Paul Moorcraft, Island democracy, Washington Times, November 20, 2006.
The Dhivehi Observer has started a series called "Chronicles of 10/11 Heroes." For students of politics, it is an illustration of how overreaction can cause an ordinary, albeit political act (in this instance, protest) to acquire epic proportions. A large protest rally is not usually the stuff of future legends; it becomes that when it evokes a certain magnitude of state response.
The distance between Page 3 and Page 1 is amply illustrated by this news, reported worldwide.
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The Maldivian government are holding the Addu boat prisoners and the rest of the November 10 related detainees hostage against any further protests from the Maldivian public.
The government have also predictably started ridiculous trials with fabricated charges. So now they can show the Maldivian public what happens when they publicly oppose the regime. Lest they forget that Gayyoom still is the Maldivian justice system. No doubt we will see some more ridiculous trials with bizarre witness statements.
It is clear now- if anyone had doubts before- that the reform roadmap was a meaningless tactic used to divert the international community. The REALITY of fear for the Maldivians has not changed, no matter what bureaucratic changes or allowancesical for political parties.
We still have a brutal dictatorship, we have no rights unless presented them by Gayyoom, and we live in constant fear of persecution if we speak out against the dictatorship.
I wonder if the blog creator has seen TVM news- you have to check the states main propaganda vehicle if you want to discuss how the event was portrayed.
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