In the riots that followed, Nasheed's supporters torched and destroyed a number of police stations, courts, local council offices and other public buildings. Scores of police officers were hurt in the violence too.

Earlier in the day, in a meeting of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the party which won the first multiparty election of the Maldives in 2008 and brought Nasheed to presidency, the deposed President announced that his resignation on Tuesday was coerced.

“We will come to power again,” Nasheed said. “We will never step back. I will not accept this coup and will bring justice to the Maldivians.”

Police charge teargas on protesters. Image by anonymous photographer, used with permission.

Nasheed and his supporters then marched through the capital Malé and faced a line of police behind shields near the island's main square, just next to military and police headquarters. The protesters threw bottles and stones at the police while the police fired teargas canisters into the crowd. The confrontation between the two sides ended in a brutal crackdown by police, leading to blood-soaked protesters being rushed to hospitals. Among those hurt were members of parliament and senior leaders of Nasheed's party.

FreedomWatchMV has posted this video of the confrontation between the security forces and protesters.

Another video shows police dragging an MP and Nasheed out of a shop after dispersing the crowd. Nasheed was released after a debate between the policemen about whether he should be arrested or not. This video shows a blood-soaked man narrating how the police beat him up.

Yameen blogs about the events that took place in Malé:

There is a brutal, concerted effort by the runaway police department to crush protests by supporters of President Nasheed, following his release today.

I have personally witnessed the heavy handed tactics employed to combat MDP activists, energized by the release of President Nasheed earlier today after yesterday's coup d'etat that forced him to resign.

Tear gas was used indiscriminately on Orchid magu near the Supreme court building. Two people were beaten up and lay motionless on the street for a long time before they were dragged and shoved into an ambulance.

Then I saw a police jeep speeding into a crowd of protesters. A police jeep. Absolutely reprehensible.

Police brutality on protesters. Image by anonymous. used with permission.

Muju Naeem ponders if the Maldives has turned into a military dictatorship:

So if President Waheed did not give the order, then we can safely assume that the security forces were acting on their own. What this means is that we have incidentally slipped into a military/police dictatorship where the executive is there only in name only.
Maldives has become a police state.
Maldivian Twitter users have started using 3 hashtags to tell their story. Please follow;
1. #maldivespolicestate
2. #mvprotest
3. #mvcoup

Following the events in the capital, Nasheed's supporters responded by rioting in outer islands, setting police stations on fire, throwing stones at policemen on duty and burning down courts and several other public buildings. In a number of islands they drove the police out and seized the police stations.

Maldivians and foreigners are tweeting about the new wave of violence that has gripped the holiday haven.

foram divrania tweets:

@divrania: Peace to Maldives..ur too beautiful for politics and violence.

Nattu tweets:

@reallynattu: “@hisherm: I don't support any political parties. I support Maldives.” Including Me!

There is an eerie calm in the islands and the capital on Thursday as people remain tense about what could happen next. In a press conference, the commanders of the police and military assured that order will be restored and promised to investigate the previous day's violence.

Speaking to journalists at his residence, Nasheed said he was forced to resign by some military personnel as the country's police force mutinied against his rule. Calling for fresh elections, he vowed to come back to power and reassured that he has no intention of grabbing power through street riots. He also condemned the acts of violence his supporters had committed in various islands.

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Nasheed, sworn in to office in November 2008 after the country's first democratic multiparty election, was inside the military headquarters when the military started withdrawing their allegiance to him. He was taken in a car to the nearby President's Office where he announced his resignation on live television in front of journalists.

Some Maldivians were worried about the safety of the president. Maeed wrote:

One Sincere Request remain, DO NOT HURT A PRESIDENT OF MALDIVES. UPHOLD DIGNITY and DON'T LET HISTORY REPEAT. PROTECT HIM.

People gather in front of Bandaara Koshi, the headquarters of Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) where president Nasheed was taken. Image by MUHA. Used with permission.

He added in a following post:

We shifted from a Dictatorship to a democracy in 2008 and we showed an example to the world then. I call the Security forces to show that example again.

Earlier in the day, tension escalated as the police rioted against what they claimed were unlawful commands. After what appeared to be a bitter stand-off between the military and the police, the military retreated into their headquarters. The police protest was preceded by three weeks of evening protests organised by the opposition parties in the capital Male', after the government ordered the military to detain a top judge.

Mohamed Waheed Hassan, the vice president in Nasheed's administration, has been sworn in as the new president. Even though Hassan urged for calm during a speech after taking oath, it remains to be seen if the country can quickly restore stability after weeks of protests, destruction of property and attacks on journalists and media outlets.

Soldiers who mutinied shake hands with public. Image by MUHA. Used with permission

The continuity of the democratic exercise of the Maldives is in question as tension remains high. The supporters of the deposed president label the change in power as a coup while his opponents claim Tuesday's events showed the will of the people.

Opinion is divided and feelings are mixed on social networks and twitter as Maldivians try to come to terms with the fact that the government has changed approximately two years before the next scheduled election. The hashtag #Maldives trended on Twitter today.

Dhaanish tweets:

@Dhaaanish: @JeelAli @yaittey People will start realizing how sane Nasheed is compared to all these opposition retards later! Mark my words!””

Hum_Don tweets:

@Hum_Don: I feel sorry and sad to see the resignation of the very president we worked so hard to elect.

Epicloser expressed his views:

@epicloser: You didn't listen to #Dec23 protest Nasheed, you just made fun out of us and called us terrorists. This is the outcome for you. Peace.

Haumaldives has this to say about the mutiny:

@haumaldives: @CNN Maldives Nasheed carried arbitary arrests using the Military which led to protests.. and Military crackdown led to Police revolt.

People waving Maldives flags after the tension is over. Image by MUHA. Used with permission.

Limmto tweets:

@Limmto: Citizens beat #Nasheed at his own game. The #muzaaharaa. #Maldives #MVrevolution

profEuLOGist tweets about the rebranding of the state-owned TV station after police took over:

@profEuLOGist: Fastest transition of a media and rebranding I have ever seen! TVM to MNBC1 took months but back 2 TVM - 10mins!

Mashafeeg has this to say about the turn of events:

@mashafeeg: New era of democracy in Maldives, people proves their power and president shown his bravery by the resignation.

Maldives11 responded to Mashafeeg's tweet:

@Maldives11: @mashafeeg I doubt it was the people. sorry I am not convinced it was the people.

Mashafeeg also ponders about the future:

@mashafeeg: At last Dr.Waheed’s longed dream has come true, wonder how people will accept his presidency! better wait and see for a while! #Maldives

Hilmy7007, has high expectations of the new government:

@Hilmy7007: President Waheed should ensure his government is corruption free. We demand transparency n accountability in all projects awarded.

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A rebellion within the ranks of police officers has created a nasty stand-off between the military and the police and a number of military personnel have joined the police in mutiny. Tension has reached a tipping point when there are conflicting reports about whether the president will resign.

The political crisis facing the Maldives was given a head-start in January when the government asked the police to start investigations against certain opposition leaders for what the government claimed were baseless insinuations and allegations that the government was undermining the Islamic faith of the country. Critics were puzzled when the police detained said opposition leaders in high profile investigation cases while the claims of the opposition could have been addressed through a civil case of defamation.

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) then started a public campaign named ‘Thiheneh Nukiyeyne‘ [div] (You Can't Say That), proclaiming that the party would not permit the opposition to continue making what it believed to be baseless allegations.

In the past, defamation was a criminal act and writers and individuals were sentenced to prison, based on defamation charges, for criticism they had expressed. Decriminalizing defamation in 2009 was hailed as a remarkable improvement for freedom of expression in the Maldives. The government's inclination towards criminal investigations regarding cases of defamation has become a deep concern for advocates of free speech.

After the Abdulla Mohamed, the Chief Judge of the Criminal Court ruled that the detention of the Vice President of the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) was illegal and ordered to release him from police custody, the police requested the assistance of the Maldives National Defence Force or the military to apprehend the judge. Mohamed has been under military custody since January 16 and his enforced disappearance has sparked street protests which has continued for three weeks.

Mohamed himself had been in the centre of several controversies earlier and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has found that he had violated the code of conduct for judges. Mohamed appealed this decision of the JSC in the Civil Court, and the court has issued an injunction against JSC not to take any disciplinary measures against Mohamed till the appeal case is closed. This injunction by the Civil Court itself is highly controversial because it encroaches on the powers the constitution has granted to JSC to make the judiciary accountable.

The government has since then claimed that the detention of Mohamed is part of its campaign to clean up the judiciary, which is corrupt to the core, according to the government.

Mohamed's detention in a military training camp has been declared unlawful and a violation of the constitution by several parties which point out that the military does not have legal authority to detain people. The government has not put any formal charges against Mohamed. The military claims that it has provided Mohamed with access to a lawyer and it has permitted the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives to visit him. His family was informed about his whereabouts only days after he was detained.

A number of eminent lawyers in the Maldives have spoken out against the detention of Judge Abdulla Mohamed. Among them are Shaheen Hameed, the Vice President of the Constituent Assembly which drafted the current constitution, Dhiyana Saeed, the first Attorney-General of the present government and Husnu Suood, another former Attorney-General under the present government.

Prosecutor-General Ahmed Muizzu, who was a prominent practicing lawyer of the country before his appointment as PG, has also pointed out that the detention is unlawful. Ahmed Faiz, the Chief Justice, has called for the judge to be released.

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has also expressed concerns about the continued detention of the judge. The UN has urged the government of the Maldives to either release the judge or to press formal charges against him. Abbas Faiz, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty International, in an opinion piece published in the local Minivan News website, has said that the judge's detention is arbitrary. “Amnesty International is calling on the government to either bring formal criminal charges against him or release him,” Faiz wrote.

Tension has reached a tipping point when protesters from the ruling party and the opposition parties clashed on February 6 evening leading to considerable violence. Thereafter, some police units stormed the assembly hall of the ruling party and allegedly vandalised property there. A group of police officers have rebelled against what they say are unlawful commands and gathered after midnight at the Republic Square in Male' in protest.

In a night filled with violence, the offices of VTV, a private broadcaster which is sympathetic towards the opposition and is owned by an opposition leader, was set on fire by a group of thugs. Aminath Shifleen, a journalist at Haveeru Daily, was injured while covering the protest. In the past few weeks, a number of journalists have been attacked during the protests and offices of media outlets have been attacked on multiple occasions. Private property destruction has also been a common feature of the protests that has engulfed the Maldives.

In the early hours of the morning some people are still active on social media, expressing their opinion on the unfolding crisis. This Facebook page titled Zuvaanunge' Maidhaan (The Square of Youth) has some pictures of the protests. There are frequent updates in Twitter:

Husnu Suood, former Attorney-General, tweets:

@hsuood: dont think they can avoid a bloody confrontation. Sad day for Maldives. #mvprotest

Nattu tweets:

Maldives National Defence Force vs Maldives Police #mvprotest. MNDF steps back.

Yoosuf Waheed asks:

What's going on! Hard thing r pretty nasty in #Maldives

Ali Tholhath says:

@tholhath: Sad day for Maldives. Stop this madness.

Ali Shiyan tweets:

@falho_D: Sad to see it all come to this, who is winning now? And to think it cud hav been so simple,sad day for Maldives indeed.

Shareef asks:

@shareef: Things are getting worse, #Maldives Army V/s Maldives Police. Who will Win

Agisa asks:

@agisaa: what happened to the #maldives while i was sleeping?

Sofwathullah Mohamed tweets:

@sofwath: Nothing more to say. Blame games won't help. God save Maldives. #mvprotest

And here is an update: Ahmed Affan Shafy reports with a picture:

Maldives Military joins forces with police and the public against the unconstitutional rule of Mr Nasheed.

Image posted to Twitter by @AhmedAffanShafy

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While there is a genuine dissatisfaction over the government’s mismanagement of the economy, not all residents are joining the protests, because of the highly political nature of the protests and the extent of violence involved. A number of people, including police and journalists, have been hurt during the protests. According to reports more than 300 people have been arrested so far, a figure, which has been disputed by the government.

Protesting increase of commodity prices in Maldives. Image from Twitpic by Ahmed Nazim (@GraveBone).

The government has tried to play down the significance of the protests, blaming the opposition for trying to destabilize the first democratically elected government of the Maldives and trying to topple the government before the next presidential election scheduled for 2013. The government has not acknowledged that there has been a considerable increase of prices of goods following a recent devaluation of the local currency against US dollar.

The following video of the day 3 of the protests was uploaded to YouTube by sunmvlive. See more videos by the user.

Bloggers and tweeps react to the crisis in the Maldives:

Nina Ali reacts to a statement by the President that prices have not soared and one tin of powder milk is sufficient for two children for one month:

how big do they think one tin of powder milk is.. : ONE BARREL????

Sofwath tweets about the rising cost of living:

Those who don't have to pay everything they earn for rent would never understand. They can joke and laugh but the reality is very different.

Tweeps find it ironic the government is trying to restrict the protests while the current leaders staged a number of protests when they were in the opposition. Rizwee tweets:

Current Maldivian regime doesn’t have heart to see anti-government protests. They forgot how they protested in the past regime.

Epicloser makes fun of a pro-government protest held on Friday against the other protests:

Pro gov protests ended and prices went down instantly. Everythings solved. People are happy. xD

Epicloser also tweets about the violence involved in the protests:

The capital city of Maldives is on its way to fall into total anarchy. Now gangsters are mixed with protesters and setting fire on places.

Masood Ali tweets about the instability:

Happy to be a Maldivian, but happily cant walk in my country

Badruddeen believes violence is not the solution:

@sujauu totally agree with you on this. Everyone should avoid violence at any cost. Violence is not the way forward.

Not everyone is willing to take part in the protests even though they are not happy with how the government is handling the economy. Sofwath tweets:

@p3st yeap in Male'. Won't join any of these stupid protests this time. These people gone totally crazy. No one talking abt solutions.

Haifa Imad tweets:

@nunthu nope will NOT join the protest too many agendas. Turned into a political affair since day 1.Jus concerned abt our nation flag.

Gaanagaa pokes fun about the protests which has been labeled as youth-led but organized by opposition:

Elders protesting for youth's right for cheaper iPads and Thai food. Meanwhile, youth busy watching soccer on elder's TVs.

Badruddeen feels the protests are staged by the opposition to overthrow the government:

@epicloser lol revolution to reduce the price of bread or violent revolution to overthrow a legitimate government?

As the price increase began after the government devalued the local currency against the dollar, P3est tweets:

Dear Mr. Obama, Please send a shipment of Dollars to the Maldives before all hell breaks loose. Thanks. Your sincerely, @p3st

The protests have been going on mainly during the night and some residents are feeling the toll of sleepless nights. profEuLOGist tweets:

A request from a youth| can u politicians plan the protest sometime arnd mornin & finish it off arnd 4-5pm? PLEASE? I can donate suncream.

A pro-government protest organized by the ruling party. Image from Twitpic by I. M. Saeed (@epicloser).

Hassan Ziyau reacts to profEuLOGist’s tweet and elaborates the downside of the protests:

Freedom to protest through peaceful means is without question a given right by the constitution to its people. However in practicing one’s rights, the rights of the others should not be violated. Referring to the above mentioned tweet, I am in full agreement with its idea, that the protest if need to be held should be held during daylight and in a place which can accompany large amounts of people, such as the republic square rather than the small crowded streets and lanes of the capital.

Some mainstream media outlets and even some protesters have drawn parallels between the Arab revolutions and the current protests in the Maldives. However, the government officials point out that the government is democratically elected while the opposition’s roots are with the 30-year-old dictatorship that ended with the election of 2008.

Blogger Thakurubey summarizes the different perspectives on the protest:

the protest that has been going in the street of Male for 5 consecutive nights is viewed in differently. supporters of the government view it as a plot organized by the opposition to overthrow the government by means of protest. taking a model of recent protest that led to government change in most of the middle east nations. The ruling party vows to defend the government by all means. the opposition and its supporters say it is protest by the youth to highlight the impact the country is facing due to the dollar reference change made by the government to stabilize the economy.

Hassan Abdullah writes about the need for both the government and the opposition to act responsibly and put the nation first:

So I request those who are not happy with the current regime to criticize the government make them held accountable and voice out against them or even protest against them, but save your own account in-terms of truth and justice. And I request the government, especially president Nasheed, not to make false promises and to STOP showing illusion and to do whatever you can to save the nation from crisis.

My final request to my dear brothers and sisters as someone who do not have any knowledge like the rest; “please do not set your focus on today or tomorrow, set it far beyond that.”

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The ongoing protests in Egypt have ‘electrified’ netziens in the Maldives. The fascination with the current phenomenon in Egypt transcends all geographical borders but in the Maldives there is a special significance as it brings back flashbacks of pro-democracy protests held only a few years ago to bring democracy to the Indian Ocean island nation.

Blogger Yaamyn writes:

I'm electrified by Tunisia and Egypt (and Yemen, Jordan and Algeria).

My faith that no matter how bleak and hopeless things seem, people can change their own plight and chart their own destiny, is once again reaffirmed.

Expired. Image from http://maldivesvotes.com/egypt/

Hilath urges President Nasheed of Maldives to say some words of encouragement to Egyptian protesters:

Perhaps it is the right time for President Nasheed himself to “put in a good word” so that our brothers and sisters in Egypt will not slaughter each other to the “last man standing”, and instead, like the Maldives, whom they must have read about in their “international news” section of their national newspapers, will be encouraged to come to the realization that they too can — can make a peaceful transition to real democracy and not the kind of fake democracy that Maumoon and Hosni Mubarak have been projecting for almost 30 years.

Mubarak needs to step down immediately and peacefully. 29 years is more than enough!

This is Egyptian President Mubarak’s 30th year in power and Maldivians are drawing parallels between Mubarak’s rule and the 30-year-old dictatorship in Maldives that ended in 2008.

Firax tweets:

One Just Can't Help But Draw the Parallels Between the Events Unfolding in #Egypt & the End of the Heavy Handed 30 Year Rule of #Maldives

AdduHaanee says:

30 is the magic number. That's when we face mid-life crisis. That's when dictators meet with their crises #Egypt #Maldives

Mashafeeg tweets:

Enough is enough, 29 years is more than enough #Egypt

29 years is more than enough. Image from http://www.maldivesvotes.com/egypt

Firaxadds:

MUBARAK: I'm the Father of Democracy, I Only Let Them Protest http://t.co/ejCmd1N Sound Familiar??? #egypt #maldives #jan25

MaldivesVotes.com, a website which posted several images campaigning for democracy in the run up to the presidential election of Maldives in 2008, has created a special page for Egypt. It has posted images of posters, wallpapers, and display pictures that can be used to show solidarity with the protesters in Egypt.

There is hope beyond barbed wires. Image from http://www.maldivesvotes.com/egypt/

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

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When the Egyptian government decided to go for a total Internet shutdown of the country to curb the growing anti-government protests, people in the Maldives were reminded of 13 August 2004 when the government of Maldives blocked Internet in the country following a massive pro-democracy demonstration. The government of Maldives cracked down on protesters, shutdown the Internet completely across the country, imposed a state of emergency, and hoped news of events in the Maldives would not reach the rest of the world.

As global academia and the media debate the extent of the influence of Twitter and other social media tools in shaping pro-democracy revolutions across the world, nervous governments in repressive countries would make more efforts to keep citizens silent through censorship. The revolution in Tunisia has inspired democracy activists in the Middle East, and now more repressive regimes are already trying to block the spread of dissent through Internet. There are unconfirmed tweets about Internet being blocked in Syria as protests rock Egypt.

Jawazsafar tweets:

wait, what? Syria block internet services? please denounce this this #Jan25 #Syria

A popular tweet which has being retweeted for the past couple of days is about the Egyptian government’s approach to censorship.

Anon_VV tweets:

Everything ██is█████ ████ ████fine ███ █ ████ love. ████ █████ the ███ Egypt ███ ████ government ██ #jan25 #Egypt #censorship

In the Maldives, the government started censoring critical websites as early as 1998, just two years after Internet was introduced to the country in 1996. The democracy activists had to play a game of cat and mouse with the government censors for a decade until a democracy was established after a peaceful election in 2008. The activists always found some loophole in the censorship net cast by the government. Sometimes using proxies and changing the port through which the http requests were made was the solution. At times it was just the innovative use of adding an additional dot after the .com, .net or whatever domain suffix being used. If and when the government applied filters at DNS level, IP addresses of blocked websites were used to evade the censors.

In the case of Egypt, social media users were quick to spot such loopholes. The government blocked Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools at DNS level. People were quick to point out the websites could be accessed through the IP addresses.

The Egyptian government’s decision to go for a complete Internet blackout made things complicated. Egypt is a country that relies on Internet for its economy and when the Internet was shutdown it raised a very important question. How can social media fuel a revolution when the Internet is blocked? How can you tweet a revolution when there is a complete Internet blackout?

In the case of Egypt the past hours showed that the government was unable to prevent Internet and social media from spreading news about the street protests. People in other countries communicated with protesters in Egypt through mobile phones and landlines and updated the news through Twitter and blogs.

Nico Diaz informs:

Send SMS reports to +1 949 209 7559 and they will retweet for you. Please spread to those in #Egypt #internet

In the wake of the Internet blackout in Egypt, the importance of low-tech methods and old technology has got increased attention. People are discussing whether ham radio could be a viable method of communication when faced with an Internet shutdown.

Security4all advises:

So people don't throw away those old modems just yet… Or get a ham radio! ;-)

Telecomix tweets:

#hamradio #morsecode from #Egypt: “[today] marks a great day [for] egypt”; ~00:30 UTC 7078.70 kHz, full msg here: ur1.ca/31l54 #hamr #cw

Several blog posts discuss how to deal with a complete Internet blackout and advise to go for old technology such as dial-up. Twitter is buzzing with tweets about dial-up accounts set up in other countries for Egyptians to access.

Habib Haddad tweets:

Telecomix now offering dial-up internet to egyptians +46850009990. user/pass: telecomix/telecomix #Egypt #Jan25 @telecomix

Nico Diaz adds:

VPN Server http://texnomic.com/url/2L is now stable and open for FREE to ALL #egypt #internet

Jacob Appelbaum tweets:

Egypt can use this number for dial up: +33172890150 (login ‘toto' password ‘toto') - thanks to a French ISP (FDN) #egypt #jan25

Martin Bogomolni reports:

#BBS usage in Egypt is exploding. Downloads of good old 1980's BBS software are jumping up… who ever said the BBS was dead?

Egypt/Main Page is a wiki with links to various resources that can be helpful in evading the censorship.

The general feeling among netizens is that a government can stop the whole Internet but it can’t stop a revolution when all the ingredients are in place.

Mark tweets:

Having no Internet did not stop the French Revolution, or the Russian Revolution or any other revolution for that matter

This post is part of our special coverage of Egypt Protests 2011.

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Mohamed Nasheed, President of Maldives. Image courtesy Presidency of Maldives Photostream, CC BY

On June 29, 2010, the whole Cabinet of the government of the Maldives submitted their resignation to President Mohamed Nasheed, on the grounds that their work was severely restricted by an opposition-led Parliament, which the cabinet members accused of encroaching on the powers of the Executive. The ex-ministers claimed recent Bills passed by the parliament were anti-constitutional and restricted them from delivering essential public services. The opposition members of parliament defended their actions as holding the Executive accountable and preventing abuse of Executive powers. Thus began a highly politicized drama in the Maldives; one that threatens the country’s romance with democracy, and poses serious questions about the political stability of the island nation in the coming days.

Shortly after the Cabinet resigned, two high profile opposition MPs were arrested by the police, on suspicion of bribing MPs. Meanwhile, audio clips, believed to be mobile phone conversations between four opposition MPs, were anonymously leaked to the media. The audio clips suggest bribery of MPs and undue influence exerted on the Maldives’ Anti-Corruption Commission by politicians, while the leak has created a debate over the legality of the government spying on citizens through wiretapping.

As the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), the largest party in the ruling coalition, tried to mobilize its supporters on to the streets in what it described as an anti-corruption campaign, the opposition parties accused the government of conducting a witch-hunt to eliminate political opposition. Shortly after the Supreme Court ruled that the detained MPs should be released, the judiciary became a target of the anti-corruption drive, with accusations leveled against judges of accepting bribes. While the judiciary had been previously criticized by the civil society for failure to deliver justice and of lacking independence, harassment of judges has been a hallmark of recent demonstrations organized by political parties. The demonstrations have led to violence and destruction of private property, causing fears that the peaceful democratic transition the country was experiencing may backtrack. The resigned Cabinet members have been sworn in again; however, they have to be approved by the parliament, which refuses to continue sessions because an opposition leader is being detained by the security forces without a court warrant.

As the three powers of the government – the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary – undergo confrontations, Bloggers react to the largest political crisis facing the Maldives since its first democratic election of November 2008.

Ibra, a former MP, argues in his blog that the Parliamentary Committee for Independent Commissions should investigate allegations that Anti-Corruption Commission is unduly being influenced by politicians:

It is most untoward that an Independent Commission may be intimidated in this fashion to subvert the course of governance and justice to further the political ambitions of any person.

Further, members of the Anti-Corruption Commission should also be summoned to the Majlis and required to reveal all that they know of these matters, and any possible such matters in the past. If they are being intimidated and threatened in any way, they should be accorded the full protection of the State so that they may discharge their duties in accordance with the Constitution and the Law.

The hearings of the Committee with regard to these matters should be open to the public and the media. These are important events in a defining period of our nation, and all citizens have a right to know the truth regarding these matters.

Mhilmyh muses about the current situation of the Maldives:

Mahatma Gandhi said that seven things will destroy a society. (Link)

1)Wealth without work
2)Pleasure without conscience
3)Knowledge without character
4)Commerce (business) without morality (ethics)
5)Science without humanity
6)Religion without sacrifice
7)Politics without principle

All of these conditions are evident in the social and political fabric of our society today.

Now we have freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. We have the separation of powers and we have independent institutions, still in the early stages of the democratic process. With the new found freedoms our society is on the brink of anarchy.

Maldivianism draws parallels between the anti-corruption campaign in the Maldives and George W Bush’s claim that Weapons of Mass Destruction existed in Iraq:

I remember the beginning of the gradual demise of George W.’s Presidency as the people of the United States realized their president based invasion of a middle east country on flawed intelligence.

ARE WE FOLLOWING A SIMILAR PATH?

Instead of WMDs we have WMCs - Weapons of Mass Corruption inside the Parliament.

I remember the government released audio tapes of key parliamentarians plotting cash for votes and buying party loyalty.

I remember parliamentarians being taken to court charged with attempt to topple a government.

I remember the court concurring there was insufficient proof to hold parliamentarians under house arrest.

I remember the government retaliating with protests, riots leading to aggression and disturbance of peace.

Hassan Ziyau writes about the implications of the leaked audio clips:

The leaked audio clips also has broken the trust that the Maldivian had for the ‘security forces’ and service providers as many Maldivians believe that the recording phone conversation could be done only by ‘security forces’ or the service providers. Telecommunication authority admitted that they have given permission to ‘security forces’ to record phone calls.

Ziyau also has some advice for the various institutions and pillars of the state:

Of course the democracy is yet still a new thing in the Maldives, and such drama might be expected. Even though we all know that the pillars of the democracy are all independent, that however does not mean one has the power to do whatever they want. They are not to act as small governments within the government. Each pillar has a purpose and a set of limits. Various political parties need to stop promoting their individual agendas and make the system easier for the people. Let each pillar do its work without much hindrance from the other.

As the political crisis in the Maldives deepens, it remains to be seen if politicians will listen to Bloggers such as Ziyau.

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The day started early for activists when they gathered at the DGI-Byen – the venue of the alternate climate summit Klimaforum09 – in the morning and marched to the Parliament Square, most of them clad in blue, in the symbolic event Flood for Climate Justice, organized by the Friends of the Earth International. At the Parliament Square, they were joined by thousands of people, who started a march in the afternoon to Bella Center, the venue of COP15.

Even though pleasant rays of sunlight provided some warmth for the demonstrators in the afternoon, as the dusk settled, the temperature dropped down. As the demonstration ended in front of Bella Center, people were seen huddled near bonfires lit on the street. The final inspirational speeches were given by significant figures including former UN human rights commissioner, Mary Robinson and the 21-year-old climate change activist from India, Deepa Gupta who is the co-founder of Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN).

“This global day of action is reminding governments that climate change is hurting people. This is a human rights issue – climate change is undermining people’s livelihoods and their access to health and education. It is affecting poor countries efforts to reach the Millennium Development Goals. Copenhagen must deliver deep emissions reductions, and at least $200bn a year in new money to help the poorest countries tackle climate change,” Robinson said.

I am here in Copenhagen to attend the Klimaforum09, dubbed as ‘The Peoples’ Climate Summit'. It runs parallel to COP15 and has attracted a number of civil society organizations, environmental justice activists and indigenous people. “The Bella Center is the biggest case of disaster capitalism. The deal we really need is not even on the table,” Naomi Klein said in the opening ceremony of Klimaforum09.

Other high profile visitors expected to speak at Klimaforum09 includes Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, and Mohamed Nasheed, the President of the Maldives.

Ecological debt and climate justice are recurring themes in Klimaforum09 and in Saturday’s demonstration as well.

One of the most colourful groups participating in the demonstration was The Climate Debt Agents clad in bright red suits. They called on rich countries to pay their climate debt to poor countries as part of an MS ActionAid Denmark initiative. Earlier this year, 31 Global Voices bloggers were mentors to students participating in MS ActionAid's Global Change programme. It was a pleasant surprise to meet my mentee among the red suits calling for climate debt to be settled.

Across the globe, citizens of the world demanded a fair and real deal to be made from the COP15 talks, as they held vigils and marches to mark the weekend of ‘The World Wants a Real Deal’ initiated by the TckTckTck alliance.

Copenhagen is flooded with activists, journalists, photographers and bloggers covering the most important climate change negotiations of recent times. At the Fresh Air Center in downtown, a work environment created by a TckTckTck alliance for bloggers, I met fellow Global Voices author Mac-Jordan Holdbrookes-Degadjor. The Global Voices authors in Copenhagen during this exciting time will try to form a small team covering the lively conversations occurring in blogosphere on COP15.

Blogger Alex Engwete from Congo expresses deep skepticism of any significant deal to emerge out of COP15:

In Copenhagen, the US delegation doesn't seem to grasp the urgency of the catastrophe and is behaving like a bunch of squabblers and obstructionists. And back home in Washington, with vicious and powerful climate skeptics in the Senate of the species of Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe (author of the 2006 confused pamphlet “Skeptic’s Guide to Debunking Global Warming”) who is on record calling global warming a “hoax,” I don’t see how the Obama administration could really take any really significant action in Copenhagen.

Angel, from the Maldives, blogging at FAMUSHU urges people to think and act beyond COP15:

The COP15 summit has begun at Copenhagen, Denmark and everywhere around the globe the same voice “save our planet – seal the deal” echoes. My home Maldives is one of those helpless and fragile countries that are at the frontline to be affected by global warming, at this very moment we can only hope that the COP15 summit becomes effective, ‘cos the responsibility rests on the shoulders of those countries who emit large amounts of CO2. However, each one of us should take the responsibility to care and nurture for our mother earth – switch off the lights, chargers etc if you are not using ‘em, plant more trees and walk, ride a bicycle or use public transport systems: opt for a ‘greener life’ everyone.

In Copenhagen, a number of artists and organizations are having exhibits in important locations of the city to stress the importance of achieving a fair and binding agreement out of COP15. However, the real decisions are being made by negotiators and politicians at Bella Center, and it remains to be seen if they will listen to the voices of global citizens demanding a fair deal for the future of the planet Earth.

All photos by Saffah Faroog

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A series of events and activities are being organized in the Maldives to bring the attention of the world to the plight of Maldives, with the hope that a fair deal will be made at the COP15 conference.

A youth group organised the local event for The Global Climate Wake-Up Call initiated by Avaaz.org. Children and adults joined the event held at Artificial Beach of Male', the capital of the Maldives.

The Global Climate Wake-Call event held in Maldives on September 21, 2009. Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nios/3941514989/ Used under a creative commons license

Some of the activities fall on October 24, the International Day of Climate Action spearheaded by the organization 350.org. Vroomfondel discusses some of the activities planned for the day:

On 24th October 2009 350.org is coordinating an International Day of Climate Action in order to unite the public, media and political leaders behind the 350 goal. By having actions all around the world that day, 350.org plans to send a clear message to the world leaders (who will be meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark this December to craft a new global treaty on cutting emissions) that ‘the solutions to climate change must be equitable, they must be grounded in science, and they must meet the scale of the crisis.'

Bill McKibben's talk, hosted by the Maldives Science Society, has inspired different individuals and groups in the Maldives to join the 350 campaign and is currently organising different actions for the International Day of Climate Action. So far, four different actions have been registered at 350.org from the Maldives.

One of the activities planned for October 24 is the Postcards from the Frontline, which will make 350 postcards from photos submitted by Maldivians, and send to world leaders, as Vroomfondel explains:

We request ALL MALDIVIANS, young and old, to submit photos for the cause. Entries do not need to fit into a conventional photographic category. It can be absolutely anything that reflects what the Maldives is to you.

350 photos you send will be then made into postcards, and sent to 350 world leaders with a very special appeal. These world leaders will decide the fate of Maldives, and the world, at the crucial UN Climate Change Conference Copenhagen 2009 (COP15) this December.

Your photo can save our home. And you needn’t even be a professional photographer. Being Maldivian is all that you need to be.

By the time the deadline for photo submissions closed on October 4, more than 6,000 entries were submitted, and this video distributed through Facebook contributed to the promotion of the activity.

Another activity that is being planned for October 24 is a 24-hour dive. Zim, a blogger and young diving instructor involved in organising this exciting event, writes:

In Maldives several activities are going to take place. And one of the key events on the international day of action is the 24 hour Underwater Rally organized by the Divers Association of Maldives (DAM). 350 divers, diving in teams are going to spend 24 hours underwater. The message DAM is giving is that Maldives is sinking and it’s more than just a country being lost to the sea. A unique heritage is gone. An irreplaceable ecosystem is being destroyed. The rally would be one of a kind.

Divers Association of Maldives is also organizing the first underwater cabinet meeting in the Maldives, scheduled for October 17. Zim discusses the significance of this event and the 24-hour underwater rally:

The President of Maldives along with all the cabinet ministers are going to meet underwater while using scuba. Using hand signals and slates they are going to endorse and sign a message from the people of Maldives to the world leaders meeting at Copenhagen this December for the Conference of Parties (COP 15).

[..] We are on the edge. With just a couple of steps forward Maldives along with a number of other vulnerable countries will be lost beneath the waves. We ask everybody not to sign our suicide pact.

On September 26, the local NGO Strength of Society (S.O.S.) hosted a workshop World Wide Views on Global Warming, which was part of an international event, to find out the opinion of ordinary citizens on climate change and to pass the views to policymakers. S.O.S. blog gives details of this unique event:

The purpose of World Wide Views is to pass on the opinions of ordinary citizens to political decision-makers. Results from World Wide Views will therefore be delivered directly to Connie Hedegaard, host of the UN Climate Conference (COP15), who this December together with political leaders from all over the world will be making decisions with far-reaching consequences for the future of the planet.

During this day citizens will be introduced to the same information material in all 38 countries, which presents them with different dilemmas in the climate debate. On the basis of this material and their own experience, citizens will answer the same questions, composed by The Danish Board of Technology. Results from all countries will currently be uploaded on www.wwviews.org. During this 24 hours online event, three international expert panels will comment results as they come in and make live videoconferences, which will be visible to everyone with access to the Internet.

Fenfulhangi blogs about the outcome of the workshop held in the Maldives:

This meeting brought together a group of citizens to and helped find their views on Climate Change and the Global policies regarding it. This was the first of its kind…maybe this is what the government should also be doing. More democratic values are realized through these kinds of public participation activities. Check out the results compared to other countries. IT is quite interesting. it seems we are not as concerned as other citizens of the world on the Climate Change issue. Strange ain't it.

Bluepeace, the first environmental organization formed in the Maldives, is organizing a photo exhibition named ‘Vulnerable’, to document the vulnerability of Maldives to climate change. The exhibition will be hosted in Copenhagen in December by Klimaforum09, an alternate climate summit with participants from civil society organizations and international environmental movements. The blog of Bluepeace explains the importance of this exhibition:

As one of the lowest-lying countries in the world, Maldives is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The proliferation of images in today’s internet age is such that Maldives is known the world over as a stunning holiday destination. While Maldives has been the subject of many documentaries and news articles regarding climate change, to date no documentary has been produced by Maldivians for an international audience. This is a chance for Maldives to show vulnerability to the world as seen through our eyes.

As Maldives gears up to Copenhagen with attention-grabbing events, Fenfulhangi asks some critical questions:

1-Will the new President Mohammed Nasheed attend the summit with the talks of lack of funding in the government budget?
2-As one of the major contributors to Climate Change and its adverse effects; Will the USA sign onto the new document that will succeed the Kyoto Protocol that USA previously refused to sign onto?
3-Will there be same or harsher penalties for developing countries that emit large amounts of CO2 or will it be the richer countries who pay?

Bluepeace, which will represent the Maldives in a number of civil society forums in Copenhagen in December, sums up the issues that small island states and vulnerable countries face and stresses the urgent need of working together to find a solution for Planet Earth:

The issues of migration and adaptation, the scenario of becoming sea level refugees one day, and joining forces with the most vulnerable countries to combat climate change will be some of the issues that Bluepeace hopes to debate and discuss in Copenhagen.

In November 1989, less than three months after Bluepeace was formed, the first small states conference on sea level rise was held in the Maldives. As a dramatic conclusion to the conference, a demonstration was held in Male’, in which students and the general public spoke on the imminent dangers of living in a low-lying country. A large billboard placed by Bluepeace asked the question “Do you know we are just four feet above sea level?” Twenty years later we need not ask the same question, as the world is well-aware of the dangers Maldives faces. However, we face the urgent need to talk and work with the rest of the world to find solutions.

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The first case involved Ahmed Zahir (Hiriga), the Executive Editor of Haveeru Daily, and the President of Maldives Journalists Association, who was attacked by a mob outside the parliament building while he was covering a protest there. Interestingly the protest outside the parliament was sparked by a scuffle inside the parliament between some members of the ruling Maldivian Democratic Party and opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP).

The second case involved an article written by Maryam Omidi, the Editor of the online English language newspaper Minivan News. In the article Omidi reported on Amnesty International’s recent call to impose a moratorium on flogging in the Maldives and highlighted the fact that women are disproportionately flogged in the Maldives for extramarital sex while in most cases men are able to evade the punishment for apparent lack of evidence. Even though the author of the article did not express any personal opinions on the issue, some groups in the Maldives declared the article as anti-Islamic and organized a protest against Minivan News. The protesters also called for Omidi, a foreign national, to be deported from the Maldives.

Maldives Dissent debates this issue and points out that in several cases the victims of flogging are also victims of child sexual abuse:

The public flogging at the centre of the controversy involves an 18-year-old girl, but a disturbing aspect of the case appears to have gone unnoticed. It has emerged that the girl, who reportedly “confessed” to having had extra-marital sex with two adult males, committed the “crime” when she was under-18. If so, this would have grave implications for the Maldivian state. Not only has the state failed to protect a child from sexual abuse but has, in fact, been party to subjecting her to further physical abuse.

Sadly, this is not an isolated case. At least 22 girls under 18 years of age were sentenced to public flogging, in 2006, for fornication or giving birth out of wedlock.

Under Maldivian law child sexual abuse requires a confession by the alleged abuser, or testimony by four eye-witnesses, for a successful conviction to take place. This means that if a victim reports sexual abuse but the perpetrator denies it and there are no eye-witnesses, the court can find the child guilty of having consented to the sex. The state would then wait for the girl to turn 18 and then carry out the sentence of public flogging, in effect, punishing her for reporting the crime.

By continuing with the practice, the Maldives is violating no less than four UN conventions it has signed: the convention on the rights of children; the convention on civil and political rights; the convention against torture; and the convention against all forms of discrimination against women.

The third case of an attack against journalists involved Ibrahim Rasheed, newscaster for state-owned Television Maldives (TVM), who was assaulted while he was covering a gathering outside the residence of the former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. A crowd had gathered outside the former ruler’s residence because the police were trying to escort the ex-president to the police station for an investigation of allegations of corruption.

South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Maldives has condemned the attacks on journalists on their blog:

SAFMA Maldives expresses concern over the recent attacks on media personnel, and calls on all concerned parties to respect the ideals of freedom of expression and media enshrined in the Maldives Constitution.

SAFMA Maldives also reiterates that it is not necessary that all media organizations share the same opinions and editorial policies, and believe that the public should be able to formulate its own opinion based on the different viewpoints and information accessible from the various media, and call on the Government, political parties and the general public to respect journalists working to acquire true information in order to carry out a public service.

Till a few years ago, the Maldives used to be a repressive state, with freedom of expression severely restricted by the government and journalists arrested or intimidated by the government for criticism. With a democratic government coming to power in November 2008, the government is no longer regarded as a barrier to press freedom. However, the recent cases of intimidation and abuse against journalists by various groups in the society indicate that journalists are still at risk, especially in the politically-charged atmosphere and the deeply partisan politics the Maldives is experiencing right now.

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In a heavily fought battle for 77 seats, based on new constituencies drawn by the amended constitution, more than 400 candidates contested. After the election fever has calmed down, with the campaign songs off the airwaves and candidates’ posters slowly peeling off the walls, the country is slowly returning to normal. However, the outcome of this election will have an impact that will last for a few years.

The results show the dominance of the two major political parties; Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) which came to power in last year’s presidential election and Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) which is controlled by the former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. While some see this as the integration of party politics in Maldivian society in what was the first real test of party system in the country, others fear a two-party dominance that will suppress minority views. Surprisingly the election results also showed some MPs who had been involved in the process of democratic losing their seats to newcomers.

Blogger Abdullah Waheed gives some reasons for the failure of some veteran parliamentarians in this election, in his blog post ‘Some big guns misfire.’

Waheed also writes about lessons that major political parties and players have learned from this election and concludes that the electorate has widely accepted the party system in the Maldives.

The electorate has given a strong thumbs-up signal to the party system, as indicated by the overwhelming success of party candidates, many of who were unknown and would have ended with 2 digit results without party backing. While it is true that 13 independents won, some of them are not really independents in the usual sense of the word.

Mohamed Nasheed, the former Minister of Information, and an MP-elect, who won a constituency running as an independent despite being a member of DRP, echoes the same view in his blog.

The picture that seems to come out of the recent parliamentary elections is that the Maldives is primarily consumed in the novelty of party politics. The larger part of the country seems to be religiously engulfed in the political euphoria created by two main rival parties: MDP and DRP. There does not seem to be space for any other party or political view to flourish.

Nasheed is also of the view the outcome of the election will be beneficial for the Maldives as neither of the two major parties won a controlling majority of the parliament.

I am happy that the parliament that has been created out of these recent elections is neither controlled by MDP nor by DRP. Although DRP together with its ally PA has earned slightly more seats than MDP, they fall short of a controlling majority.

None of the parties in the upcoming parliament should be able to run the show as it pleased. Decisions in parliament should be made through an inclusive process of dialogue and deliberation. A nation divided by its politics, and polarized by its personalities, requires at these crossroads, a consensual approach to governance. A parliament of one party would deny the room for such a deliberative process.

Both MDP and DRP are trying to woo the independent candidates who can change the parliament’s direction to some extent by aligning with a party. Nasheed’s blog post has generated some very interesting comments. Among them, a commenter Fayaz shares his view on the parties’ rush to win remaining independents elected for the parliament, although his criticism is focused on MDP.

MDP supporters, still smarting from this huge loss and unable to digest the reality may continue to kid themselves that their performance was fantastic. There is an all out effort by MDP to buy MPs at whatever cost, especially those independent MPs. Now isn’t this this just too pathetic? I mean for a political party whose middle name is “Democratic” - to resort to this sort of tactics to over turn the will of the people speaks volumes about the principles of MDP and what they stand for.

Blogger Iddu laments about candidates he describes as ‘young and patriotic’ losing to candidates who are rich and powerful.:

Some candidates who won the seats were alleged for corruption and yet swept away a large majority and won their seats. This shows our public being blindfolded by a group of influential people in the society for financial gain from such candidates.

He also notes that some candidates were not in touch with the real issues affecting the constituencies.

Some candidates who won the seats have hardly put their feet on the soils of their constituencies and others who claim to belong to them have never seen the sunrise on their constituencies. We may be highly educated, rich and influential and belong to a strong political party, but understanding the aspirations and dreams of local communities is not something one can earn by just visiting their constituency once in a blue moon.

The scale of this election was overwhelming for the Elections Commission and the public grew increasingly frustrated as there were delays in announcing the results. Simon thinks the delay in announcing the results could be attributed to lack of preparedness of the Elections Commission as well as other stakeholders.

I feel the responsibility for the crude and utterly ridiculous speed of processing of the ballots must be shared between the EC, the media, the voting public and the parties involved.

The EC totally underestimated the complexity and size of the task. Which is why, according to EC, they failed to release the results sooner raising suspicions in public and party circles. But I did not realize the level of their ignorance of secure, high-tech tools available today until I saw the arrays of fax machines lined up at the EC headquarters. Fax machines and faxes are old and unreliable technology. A member of the advisory committee for the EC even admitted that some faxes were not clear. What did they expect from faxes?

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Male, the capital of Maldives. Image by Flickr user mode (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mashafeeg/397839215/)

In early March Mohamed Nasheed, the new President of the Maldives, met with Frank La Rue, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression. In the meeting Nasheed expressed his government’s commitment to free speech and announced that Maldives will be made a haven for dissident writers from countries such as Burma. However, within a week writers from Maldives found their right to expression at risk as the government instructed the two Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to ban several websites and a blog.

In October 2008 thousands of Maldivians flocked to polling stations in a historical election – the first multiparty election in the country – that ushered the first democratically elected government. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who had ruled the country for 30 years since November 1978, was challenged and defeated by Mohamed Nasheed, a former Amnesty International Prisoner of Conscience, in a run-off. Various political factions that competed in the first round of election backed Nasheed – a former journalist and acclaimed writer – in the run-off, hoping for a slice of the cake after a new government was formed. While structuring the new government, a Ministry of Islamic Affairs was created, and assigned to Adhaalath Party, a conservative religious party in the ruling ‘coalition’. It is the Ministry of Islamic Affairs which is issuing instructions to block websites.

Even though some pornography websites are among the list of blocked sites, there is a website with information on Christianity and another website consisting of information on Islam, raising fears that faith-based websites that offer a different view than the one interpreted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs are targeted. Moreover, the banning of Random Reflexions, a popular blog by the blogger Simon, who discusses a variety of issues and topics, has led to many Maldivian bloggers to examine this new assault on free speech.

Shaari thinks that Internet should be open for healthy dialogues and discussion and to foster tolerance:

this is a sad day for democracy.

i'm a believer of islam & i've good friends who arent. they have their basis for disbelief & i've no problems with that. in any case the debate between faith vs science should prevail cos it's a healthy one & it remains a firm test of humankind's ability to accept & tolerate.

Thadu describes the blocking of websites as turning “the internet into an intranet”:

Converting the internet to an intranet for Maldivians seems to be what the Islamic Ministry is trying to do. And this action is in contrary with the efforts and hard work of the several people who tried and who are trying to make Maldives a pure democratic country. There are 12 countries marked by the Reporters Without Borders as enemies of the internet. And if the Islamic Ministry continues its barbaric style of protecting people, Maldives is going to be on that list as well, putting in vein the work of several people.

In a new development the ban on Simon’s blog has been lifted after he approached Communications Authority of Maldives (CAM) and he shares his thoughts on the blockade:

I admitted to Mr. Nasih that some of my writing may contravene this reservation in the constitution. But this too is debatable. What the tenets of Islam are to some might not be the same for others. It is susceptible to interpretation. I could, for example, argue that the sale of alcohol in the Maldives is against the tenets of Islam. What then?

In any case, I did make a compromise. I promised to look through my posts and review past entries for any that may contravene this clause. So I have reviewed and taken the necessary actions. If CAM or MoIA still finds anything that they think does indeed break the law then they can always contact me directly.

If however they ban this blog again, I will take the matter to the court.

I want to thank all the blogs that have voiced their disdain towards this crackdown on websites/blogs by president Nasheed’s government. Ideally, I believe no websites should be banned and no one should have to make compromises on freedom of speech.

The ban on the other websites is still enforced and at least for the moment Maldivians have to live with a censored version of democracy.

The image above has been used under a Creative Commons License

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