk6VF6 #seafood #Maldives pic.twitter.com/Z1UZVPjs8p — Constance Hotels (@constancehotels) June 6, 2016 (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Street foods from South Asia you can't afford to miss

DhiTV and DhiFM were the first ever private television and radio stations launched in the history of the tiny island nation of the Maldives. Till 2008, Maldives had only government-controlled media houses, such as Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VOM). Other than these, there were three daily newspapers, which were also owned by the then cabinet ministers. Unfortunately, both DhiTV and DhiFM was shut down on August 10, 2016.&nbsp;

DhiTV and DhiFM became very important in Maldives&#39; media history. For the first time, it allowed the citizens of Maldives to hear a different side of the story;&nbsp; it provided the people with an option other than the official version of an event, emanating from the government-affiliated media establishment.

The news of DhiTV shutdown came as a shock to the whole country, as the news of the closure was abruptly announced to the television staffs, just a day after the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) passed the Anti-defamation bill in the parliament.&nbsp;

The stations, owned by the local business tycoon Champa Mohamed Moosa (uhchu), were operated by Broadcasting Maldives and Maldives Media Company. In a joint memo sent to the staffs on 10th August, the companies announced the shut down of the transmission of the channels that day itself at 00:00 hours, saying that they do not believe the channels could be run in a sustainable manner under the current circumstance. The staffs were given notice of three months with salary. Though the companies did not officially mention anything about the Anti-defamation and Freedom of Expression Act that were ratified on 11th&nbsp; August, arguably the decision was linked to it.&nbsp;

The Anti-defamation act allows fines up to MVR 2 Million which is approximately US$ 130,0000.&nbsp; The Act stipulates that any media house can be closed down if found guilty of slander, for having breached social norms, and if it threatened national security in some way. Under the Act, a company can be held accountable and punished for going against the tenets of Islam. Failure to pay the fines will result in a jail sentence of up to 6 months. What makes it worse is, individuals and media stations can only appeal the sentence after paying the fine.

Irrespective of their relation to the government, the Maldivian media stood united against the bill. The only exception was the Public Service Media (PSM) which was independent, yet always supported measures taken by Maldive government. PSM not only supported the&nbsp; proposed bill from the government but also tried to justify it by using Islam as a shield. PSM was broadcasting various programs, bringing Islamic scholars to talk about defamation from a religious perspective.&nbsp;

Maybe what PSM did not understand was that the journalists raising voice against the bill are also not in favor of defamation.&nbsp;

I always believed that to be a responsible reporter, we need to be careful about defamation. But that does not mean, I am supporting any restriction on either freedom of expression or freedom of speech in the name of defamation. It is a right guaranteed by the constitution to every citizen of Maldives, and exercising these rights are necessary for a journalists to act as a watchdog in a democracy. Right to freedom of expression and freedom of media can not be restricted even in a state of emergency. Parliament can only pass a law if it is not opposing the constitution.&nbsp;

Concerns expressed by the majority of Maldivian journalists were ignored by the parliamentary members of the ruling party. Instead, they passed the bill with even tougher penalties. Sadly, some of these members are also the owner of various media outlets; they not only let down Maldivian journalists and the general public but also their own employees. For instance, the owner of Sun Media Group&nbsp;Ahmed Shiyam,&nbsp;who is also the leader of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) as well as Yamin Rasheed,&nbsp;the owner of the Sangu TV and Member of Parliament of the PPM party,&nbsp;voted&nbsp; in favor of the bill.&nbsp; Journalists from both media outlets were raising their voice against the bill and calling the MPs to vote against it. But their voice went unheard.&nbsp;

Our voice went unheard and the government ratified the bill criminalising defamation with hefty fines.

The Anti-defamation Act could be used by anyone as a harassment tool against journalists and to attack the fourth power of democracy. Now the question is why just DhiTV? After all, DhiTV has been long labeled as a pro-government channel. Why not some other station like RajjeTV, which is popularly known as an anti-government station.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Informed sources gave us some hints that DhiTV has been on the government&#39;s blacklist as much as RajjeTV; during 2013 presidential election campaign, DhiTV was against President Yamin Abdul Gayoom. During the PPM primary, former Home Minister Umar Naseer and Yamin Gayoom were contesting to be the PPM presidential candidate, DhiTV was against Yamin and backing Umar. Even after Yamin won the primary, DhiTV continued their stand against Yamin by backing the presidential campaign of President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik of the time. As a business tycoon, investing many projects in Maldives, the owner of DhiTV surely will need the government&rsquo;s cooperation, even if he has to give up DhiTV for that.&nbsp;

When DhiTV was shut down, I was part of the team working as a news anchor. During that last week, I mostly had 2 p.m and 8 p.m news. August 10th was the only day when I had to present the 10 p.m news.&nbsp; Management decided to end the news coverage with the 8.pm news and I did not get the chance to say goodbye. I just wished, I knew 8 p.m prime time news of 9th August was going to be my last time live on DhiTV. What bothered us more was not that we lost our job, but we lost DhiTV. Re-opening DhiTV soon is our hope. And I believe it will happen sooner or later.&nbsp;

Management of DhiTV decided to end the news coverage with the 8PM news and I did not get the chance to say goodbye

DhiTV and DhiFM were the first ever private television and radio stations launched in the history of the tiny island nation of the Maldives. Till 2008, Maldives had only government-controlled media houses, such as Television Maldives (TVM) and Voice of Maldives (VOM). Other than these, there were three daily newspapers, which were also owned by the then cabinet ministers. Unfortunately, both DhiTV and DhiFM was shut down on August 10, 2016. DhiTV and DhiFM became very important in Maldives' media history. For the first time, it allowed the citizens of Maldives to hear a different side of the story; it provided the people with an option other than the official version of an event, emanating from the government-affiliated media establishment. The news of DhiTV shutdown came as a shock to the whole country, as the news of the closure was abruptly announced to the television staffs, just a day after the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) passed the Anti-defamation bill in the parliament. The stations, owned by the local business tycoon Champa Mohamed Moosa (uhchu), were operated by Broadcasting Maldives and Maldives Media Company. In a joint memo sent to the staffs on 10th August, the companies announced the shut down of the transmission of the channels that day itself at 00:00 hours, saying that they do not believe the channels could be run in a sustainable manner under the current circumstance. The staffs were given notice of three months with salary. Though the companies did not officially mention anything about the Anti-defamation and Freedom of Expression Act that were ratified on 11th August, arguably the decision was linked to it. The Anti-defamation act allows fines up to MVR 2 Million which is approximately US$ 130,0000. The Act stipulates that any media house can be closed down if found guilty of slander, for having breached social norms, and if it threatened national security in some way. Under the Act, a company can be held accountable and punished for going against the tenets of Islam. Failure to pay the fines will result in a jail sentence of up to 6 months. What makes it worse is, individuals and media stations can only appeal the sentence after paying the fine. Irrespective of their relation to the government, the Maldivian media stood united against the bill. The only exception was the Public Service Media (PSM) which was independent, yet always supported measures taken by Maldive government. PSM not only supported the proposed bill from the government but also tried to justify it by using Islam as a shield. PSM was broadcasting various programs, bringing Islamic scholars to talk about defamation from a religious perspective. Maybe what PSM did not understand was that the journalists raising voice against the bill are also not in favor of defamation. I always believed that to be a responsible reporter, we need to be careful about defamation. But that does not mean, I am supporting any restriction on either freedom of expression or freedom of speech in the name of defamation. It is a right guaranteed by the constitution to every citizen of Maldives, and exercising these rights are necessary for a journalists to act as a watchdog in a democracy. Right to freedom of expression and freedom of media can not be restricted even in a state of emergency. Parliament can only pass a law if it is not opposing the constitution. Concerns expressed by the majority of Maldivian journalists were ignored by the parliamentary members of the ruling party. Instead, they passed the bill with even tougher penalties. Sadly, some of these members are also the owner of various media outlets; they not only let down Maldivian journalists and the general public but also their own employees. For instance, the owner of Sun Media Group Ahmed Shiyam, who is also the leader of the Maldives Development Alliance (MDA) as well as Yamin Rasheed, the owner of the Sangu TV and Member of Parliament of the PPM party, voted in favor of the bill. Journalists from both media outlets were raising their voice against the bill and calling the MPs to vote against it. But their voice went unheard. Our voice went unheard and the government ratified the bill criminalising defamation with hefty fines. The Anti-defamation Act could be used by anyone as a harassment tool against journalists and to attack the fourth power of democracy. Now the question is why just DhiTV? After all, DhiTV has been long labeled as a pro-government channel. Why not some other station like RajjeTV, which is popularly known as an anti-government station. Informed sources gave us some hints that DhiTV has been on the government's blacklist as much as RajjeTV; during 2013 presidential election campaign, DhiTV was against President Yamin Abdul Gayoom. During the PPM primary, former Home Minister Umar Naseer and Yamin Gayoom were contesting to be the PPM presidential candidate, DhiTV was against Yamin and backing Umar. Even after Yamin won the primary, DhiTV continued their stand against Yamin by backing the presidential campaign of President Dr. Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik of the time. As a business tycoon, investing many projects in Maldives, the owner of DhiTV surely will need the government’s cooperation, even if he has to give up DhiTV for that. When DhiTV was shut down, I was part of the team working as a news anchor. During that last week, I mostly had 2 p.m and 8 p.m news. August 10th was the only day when I had to present the 10 p.m news. Management decided to end the news coverage with the 8.pm news and I did not get the chance to say goodbye. I just wished, I knew 8 p.m prime time news of 9th August was going to be my last time live on DhiTV. What bothered us more was not that we lost our job, but we lost DhiTV. Re-opening DhiTV soon is our hope. And I believe it will happen sooner or later.

Freedom of expression under siege in Maldives

Maldivian immigration authorities today revoked the passports of five Maldivian nationals including former president Mohammed Nasheed and former vice-president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed. 
 
In a statement issued by the Maldivian government&#39;s immigration department, the authorities have officially cancelled Maldivian passports of former president Mohammed Nasheed, former vice-president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, former foreign minister Ahmed Naseem and former state minister Akram Kamaaludheen. The passport of H Haajaraage Abdulla Luthufi, who was sentenced to jail in connection with the November 3, 1988 militant attack was also revoked. 
 
Immigration authorities said that anyone who was wanted regarding the enforcement of criminal convictions against them or anyone who refused to return despite orders from authorities regarding any ongoing investigation cannot be allowed to live in other countries holding a Maldivian passport. But the authorities added that if those whose passports have been revoked wanted to come back to Maldives, travel documents would be provided. 
 
The Maldivian government revoked the passports hours after the documentary &#39;Stealing Paradise&#39; made by Al Jazeera regarding corruption in Maldives was released on YouTube which had interviews of former president Nasheed and former vice-president Jameel. Both live in the United Kingdom. 
 
(WION)

The passports were revoked hours after the documentary 'Stealing Paradise', regarding corruption in Maldives, was released today

Maldivian immigration authorities today revoked the passports of five Maldivian nationals including former president Mohammed Nasheed and former vice-president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed. In a statement issued by the Maldivian government's immigration department, the authorities have officially cancelled Maldivian passports of former president Mohammed Nasheed, former vice-president Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed, former foreign minister Ahmed Naseem and former state minister Akram Kamaaludheen. The passport of H Haajaraage Abdulla Luthufi, who was sentenced to jail in connection with the November 3, 1988 militant attack was also revoked. Immigration authorities said that anyone who was wanted regarding the enforcement of criminal convictions against them or anyone who refused to return despite orders from authorities regarding any ongoing investigation cannot be allowed to live in other countries holding a Maldivian passport. But the authorities added that if those whose passports have been revoked wanted to come back to Maldives, travel documents would be provided. The Maldivian government revoked the passports hours after the documentary 'Stealing Paradise' made by Al Jazeera regarding corruption in Maldives was released on YouTube which had interviews of former president Nasheed and former vice-president Jameel. Both live in the United Kingdom. (WION)

Maldives revokes former president Nasheed and former VP Jameel Ahmed's passports

<div style="text-align: justify;">The Maldivian state broadcaster Public Service Media (PSM) has accused the Doha-based broadcaster&nbsp;Al Jazeera of making a documentary film that will damage the archipelago&#39;s economy and reputation.&nbsp;The documentary is about the&nbsp;abuse of power and the alleged corruption of&nbsp;current President Abdulla Yameen. &nbsp; 
 
The Maldives Independent website reported that PSM wrote an article on its official website, claiming the documentary is made by a &ldquo;a foreigner and non-Muslim called Will Jordan with the purpose of spreading falsehoods about the Maldives and causing loss of investor confidence&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
The broadcaster also accused the journalist of working on behalf of the opposition party, The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).&nbsp;
 
On Thursday,&nbsp;Will Jordan received a death-threatening tweet from what seems to be&nbsp;a Maldivian nationalist youth organisation. 
&nbsp;

<div class="twitter-block">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb">
<a href="https://twitter.com/willjordan">@willjordan</a> U will die soon. We have hired some gunmens to shot u. &amp; we r not afraid of f****** (sic)&nbsp;anyone or any country. See the bullet ??
&mdash; DhivehiLashkaru (@DhivehiLashkaru) <a href="https://twitter.com/DhivehiLashkaru/status/771070789990830080">31 August 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
&nbsp;

In an email interaction with WION,&nbsp;Clayton Swisher, Director of Investigative Journalism for Al Jazeera, said: &quot;On Thursday&nbsp;we were made aware of a specific threat circulated on social media against one of our investigative reporters. We immediately notified the Metropolitan Police in London who have launched an investigation. &nbsp;We similarly call on the Maldivian government to assist with identifying those behind this campaign of intimidation, and we urge all parties to keep an open mind ahead of the films broadcast.&quot; 
 
A source close to Al Jazeera told WION that the documentary screening which was meant to be&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;in London was postponed because&nbsp;the organisers fear&nbsp;for viewers&#39;&nbsp;security.
After the end in 2008 of 30 years of&nbsp;autocratic rule by Abdul Gayoom, the Maldives has been through a period of political turmoil. After winning the first democratic elections in the country&#39;s history, former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned in 2012 after what the MDP claims was a coup. He currently lives in&nbsp;London, after having been sentenced to 13 years in prison under the Anti-Terrorism Act; he served a year of his sentence. Nasheed was accused of arbitrarily using his influence to remove a criminal court judge from his post. The international human&nbsp;rights organisation Amnesty International called the sentence&nbsp;&ldquo;politically motivated&rdquo;.&nbsp; 
 
PSM&#39;s statement comes only a few days after the business lobby group Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI) urged President Yameen to ban foreign journalists from working in the Maldives. The group said foreign journalists are biased in their coverage and that they could undermine the national economy, built mainly&nbsp;on tourism.&nbsp; 
 
The allegations against Al Jazeera come on top of other similar events, suggesting a general crackdown against foreign media reporting from the country. &nbsp; 
 
On August 5, Polish photojournalist Elwira Szczecian and her Italian husband were expelled from the country. While on holiday, the photographer came across a demonstration and took a few pictures. That was considered enough by the Maldivian police to arrest the couple on accusations of practising journalism illegally in the country. The Immigration Office issued a 10-year&nbsp;ban against them.&nbsp; 
 
In December 2015, a similar fate befell a four-member German TV crew reporting from the Maldives. The immigration department expelled them saying they were shooting without permission. &nbsp; 
 
During former President Nasheed&#39;s tenure, foreign journalists were allowed to enter the country and report on tourist visas -- a&nbsp;practice the new government is not keen on continuing.&nbsp; 
 
The Maldives Independent reported that member of parliament Ahmed Nihan said on TV&nbsp;that Maldivian citizens will also be held responsible if they are believed to have misreported facts to the foreign media. &ldquo;Action will be taken if they give false information to harm the Maldives, harm the government, and destroy the economy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Legal action will also be taken against those who broadcast, rebroadcast, or report the same content in writing.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
 
The scenario is also getting increasingly difficult for local media houses. On August 9, the Maldivian parliament passed a defamation bill allowing&nbsp;journalists and media houses to be prosecuted and fined (heavily)&nbsp;in case allegations made by them are considered offensive. &nbsp; 
 
Defamation bills, all over the world, are often misused by governments as a pretext to silence the media. Maldivian journalists and citizens took to the streets to protest against the bill, but their voices went unheard. &nbsp; 
 
The Maldives is a young democracy, a country that has for long been hostage to what Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defined as the &quot;danger of a single story&quot;, a mono-dimensional narrative which flattens the many shades of a story giving voice only to one side. &nbsp; 
 
For many years, the international media and their audience thought and spoke about the Maldives only as an earthly paradise, free of problems, a place one went for&nbsp;relaxing holidays and the astonishing beaches. &nbsp; 
 
Politics seemed to play no role in the Maldives&#39; narrative. There was only space for that single story of the perfect and romantic holiday, a place the society of which&nbsp;could be anything but unhappy. &nbsp; 
 
The Maldives is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth, but there is clearly more going on there: a country with political and social challenges, a young democracy living through a turbulent moment but one that is also willing to invest its energies&nbsp;in getting rid of it. &nbsp; 
 
Trying to silence voices and witnesses, both foreign and local, who are investigating and reporting on this process in the name of protecting business will only harm the country&#39;s democratic development.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)</div>

The documentary is about the?abuse of power and the alleged corruption of?current President Abdulla Yameen

The Maldivian state broadcaster Public Service Media (PSM) has accused the Doha-based broadcaster Al Jazeera of making a documentary film that will damage the archipelago's economy and reputation. The documentary is about the abuse of power and the alleged corruption of current President Abdulla Yameen. The Maldives Independent website reported that PSM wrote an article on its official website, claiming the documentary is made by a “a foreigner and non-Muslim called Will Jordan with the purpose of spreading falsehoods about the Maldives and causing loss of investor confidence”. The broadcaster also accused the journalist of working on behalf of the opposition party, The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP). On Thursday, Will Jordan received a death-threatening tweet from what seems to be a Maldivian nationalist youth organisation. @willjordan U will die soon. We have hired some gunmens to shot u. & we r not afraid of f****** (sic) anyone or any country. See the bullet ?? — DhivehiLashkaru (@DhivehiLashkaru) 31 August 2016 In an email interaction with WION, Clayton Swisher, Director of Investigative Journalism for Al Jazeera, said: "On Thursday we were made aware of a specific threat circulated on social media against one of our investigative reporters. We immediately notified the Metropolitan Police in London who have launched an investigation. We similarly call on the Maldivian government to assist with identifying those behind this campaign of intimidation, and we urge all parties to keep an open mind ahead of the films broadcast." A source close to Al Jazeera told WION that the documentary screening which was meant to be on Sunday in London was postponed because the organisers fear for viewers' security. After the end in 2008 of 30 years of autocratic rule by Abdul Gayoom, the Maldives has been through a period of political turmoil. After winning the first democratic elections in the country's history, former President Mohamed Nasheed resigned in 2012 after what the MDP claims was a coup. He currently lives in London, after having been sentenced to 13 years in prison under the Anti-Terrorism Act; he served a year of his sentence. Nasheed was accused of arbitrarily using his influence to remove a criminal court judge from his post. The international human rights organisation Amnesty International called the sentence “politically motivated”. PSM's statement comes only a few days after the business lobby group Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MNCCI) urged President Yameen to ban foreign journalists from working in the Maldives. The group said foreign journalists are biased in their coverage and that they could undermine the national economy, built mainly on tourism. The allegations against Al Jazeera come on top of other similar events, suggesting a general crackdown against foreign media reporting from the country. On August 5, Polish photojournalist Elwira Szczecian and her Italian husband were expelled from the country. While on holiday, the photographer came across a demonstration and took a few pictures. That was considered enough by the Maldivian police to arrest the couple on accusations of practising journalism illegally in the country. The Immigration Office issued a 10-year ban against them. In December 2015, a similar fate befell a four-member German TV crew reporting from the Maldives. The immigration department expelled them saying they were shooting without permission. During former President Nasheed's tenure, foreign journalists were allowed to enter the country and report on tourist visas -- a practice the new government is not keen on continuing. The Maldives Independent reported that member of parliament Ahmed Nihan said on TV that Maldivian citizens will also be held responsible if they are believed to have misreported facts to the foreign media. “Action will be taken if they give false information to harm the Maldives, harm the government, and destroy the economy,” he said. “Legal action will also be taken against those who broadcast, rebroadcast, or report the same content in writing.” The scenario is also getting increasingly difficult for local media houses. On August 9, the Maldivian parliament passed a defamation bill allowing journalists and media houses to be prosecuted and fined (heavily) in case allegations made by them are considered offensive. Defamation bills, all over the world, are often misused by governments as a pretext to silence the media. Maldivian journalists and citizens took to the streets to protest against the bill, but their voices went unheard. The Maldives is a young democracy, a country that has for long been hostage to what Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defined as the "danger of a single story", a mono-dimensional narrative which flattens the many shades of a story giving voice only to one side. For many years, the international media and their audience thought and spoke about the Maldives only as an earthly paradise, free of problems, a place one went for relaxing holidays and the astonishing beaches. Politics seemed to play no role in the Maldives' narrative. There was only space for that single story of the perfect and romantic holiday, a place the society of which could be anything but unhappy. The Maldives is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth, but there is clearly more going on there: a country with political and social challenges, a young democracy living through a turbulent moment but one that is also willing to invest its energies in getting rid of it. Trying to silence voices and witnesses, both foreign and local, who are investigating and reporting on this process in the name of protecting business will only harm the country's democratic development. (WION)

Maldives crackdown on foreign media continues, film accused of harming 'archipelago's reputation'

The raid came in right after a criminal court issued a warrant against him for failing to return to complete a jail sentence

Maldivian police raided ex-president Mohamed Nasheed's family house on Wednesday evening,over investigation into a coup plot, the Maldives Independent reported. The raid came in right after a criminal court issued a warrant against Nasheed, country's first democratically elected president who was toppled in 2012, for failing to return to the troubled archipelago to complete a jail sentence after receiving medical care in Britain. The criminal court has meanwhile issued a warrant for Nasheed’s arrest on a charge of misusing state funds, the Maldives Independent said. Officers spent half an hour at Kenereege in Mal? at around 9 pm local time, Nasheed’s cousin and opposition MP Eva Abdulla told Maldives Independent. The officers searched all the rooms and bathrooms, but said they did not find any items of interest, she told Maldives Independent. “This is absolutely unjustified. President Nasheed has been away for a very long time. Only his parents live there now.” Nasheed has a political refugee status that was granted by the British government in May. He travelled to Sri Lanka in August with the other leaders of the Maldives United Opposition, a broad coalition of opposition parties and former government officials that is seeking to oust President Abdulla Yameen over human rights abuses and charges of corruption, the Maldives Independent said. The website reports that tensions are high in Mal?. The security forces were on alert and soldiers were seen stationed at the supreme court, the Republic Square and the President’s residence on Tuesday. ?(WION)

Maldives: Police raids ex-president Mohamed Nasheed's family residence

An arrest warrant has been issued for former president Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives said today. 
 
A Maldivian criminal court issued the warrant against Nasheed, country&#39;s first democratically elected president who was toppled in 2012, for failing to return to the troubled archipelago to complete a jail sentence after receiving medical care in Britain, the AFP reported.&nbsp; 
 
The 49-year-old leader was granted political asylum last year in May after he was authorised to travel for medical treatment while serving the sentence for a terror-related offence. 
 
&quot;The warrant for Nasheed&#39;s arrest was sought over an investigation into the alleged misuse of state funds during his presidency,&quot; the police said in a statement.&nbsp; 
 
It is pertinent to mention that the order has been released days after Nasheed flew to neighbouring Sri Lanka.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The Maldives correctional service is seeking to have him brought back to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence on a terror conviction,&quot; The Maldives Independent reported, citing the statement. 
 
The police were also authorised to arrest and bring back Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and Akram Kamaldeen, a senior official of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, for refusing to obey a police summon on August 4, which ordered the pair to return to the Maldives within two weeks for questioning over unspecified charges, the paper said. 
 
Jameel, who fled the Maldives in July last year, has also been granted political refugee status by the UK government. He has since been living in self-imposed exile in the UK.&nbsp; 
 
Political turmoil denting Maldives&#39;s image&nbsp; 
 
Denting its image as a paradise for upmarket tourists, the Indian Ocean island chain has been gripped by political turmoil since Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012.&nbsp; 
 
Nasheed&#39;s conviction last year&nbsp;invited widespread international condemnation. He was among members of several exiled opposition groups meeting in Colombo, two people in Nasheed&#39;s Maldivian Democratic Party told AFP at the weekend. 
 
A climate change activist, Nasheed was elected president in 2008. He was also imprisoned during the three-decade rule of former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom.&nbsp; 
 
According to AFP, sources close to Nasheed said he was eager to discuss the Maldives turmoil with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was to arrive in Colombo late Wednesday on a two-day visit for talks with Sri Lankan leaders. 
 
(WION with inputs from PTI, AFP)&nbsp;

Arrest warrant was issued against exiled leader Mohamed Nasheed for failing to return to the troubled Maldives to complete a jail sentence

An arrest warrant has been issued for former president Mohamed Nasheed, Maldives said today. A Maldivian criminal court issued the warrant against Nasheed, country's first democratically elected president who was toppled in 2012, for failing to return to the troubled archipelago to complete a jail sentence after receiving medical care in Britain, the AFP reported. The 49-year-old leader was granted political asylum last year in May after he was authorised to travel for medical treatment while serving the sentence for a terror-related offence. "The warrant for Nasheed's arrest was sought over an investigation into the alleged misuse of state funds during his presidency," the police said in a statement. It is pertinent to mention that the order has been released days after Nasheed flew to neighbouring Sri Lanka. "The Maldives correctional service is seeking to have him brought back to serve the remainder of his 13-year sentence on a terror conviction," The Maldives Independent reported, citing the statement. The police were also authorised to arrest and bring back Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and Akram Kamaldeen, a senior official of the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party, for refusing to obey a police summon on August 4, which ordered the pair to return to the Maldives within two weeks for questioning over unspecified charges, the paper said. Jameel, who fled the Maldives in July last year, has also been granted political refugee status by the UK government. He has since been living in self-imposed exile in the UK. Political turmoil denting Maldives's image Denting its image as a paradise for upmarket tourists, the Indian Ocean island chain has been gripped by political turmoil since Nasheed was forced to resign in 2012. Nasheed's conviction last year invited widespread international condemnation. He was among members of several exiled opposition groups meeting in Colombo, two people in Nasheed's Maldivian Democratic Party told AFP at the weekend. A climate change activist, Nasheed was elected president in 2008. He was also imprisoned during the three-decade rule of former strongman Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. According to AFP, sources close to Nasheed said he was eager to discuss the Maldives turmoil with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who was to arrive in Colombo late Wednesday on a two-day visit for talks with Sri Lankan leaders. (WION with inputs from PTI, AFP)

Maldives issues arrest warrant against country's first democratically elected president?

A business network in Maldives has urged President Abdulla Yameen to ban foreign journalists from working in the country, Maldives Independent reported. 
 
The Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries said &ldquo;bias in coverage of the Maldives&rdquo; was adversely affecting the economy and the tourism sector.&nbsp; 
 
&rdquo;A ban would also increase opportunities for hardworking and young local journalists,&rdquo; the group told the Maldivian website.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;Therefore this organisation advices government authorities to ban foreign journalists from working long-term in the Maldives.&rdquo; the MNCCI said in a statement on Thursday. 
 
The proposal comes amid growing international attention on the Maldives&rsquo; protracted political crisis and corruption allegations against President Abdulla Yameen. 
 
Recently, a Polish photographer and her husband were handed a 10-year entry ban and deported for filming without certain permits.&nbsp; 
 
According to the Maldives Independent, the department of immigration has since set new rules that demand background checks for foreign journalists who want to work in the Maldives. 
 
The report also said that the economic minister had said last week that the government will not issue work visas to foreign photographers. 
 
(WION) 
?

The business network argued that the recent media coverage on the country's political turbulence would adversely impact the economy

A business network in Maldives has urged President Abdulla Yameen to ban foreign journalists from working in the country, Maldives Independent reported. The Maldives National Chamber of Commerce and Industries said “bias in coverage of the Maldives” was adversely affecting the economy and the tourism sector. ”A ban would also increase opportunities for hardworking and young local journalists,” the group told the Maldivian website. “Therefore this organisation advices government authorities to ban foreign journalists from working long-term in the Maldives.” the MNCCI said in a statement on Thursday. The proposal comes amid growing international attention on the Maldives’ protracted political crisis and corruption allegations against President Abdulla Yameen. Recently, a Polish photographer and her husband were handed a 10-year entry ban and deported for filming without certain permits. According to the Maldives Independent, the department of immigration has since set new rules that demand background checks for foreign journalists who want to work in the Maldives. The report also said that the economic minister had said last week that the government will not issue work visas to foreign photographers. (WION) ?

Maldives: Chamber of Commerce calls for ban on foreign journalists

The first two-day South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Young Parliamentarians&#39; Conference with the key theme of &quot;Peace &amp; Harmony for Development&quot; concluded in Pakistani capital Islamabad on Wednesday. 
 
Delegates from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the host Pakistan participated in the conference. The objective of the conference was to give young narrative of progress to the upcoming SAARC conference to be held in Islamabad in November. 
 
The young parliamentarians of the SAARC countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, and human security and for easement of visa and travel arrangements. 
 
An understanding to this effect came in a joint communiqu? issued on the conclusion of the conference. 
 
The communiqu? emphasised developing mechanisms for strengthening cooperation in climate change, environment, education, tourism and sports. 
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<h5>&quot;We believe that SAARC is the future for this region, and it is the only way, and we can ensure progress and development of all the people of all the countries in SAARC region&quot;</h5>
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Promotion of people-to-people interactions, cultural exchanges, and cooperation to address issues of corruption and financial crime was also underlined in the communiqu?. 
 
The conference was jointly hosted by National Assembly (lower house) of Pakistan and Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services. 
 
Amid the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over recent violence in Kashmir, a three member Indian Parliamentary delegation also participated in the meet. 
 
Led by Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, leader of Biju Janata Dal party in the Lok Sabha, the other two members in the delegation were Alok Tiwari of Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha and another Lok Sabha MP Devisingh Patel. 
 
&quot;We believe that SAARC is the future for this region, and it is the only way, and we can ensure progress and development of all the people of all the countries in SAARC region,&quot; Deo told the audience at concluding ceremony. 
 
&quot;I certainly intend to strive to ensure that this declaration is put in action by my country,&quot; he added. 
 
Addressing the ceremony, National assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq said the conference will help improve Pakistan&#39;s image abroad. He said the region was faced with common problems. 
 
&quot;We have established SDGS (Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat) because the issue we need to tackle is women&#39;s issue, it is child labour, it is population, growing population, it is food security, it is education, it is health, and there are numerous issues that we need to tackle. But what I feel is that this is not only Pakistan&#39;s issue but the issue is in entire SAARC region. Collectively, putting our minds together we might be able to learn from each other&#39;s experiences and take advantage of the situation,&quot; said Sadiq. 
 
He said the SAARC countries should allow the youth to lead their nations from the front to promote peace, stability and cooperation in the region. 
 
Sidiq said like all civilized nations, Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India peacefully through dialogue. 
 
Significantly, the next big item on the SAARC agenda for the year is SAARC Finance Ministers&#39; Conference to be held at Islamabad on August 25-26. It is not known as yet whether the Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would travel to Pakistan for the meet. Doubts have been raised after the recent unpleasant situation that arose when Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Pakistan to attend the SAARC Home/Interior Ministers conference. 
 
A report on the Pakistan state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said that Pakistan minister for finance senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday chaired a meeting to review the arrangements for the upcoming SAARC Finance Ministers conference. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp; 
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Amid rising tensions between India, Pakistan over recent violence in Kashmir, a 3-member Indian Parliamentary delegation also participated

The first two-day South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) Young Parliamentarians' Conference with the key theme of "Peace & Harmony for Development" concluded in Pakistani capital Islamabad on Wednesday. Delegates from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the host Pakistan participated in the conference. The objective of the conference was to give young narrative of progress to the upcoming SAARC conference to be held in Islamabad in November. The young parliamentarians of the SAARC countries agreed to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy, trade, and human security and for easement of visa and travel arrangements. An understanding to this effect came in a joint communiqu? issued on the conclusion of the conference. The communiqu? emphasised developing mechanisms for strengthening cooperation in climate change, environment, education, tourism and sports. "We believe that SAARC is the future for this region, and it is the only way, and we can ensure progress and development of all the people of all the countries in SAARC region" Promotion of people-to-people interactions, cultural exchanges, and cooperation to address issues of corruption and financial crime was also underlined in the communiqu?. The conference was jointly hosted by National Assembly (lower house) of Pakistan and Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services. Amid the rising tensions between India and Pakistan over recent violence in Kashmir, a three member Indian Parliamentary delegation also participated in the meet. Led by Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, leader of Biju Janata Dal party in the Lok Sabha, the other two members in the delegation were Alok Tiwari of Samajwadi Party in the Rajya Sabha and another Lok Sabha MP Devisingh Patel. "We believe that SAARC is the future for this region, and it is the only way, and we can ensure progress and development of all the people of all the countries in SAARC region," Deo told the audience at concluding ceremony. "I certainly intend to strive to ensure that this declaration is put in action by my country," he added. Addressing the ceremony, National assembly speaker Ayaz Sadiq said the conference will help improve Pakistan's image abroad. He said the region was faced with common problems. "We have established SDGS (Sustainable Development Goals Secretariat) because the issue we need to tackle is women's issue, it is child labour, it is population, growing population, it is food security, it is education, it is health, and there are numerous issues that we need to tackle. But what I feel is that this is not only Pakistan's issue but the issue is in entire SAARC region. Collectively, putting our minds together we might be able to learn from each other's experiences and take advantage of the situation," said Sadiq. He said the SAARC countries should allow the youth to lead their nations from the front to promote peace, stability and cooperation in the region. Sidiq said like all civilized nations, Pakistan wants to resolve all outstanding issues with India peacefully through dialogue. Significantly, the next big item on the SAARC agenda for the year is SAARC Finance Ministers' Conference to be held at Islamabad on August 25-26. It is not known as yet whether the Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley would travel to Pakistan for the meet. Doubts have been raised after the recent unpleasant situation that arose when Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Pakistan to attend the SAARC Home/Interior Ministers conference. A report on the Pakistan state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said that Pakistan minister for finance senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday chaired a meeting to review the arrangements for the upcoming SAARC Finance Ministers conference. (Reuters)

SAARC young parliamentarians meet in Islamabad

The Maldives state broadcaster, Public Service Media, (PSM) has taken down an article accusing former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of being anti-Islamic, the Maldives Independent reported today. 
 
&ldquo;PSM triggered a storm of criticism as it posted the article, just a day after the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives approved a widely condemned law criminalisng defamation.&rdquo; Maldives Independent wrote. 
 
Gayoom had earlier appealed to MPs to reject the bill. 
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In the spirit of our Constitution which is in line with Islamic principles I appeal to all MPs to reject the current bill on defamation.
&mdash; Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/maumoonagayoom/status/762702778003185664">August 8, 2016</a></blockquote>
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The current President Abdula Yameen is the former president&#39;s&nbsp;half-brother and the two are fighting for the control of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). 
 
Gayoom had taken to microblogging site Twitter after the law was passed. 
 
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Integrity and courage are crucial for success in all political endeavours. If we allow fear to restrict our actions we will never deliver.
&mdash; Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/maumoonagayoom/status/763425062489686016">August 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Maldives Independent reported that PSM, in its online article, interpreted Gayoom&rsquo;s tweet as &ldquo;support for what it calls the secular policies of exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed&quot;. 
 
&ldquo;President Maumoon&rsquo;s sudden change of stance, in line with Nasheed&rsquo;s, and encouragement of fun without fear came as a surprise to many. This raises questions over what the nearly 80-year old Maumoon may say next,&rdquo; a broadcast of the report aired on PSM&rsquo;s Television Maldives said. &ldquo;We are now starting to believe that Maumoon, like Nasheed did, will start advocating in his tweets for Maldivians to behave like white people, to back-bite and criticise, and not to stay sober all the time.&rdquo; 
 
According to Maldives Independent, PSM had cited unnamed media reports and alleged that Gayoom was in talks with the opposition &ldquo;to ensure he is given the title of Maldives&rsquo; supreme leader and to facilitate his son&rsquo;s rise to power.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;The state broadcaster is 38 years old. I have never seen such a deplorable article on TVM yet,&rdquo; wrote Hussain Hussain, a Sun Online journalist and member of print and online media regulator. &ldquo;What will be the result of stoking the fire of hate that burns here?&rdquo; 
 
 
 
 
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Gayoom, like former president Nasheed, will start advocating in his tweets for Maldivians to behave like white people, the report said

The Maldives state broadcaster, Public Service Media, (PSM) has taken down an article accusing former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of being anti-Islamic, the Maldives Independent reported today. “PSM triggered a storm of criticism as it posted the article, just a day after the ruling Progressive Party of the Maldives approved a widely condemned law criminalisng defamation.” Maldives Independent wrote. Gayoom had earlier appealed to MPs to reject the bill. In the spirit of our Constitution which is in line with Islamic principles I appeal to all MPs to reject the current bill on defamation. — Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) August 8, 2016 The current President Abdula Yameen is the former president's half-brother and the two are fighting for the control of Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Gayoom had taken to microblogging site Twitter after the law was passed. Integrity and courage are crucial for success in all political endeavours. If we allow fear to restrict our actions we will never deliver. — Maumoon Abdul Gayoom (@maumoonagayoom) August 10, 2016 Maldives Independent reported that PSM, in its online article, interpreted Gayoom’s tweet as “support for what it calls the secular policies of exiled former president Mohamed Nasheed". “President Maumoon’s sudden change of stance, in line with Nasheed’s, and encouragement of fun without fear came as a surprise to many. This raises questions over what the nearly 80-year old Maumoon may say next,” a broadcast of the report aired on PSM’s Television Maldives said. “We are now starting to believe that Maumoon, like Nasheed did, will start advocating in his tweets for Maldivians to behave like white people, to back-bite and criticise, and not to stay sober all the time.” According to Maldives Independent, PSM had cited unnamed media reports and alleged that Gayoom was in talks with the opposition “to ensure he is given the title of Maldives’ supreme leader and to facilitate his son’s rise to power.” “The state broadcaster is 38 years old. I have never seen such a deplorable article on TVM yet,” wrote Hussain Hussain, a Sun Online journalist and member of print and online media regulator. “What will be the result of stoking the fire of hate that burns here?” ?

State broadcaster takes down article criticising Gayoom, reports Maldives Independent

Maldives&#39; new law will criminalise free speech on vague grounds and is a &quot;direct attack&quot; on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in the country, a top UN human rights expert has said. 
 
&quot;Criminalising speech on such vague and broad grounds as set out in the Bill is a direct attack on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in the Maldives,&quot; said David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. 
 
Kaye said elements of the bill, such as the vague use of religion, social norms and defamation as reasons for punishing expression, contradict not only international norms, but also obligations set out in the country&#39;s own Constitution. 
 
&quot;Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and any restrictions on it must be narrowly and objectively defined, not a matter of common routine,&quot; he said in a statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 
 
This week, the Maldive&#39;s Parliament adopted the &quot;Protection of Reputation and Good Name and Freedom of Expression Bill,&quot; which criminalises speech deemed to be defamatory, to comment against &quot;any tenet of Islam&quot;, to &quot;threaten national security&quot; or to &quot;contradict general social norms&quot;. 
 
Those committing an offence under the bill can face fines, and failure to pay, will result in jail sentence of three to six months. 
 
Kaye said that the broad grounds for restrictions in the Bill contradict not only international human rights standards recognised by the Maldives, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but also the its own Constitution, which protects the right to freedom of expression. 
 
&quot;The use of religion as a ground for limiting free speech is particularly worrying,&quot; he said, emphasising that international human rights law protects individuals from discrimination and violence based on their religion or belief, but it does not protect religion or belief from comment or criticism as such. 
 
Kaye also said the Bill will have a &quot;strong chilling effect&quot; on media and civil society, making reporting and criticism truly risky. 
 
&quot;The threat of additional penalties for the media are likely to lead to even greater self-censorship on issues perceived to be sensitive, limiting public debate on issues of public interest and depriving society from accessing important information on sensitive affairs,&quot; he said. 
 
Noting that he would be eager to engage in discussion with the Maldivian authorities on the law, the rights expert expressed hope that the President will reverse the decision by sending back the bill to Parliament for further review in consultation with independent institutions, journalists, civil society organisations and human rights defenders and bring it in compliance with international human rights standards. 
 
UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Maina Kiai and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst also shared the concerns expressed by Kaye. 
 
They had also co-signed a letter to the national authorities detailing their concerns about the legislation on May 26. 
 
(PTI)

The law, passed in the Maldives criminalises defamatory actions deemed to be against 'any tenet of Islam'

Maldives' new law will criminalise free speech on vague grounds and is a "direct attack" on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in the country, a top UN human rights expert has said. "Criminalising speech on such vague and broad grounds as set out in the Bill is a direct attack on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression in the Maldives," said David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression. Kaye said elements of the bill, such as the vague use of religion, social norms and defamation as reasons for punishing expression, contradict not only international norms, but also obligations set out in the country's own Constitution. "Freedom of expression is a fundamental right and any restrictions on it must be narrowly and objectively defined, not a matter of common routine," he said in a statement issued by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. This week, the Maldive's Parliament adopted the "Protection of Reputation and Good Name and Freedom of Expression Bill," which criminalises speech deemed to be defamatory, to comment against "any tenet of Islam", to "threaten national security" or to "contradict general social norms". Those committing an offence under the bill can face fines, and failure to pay, will result in jail sentence of three to six months. Kaye said that the broad grounds for restrictions in the Bill contradict not only international human rights standards recognised by the Maldives, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but also the its own Constitution, which protects the right to freedom of expression. "The use of religion as a ground for limiting free speech is particularly worrying," he said, emphasising that international human rights law protects individuals from discrimination and violence based on their religion or belief, but it does not protect religion or belief from comment or criticism as such. Kaye also said the Bill will have a "strong chilling effect" on media and civil society, making reporting and criticism truly risky. "The threat of additional penalties for the media are likely to lead to even greater self-censorship on issues perceived to be sensitive, limiting public debate on issues of public interest and depriving society from accessing important information on sensitive affairs," he said. Noting that he would be eager to engage in discussion with the Maldivian authorities on the law, the rights expert expressed hope that the President will reverse the decision by sending back the bill to Parliament for further review in consultation with independent institutions, journalists, civil society organisations and human rights defenders and bring it in compliance with international human rights standards. UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association Maina Kiai and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst also shared the concerns expressed by Kaye. They had also co-signed a letter to the national authorities detailing their concerns about the legislation on May 26. (PTI)

New law 'direct attack' on freedom of expression in Maldives: UN

Western nations warned Monday that a new defamation bill could severely undermine freedom of speech in the Maldives, as they accused President Abdulla Yameen of eroding democracy on the honeymoon islands. 
 
The United States led calls on Yameen to withdraw the bill that is being discussed in parliament this week, saying it gave authorities powers to impose severe penalties on people seeking to exercise basic human rights. &quot;The defamation bill that has been introduced in the Maldivian parliament risks being, if passed, a serious setback for freedom of speech in the Maldives,&quot; the US embassy said in a statement. 
 
&quot;It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.&quot; 
 
The strongly-worded missive was supported by the Sri Lanka-based diplomatic missions of Britain, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the European Union, which have responsibility for the Maldives. The statement also expressed &quot;concern about the erosion of fundamental freedoms and the institutions of democracy, including freedom of assembly and press&quot; under Yameen, who came to power in 2013. 
 
&quot;We urge President Yameen to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law -&ndash; for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives,&quot; it added. 
 
Maldivian police arrested 16 journalists in April for protesting against the bill, which seeks to criminalise defamation and proposes heavy fines and jail terms for offenders. 
 
Independent media institutions fear it could be used to stifle freedom of speech on the islands, whose pristine seas and white sandy beaches are a popular draw for wealthy Western tourists. The Indian Ocean archipelago adopted multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. 
 
But it has been gripped by turmoil since its first democratically-elected leader Mohamed Nasheed was toppled in 2012. Nasheed, whose jailing last year on terror charges has been widely criticised by the West, has since secured political asylum in Britain after travelling there for medical treatment while on prison leave. 
 
(AFP)

It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms: US embassy

Western nations warned Monday that a new defamation bill could severely undermine freedom of speech in the Maldives, as they accused President Abdulla Yameen of eroding democracy on the honeymoon islands. The United States led calls on Yameen to withdraw the bill that is being discussed in parliament this week, saying it gave authorities powers to impose severe penalties on people seeking to exercise basic human rights. "The defamation bill that has been introduced in the Maldivian parliament risks being, if passed, a serious setback for freedom of speech in the Maldives," the US embassy said in a statement. "It will allow severe penalties to be imposed on those who wish to exercise their democratic rights and freedoms, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights." The strongly-worded missive was supported by the Sri Lanka-based diplomatic missions of Britain, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands and the European Union, which have responsibility for the Maldives. The statement also expressed "concern about the erosion of fundamental freedoms and the institutions of democracy, including freedom of assembly and press" under Yameen, who came to power in 2013. "We urge President Yameen to reverse the backsliding of the past many months and return to the path of democracy, transparency, and rule of law -– for the well-being and prosperity of all of the people in the Maldives," it added. Maldivian police arrested 16 journalists in April for protesting against the bill, which seeks to criminalise defamation and proposes heavy fines and jail terms for offenders. Independent media institutions fear it could be used to stifle freedom of speech on the islands, whose pristine seas and white sandy beaches are a popular draw for wealthy Western tourists. The Indian Ocean archipelago adopted multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule. But it has been gripped by turmoil since its first democratically-elected leader Mohamed Nasheed was toppled in 2012. Nasheed, whose jailing last year on terror charges has been widely criticised by the West, has since secured political asylum in Britain after travelling there for medical treatment while on prison leave. (AFP)

Proposed Maldives defamation bill threatens freedom of speech, critics warn

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country&rsquo;s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because&nbsp;it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a &#39;modern society&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,&rdquo; said the President&nbsp;during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. 
 
He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however,&nbsp;maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. 
 
Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp; 
 
In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,&rdquo; said Maumoon. 
 
He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.&nbsp;

A former Maldives president, however, said loss of religious sovereignty could cost the country its independence

Republic of Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, on the occasion of the country’s 51st Independance day celebrations, said that it was the aim of the government to ensure that each primary school graduate in the country reads the book of Holy Quran in its entirety, starting next year. He added the government gave top priority to teaching Islam in schools because it was imperative to teach Quran to establish a 'modern society'. “It is important that the government ensures that all students in the country complete reading the Quran by the time they graduate primary school, starting from 2017,” said the President during the flag raising ceremony held on Monday night. He admitted to the government being pressured to allow for religious freedom in the country, and also to receiving threats for trying to impose relgious prohibitions by teaching Islam in schools. The President, however, maintained that establishing Maldives Islamic University was a major step taken towards strengthening the hold of Holy Quran and Islam in the Maldivian society. Former Maldivian president and leader of the Progressive Party of Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, on the other hand, pointed to loss of religious sovereignity being a factor that could cost the country its independence. “The country could lose its independence, not just from an attack from another army, but from wave of extremism that is spreading across the world,” he said. In a press statement released on Monday, he pointed that political instability and influence of major economic powers were other factors that could shake the national unity. “It’s stated in Article 4 of the Maldivian Constitution that all powers of the State stem from the people. And that these powers are maintained through the people. There are national and individual rights and freedom that are guaranteed. I note that the challenges to the independence of the country that have come from some Maldivians, and express sadness over the fact,” said Maumoon. He said that preserving the independance and sovereignity was of the highest national interest.

Will ensure each primary school graduate has read Quran: Maldives President

The Supreme Court of Maldives has quashed a stay order issued on Sunday by the High Court halting executions by the state, the Maldives Independent has reported. 
 
&quot;An order issued around 1.30 am local time states that there are no &#39;judicial or legal grounds to challenge the constitutionality of the regulations&#39; as the apex court has upheld two death sentences and ordered the state to carry out executions in accordance with the regulations,&quot; the report said. The Supreme Court of Maldives suggested that it has therefore deemed the regulations to be valid and constitutional. 
 
The case was filed by a local human rights NGO Maldives Democratic Network (MDN) and the high court&#39;s decision to hear the case was considered by the Supreme Court as violating the constitution. It deemed the hearing &#39;void by its nature&#39;.&nbsp; 
 
According to Maldives Independent, the Supreme Court has also declared that the appellate court shall not adjudicate on the matter and nullified the case. 
 
Speaking to the website, Shahindha Ismail, executive director of the NGO questioned the &ldquo;validity of the midnight order&rdquo; by the apex court. 
 
She said that she does not believe the apex court has issued a ruling because &ldquo;there has not been a hearing of this case at the Supreme Court, as the most fundamental of rights in this issue, of being heard, was never afforded to MDN by the court.&rdquo; 
 
&ldquo;Further, the document going around on social media does not even have a signature or initial of an authorised person of the Supreme Court and the case number quoted on last night&rsquo;s order seems to be that of a previous case. We will go ahead with our petition,&rdquo; she added. 
 
The order was first put up on the Twitter account of the Department of Judicial Administration, which falls under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. 
 
It has now been published on the Supreme Court website, without a signature, the Maldives Independent said.&nbsp; 
 
In its public interest claim, the MDN had meanwhile argued that the death penalty regulations restricted a fundamental constitutional right, which could only be done by an act of parliament, the Maldives Independent report mentioned.&nbsp; 
 
The website reported that the panel who heard the case at the High Court comprised of Chief Judge Abdulla Didi along with Judges Ali Sameer and Abdul Rauf Ibrahim. 
 
The Supreme Court&rsquo;s intervention comes in the midst of mounting international pressure against the re-introduction of capital punishment&nbsp;in Maldives after a six-decade unofficial moratorium. 
 
President Abdulla Yameen declared earlier this month that his administration will not baulk at enforcing the death penalty, claiming that it is necessary for public safety. 
 
The Supreme Court upheld its first death sentences last month after Yameen urged the highest court of appeal to conclude death penalty cases. 
 
The regulations approved by the cabinet in April 2014 require a final judgment by the apex court to carry out executions. 
 
Two young men, Hussain Humam Ahmed and Ahmed Murrath, are now awaiting execution by lethal injection or hanging. 
 
Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Committee requested the government to halt Humam&rsquo;s execution pending the outcome of a review of his conviction on the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali in October 2012. 
 
But the foreign ministry said the request does not constitute a legally binding order. 
 
The UN Human Rights committee is investigating a complaint alleging violations of Humam&rsquo;s right to a fair trial as set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 
 
The European Union, four UN human rights experts, and Amnesty International have also called on the government to maintain the moratorium on the death penalty. 
 
(WION) 
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International pressure has been mounting against the re-introduction of death penalty in Maldives after lifting of a six-decade moratorium

The Supreme Court of Maldives has quashed a stay order issued on Sunday by the High Court halting executions by the state, the Maldives Independent has reported. "An order issued around 1.30 am local time states that there are no 'judicial or legal grounds to challenge the constitutionality of the regulations' as the apex court has upheld two death sentences and ordered the state to carry out executions in accordance with the regulations," the report said. The Supreme Court of Maldives suggested that it has therefore deemed the regulations to be valid and constitutional. The case was filed by a local human rights NGO Maldives Democratic Network (MDN) and the high court's decision to hear the case was considered by the Supreme Court as violating the constitution. It deemed the hearing 'void by its nature'. According to Maldives Independent, the Supreme Court has also declared that the appellate court shall not adjudicate on the matter and nullified the case. Speaking to the website, Shahindha Ismail, executive director of the NGO questioned the “validity of the midnight order” by the apex court. She said that she does not believe the apex court has issued a ruling because “there has not been a hearing of this case at the Supreme Court, as the most fundamental of rights in this issue, of being heard, was never afforded to MDN by the court.” “Further, the document going around on social media does not even have a signature or initial of an authorised person of the Supreme Court and the case number quoted on last night’s order seems to be that of a previous case. We will go ahead with our petition,” she added. The order was first put up on the Twitter account of the Department of Judicial Administration, which falls under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court. It has now been published on the Supreme Court website, without a signature, the Maldives Independent said. In its public interest claim, the MDN had meanwhile argued that the death penalty regulations restricted a fundamental constitutional right, which could only be done by an act of parliament, the Maldives Independent report mentioned. The website reported that the panel who heard the case at the High Court comprised of Chief Judge Abdulla Didi along with Judges Ali Sameer and Abdul Rauf Ibrahim. The Supreme Court’s intervention comes in the midst of mounting international pressure against the re-introduction of capital punishment in Maldives after a six-decade unofficial moratorium. President Abdulla Yameen declared earlier this month that his administration will not baulk at enforcing the death penalty, claiming that it is necessary for public safety. The Supreme Court upheld its first death sentences last month after Yameen urged the highest court of appeal to conclude death penalty cases. The regulations approved by the cabinet in April 2014 require a final judgment by the apex court to carry out executions. Two young men, Hussain Humam Ahmed and Ahmed Murrath, are now awaiting execution by lethal injection or hanging. Earlier this month, the UN Human Rights Committee requested the government to halt Humam’s execution pending the outcome of a review of his conviction on the murder of Dr Afrasheem Ali in October 2012. But the foreign ministry said the request does not constitute a legally binding order. The UN Human Rights committee is investigating a complaint alleging violations of Humam’s right to a fair trial as set forth in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The European Union, four UN human rights experts, and Amnesty International have also called on the government to maintain the moratorium on the death penalty. (WION)

Supreme court of Maldives quashes high court stay order halting executions

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