India weighs Maldives options

Even as Indian security establishment kept a close watch on the fast-paced development in the Maldives, reports have surfaced that island nation’s security forces stormed their Supreme Court and arrested Maldives Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another Supreme Court judge Ali Hameed over alleged corruption charges.

In another development to consolidate his power, embattled President Abdulla Yameen on Tuesday forced the Supreme Court to revoke an order to release nine high-profile political prisoners. The remaining three judges of the Supreme Court said in a statement they were rescinding the order to release the prisoners “in light of the concerns raised by the President”.

Meanwhile, as first step to deal with the crisis in the neighbourhood, New Delhi may make a diplomatic intervention by sending a special envoy to Male to protect its own strategic interest in the region. India has so far remained a virtual spectator to the alarming development in Male and merely issued a couple of statement even though the Opposition parties in Maldives are making distress calls to New Delhi for diplomatic intervention and military aid.

Former President Mohammad Nasheed on Tuesday sought India’s direct and swift intervention. “On behalf of Maldivian people we humbly request: 1) India to send envoy, backed by its military, to release judges and political detainees, including Prez Gayoom. We request a physical presence. 2) The US to stop all financial transactions with the Maldives regime leaders in US banks,” Nasheed tweeted.

Hours later, India’s Ministry of External Affairs responded, “We are disturbed by the declaration of a State of Emergency in the Maldives following the refusal of the Government to abide by the unanimous ruling of the full bench of the Supreme Court on 1 February, and also by the suspension of Constitutional rights of the people of the Maldives. The arrest of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and political figures are also reasons for concern. The Government continues to carefully monitor the situation.”

India has been traditionally the first port of call for any distress situation in the country, be it political, military or humanitarian. India had in 1988 intervened through “Operation Cactus” to save the then President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, from a coup attempt carried out by Sri Lankan Tamil militants on behalf of the Maldivian businessman Abdulla Luthufi. In 2013 Nasheed took refuge in the Indian High Commission in Male after he was ousted in a coup and Yameen’s police tried to execute an arrest warrant against him in a false case. Nasheed later stepped out of the embassy after an agreement was reached between him, and the Yameen Government following intense negotiations involving India. In December 2014, India sent water to the Maldives after its water treatment plant caught fire.

While expectations are building up for India’s military action in the archipelago, the Government is hesitant to go for this extreme measure till diplomatic options remain open. India has deep strategic interests both in Indian Ocean and in the Maldives and pressure is building up on the Government to act swiftly before China or any other country seizes the opportunity.

While the Maldives media on Tuesday played up unconfirmed reports about Indian Special Forces being kept in readiness for a possible military intervention, officials said certain units of the Army, including Special Forces and Parachute Regiment, the Navy and the Indian Air Force, routinely train for out of area contingencies. Certain transport planes, including C-130Js meant for special commando operations, are always deployed along with these units, they added.   

The Indian Navy routinely patrols the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Maldives besides its P-8I long range reconnaissance aircraft and medium range Dornier aircraft also carry out sorties due to Indian Ocean having strategic importance for India.

Moreover, two to three coastal radars were installed by India some years back to help Maldives security forces to monitor maritime activities in its region of interest. These radars are linked with the Indian coastal radar chain.

India at present may go with the rest of the world in building up diplomatic pressure on the Maldives and hope it works. The UN, the US, the UK, Australia — almost all major countries have urged President Abdulla Yameen Gayoom to obey Supreme Court orders and respect democratic institutions.

The US openly said, “The world is watching.”

“The US is troubled and disappointed by reports that Maldivian President Yameen has declared a State of Emergency, which gives sweeping powers to security forces to arrest and detain suspects, bans public gatherings, imposes travel restrictions, and suspends parts of the Maldivian Constitution…The US calls on President Yameen, the army, and police to comply with the rule of law, implement the

Supreme Court’s ruling and the rulings of the Criminal Court, ensure the full and proper functioning of Parliament, and restore constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people and institutions of the Maldives,” Heather Nauert, US State Department spokesperson said.

The UK, where Nasheed has taken political asylum, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson too urged Yameen to end Emergency. “…The damage being done to democratic institutions in Maldives and the sustained misuse of process in Parliament is deeply worrying. I call on President Yameen and the Government of Maldives to peacefully end the state of emergency, restore all articles of the constitution, take immediate steps to implement in full the order of the Supreme Court, and to permit and support the full, free and proper functioning of Parliament,” Johnson said in a statement.

“The SG urges the Government of the Maldives to uphold the constitution and rule of law, lift the state of emergency as soon as possible, and take all measures to ensure the safety and security of the people in the country, including members of the judiciary,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN SG.

China played safe and asked both sides to sort out their differences through a dialogue.

The political crisis in Maldives erupted following a rigid stand by Yameen who has refused to obey the Supreme Court order to release all the political prisoners. Yameen has imposed an emergency and placed former President Gayoom under house arrest. Yameen on Tuesday said he declared an emergency to investigate “a coup” against him.