• Foreigners cause social problems, Haveeru Editorial, 29 January 2000
  
  
• 289 children involved in 126 cases at Children's Rights Unit, Haveeru 18 January 2000
  
  
• Urgent help needed, Haveeru Editorial, 18 January 2000
  
  
• Father-in-law killed in merciless, inhumane knife attack by son-in-law. 'He threatened to chop anyone who came near,' claim bystanders, Miadhu 5 January 2000
  
  
• Alleged paedophile murdered in horrific street attack
  Man stabbed to death in Thinadhoo, Haveeru 5 January 2000
  
  
• Big spending on Nadella circumcisions, Haveeru, 16 December 1999
  
  
• Reducing Ramazan food wastage, Haveeru, 16 December 1999
  
  
• Cafés shut and workers deported, Haveeru, 16 December 1999
  
  
• News Archive August - November 1999
• News Archive February - July 1999

Editorial
translated from Haveeru 29 January 2000

The increasing number of foreigners in Maldives not only causes economic difficulties. Other negative aspects are also becoming apparent; murder and theft are on the rise.

In Maldivian society, intoxicating drugs are one of our most frightening problems, and the number of foreigners involved in drug trading is growing every day.

The fact that people from neighbouring countries are most active in the drug business is indicated by the latest statistics.

Foreigners have also been trying to spread Christianity, and form their own networks in Maldives. Some have been deported for these activities.

Another dangerous problem is fighting among foreigners. These quarrels can lead to murder, as happened recently in Malé.

Murder is not common among Maldivians, and there is a huge danger that these acts will be imitated.

Maldivians love peace; they don't want to see fighting and bloodshed. In neighbouring countries, murder is the common outcome of many disputes.

There are presently 25,000 foreigners employed in Maldives, and there is no fool-proof method of checking their backgrounds. The government can only inspect their police reports, which have often been revealed as forgeries.

The most effective way of preventing these problems is to decrease the number of foreigners here by ensuring that Maldivians fill all available job opportunities.

Editorial
translated from Haveeru 18 January 2000

International aid agencies are doing nothing to help the people of Chechnya in their suffering.

The cities of Chechnya are being ruthlessly destroyed, the voices of condemnation are silent, and Western powers seem blind to the crisis.

If this is allowed to remain an internal problem for Russia, many lives will be lost.

Over 200,000 Chechen refugees are living in camps in neighbouring Ingushetia, and they need humanitarian aid because of the freezing winter cold.

The Russian army's siege of Grozny places 40,000 people in serious danger. There is no water and electricity. The whole city has been destroyed by the bombs and guns of the Russian army. People between the ages of 10 and 60 are not allowed to leave the city.

Chechen refugees need well-organised help immediately. The UN, or the US, or Britain should start working to halt the brutal acts of the Russian army, and begin peace talks.

In other words, the same way the West acts when similar brutalities occur in other countries.

Russia should not be allowed to go unhindered, just because it is a nuclear power.

Economic sanctions can also be imposed.

Adam Haleem
translated from Haveeru 18 January 2000

In the last four months, 289 children were involved in cases before the Children's Rights Unit in Malé, according to a Unit spokesperson.

Arifa Ahmed, counsellor at the Children's Rights Unit, explained that the figures included a variety of circumstances.

Most cases (153 children - 76 girls, 77 boys) were from problems due to the death of parents, disabled parents, or fathers being exiled for long periods. The average age of these children was 10 years, and 97% were at school.

The next group of cases resulted in 16 children being sent to the Children's Centre. There had been 13 assessed requests for children to be sent to the Centre, and 14 children appeared in misbehaviour cases.

Four cases of sexual abuse were reported in the last four months.

There was one case of sexual misconduct by a minor, and another 9 children were part of non-payment of maintenance procedures.

There were also cases involving physical and psychological abuse, family problems, negligence, and criminal misconduct.

Father-in-law killed in merciless, inhumane knife attack by son-in-law
'He threatened to chop anyone who came near,' claim bystanders

No murder of this type has occurred in southern Huvadhu for a least twenty years. However, yesterday afternoon in Thinadhoo, a disturbing almost unbelievable crime took place.

Hassan Futhu, aged 70, had attended the Asr (afternoon) prayer and was walking west along Rah Debai Magu.

As he turned north at Raiyvilaage his son-in-law Mohamed Shareef attacked him with a knife. Thinadhoo is in a state of shock after the horrific crime.

Shareef jumped over the wall of his house, Raiyvilaage, and began stabbing.

Due to the attack, Hassan Futhu departed for the eternal world at 5.50 yesterday afternoon as Thinadhoo Health Centre was attempting to arrange his treatment at Addu atoll Regional Hospital.
[ 30 mins south by air - translators ]

Eyewitnesses said Hassan Futhu was first stabbed in the back, then in the chest and upper stomach. His face was also cut.

One person said after this first series of stabbings Shareef dragged Hassan Futhu to the street corner and beat and stabbed him again.

'How could we save Hassan Futhu?' said one young Thinadhoo man. 'Shareef had a sharp knife in his hand, and he was warning us that if we came he'd chop us up too!'

It is claimed that when the attack began there were not many people on the street, but as the stabbings proceeded even young children were watching. Some women fainted as the horror continued.

'Hassan Futhu cried and begged for Shareef to stop. We begged him to stop too, but Shareef finished it his way.'

The victim was taken to the Thinadhoo Health Centre at 4.50pm, ten minutes after the attack. He was bleeding non-stop, in a very critical condition from shock and low blood pressure.

Hassan Futhu was 70 years old and almost all his children live in Malé.

His injuries included a 5 inch long cut from the corner of his mouth to the right ear lobe. The incision was one inch deep and half an inch wide, according to Mohamed Hussein, the Community Health Assistant.

A wound to the left of the upper vertebrae disc was one and half inches long and a quarter inch wide.

Additional injuries to the side of his body caused his intestine to be hanging out. There was also serious wounding to his neck and other parts of the body.

This was a very cruel and brutal incident, said a senior official at the Gaaf Dhaal atoll office.

'It is difficult to say why this horrible crime occurred. The police are investigating,' he said.

The attacker, Mohamed Shareef is now in custody.

There are reports of a serious dispute between Futhu and Shareef. People say this is what caused the attack.

However such disputes are not what we Maldivians want to see or hear about. We regret this murder, and any other rare criminal acts which may occur.

Children of the participants are the people most affected by these regrettable actions. These children lose their future, being humiliated in the eyes of the community.

This is something we must all think about.

author not given
translated from Haveeru 5 January 2000

A man was knifed to death yesterday afternoon in Thinadhoo, Gaaf Dhaal atoll.

Witnesses to the incident said Hassan Futhu of Thibroazuge in Thinadhoo was attacked and killed by his 34 year old son-in-law Mohamed Shareef of Raiyvilaage.

It is said the reason for the attack was that six months ago Hassan Futhu is alleged to have sexually molested Shareef's five year old daughter.

Hassan Futhu's case had been investigated in Malé and was set for trial, said Thinadhoo's island chief, Mohamed Naeem Ahmed. 'He returned to the island at the beginning of this fasting month.'

Shareef had been saying he would take revenge by killing Hassan since the day of the alleged offence, according to a Thinadhoo informant.

Hassan Futhu's stomach was stabbed very deeply in three places with an eleven inch diving knife. There were also injuries to his back, mouth and other places.

Witnesses to the attack said yesterday at half past four in the afternoon Hassan Futhu had walked along Rah-Dhebai Magu in front of Shareef's house. 'How many times have you been told not to walk along this way,' Shareef said. Hassan Futhu had only walked a short distance further when Shareef jumped the wall of the house and attacked him from behind.

Ibrahim Rasheed of Muraka house in Thinadhoo said that when he tried to approach the men, Shareef had warned him not to come any closer. 'He threatened me with the knife.'

Rasheed said the 70 year old man had screamed after the stabbing began, and then he was stabbed in the mouth. The right cheek was cut all the way up to the ear. There were three very young children standing close by.

'Then the man was dragged south along Madufehi Magu then west on Rah-Dhebai Magu, and was left beside the fence wall of Dhilaavaruge about 30 feet from where the attack had begun.

Hassan Futhu died 90 minutes later, while being treated at the island Health Centre.

Immediately after this cruel attack, Shareef went to the Atoll Office with the knife and confessed to his crime.

Shareef was kept in police custody in Kaadedhdhoo island, and is now on the way to Malé.

Mohamed Yushau, from Thinadhoo
translated from Haveeru 16 December 1999

Over Rf20,000 has been spent circumcising children on Nadella island [Gaaf Dhaal atoll], reports the Island office.

The circumcision foavahi season began December 6 and the money was spent by local people, said Ibrahim Abdul Kareem, Nadella Chief.

According to the office, this is the largest circumcision ceremony the island has ever seen, with about 50 children attending.

Due to the large numbers, families have congregated in the larger houses, and the circumcisions have taken place there.

The island is decorated with coloured lights, reminiscent of an Eid festival.

[Note from translators:
Circumcision ceremonies are for boys aged 7 to 10.
Female circumcision is not a traditional practice in Maldives.]

Editorial
translated from Haveeru 16 December 1999

Unlike other times of the year, food consumption is high during the fasting month [Ramazan] because meals are prepared to break the fast at sundown, and for further eating during the night.

Each Ramazan afternoon, large numbers of people buy food in shops and bazars. And in almost every household the amount and variety of food increases as extra money is spent.

Changes are noticeable in other areas too, for example - the Malé rubbish dump, where officials of the Waste Management section of the Public Works Ministry say general rubbish and particularly food waste is highest during Ramazan.

In the hunger of the daytime fast, maybe too much food is being prepared, and subsequently wasted. Even a small amount of food can be expensive so the loss is financial as well.

What is needed is a change in food and beverage consumption habits.

Breaking the fast with a bout of over-eating, can cause health problems.

Without more awareness of wastage, and the need for economising, this food dumping during Ramazan will not decrease.

Ahmed Hamdhoon
translated from Haveeru 16 December 1999

Five cafés in Malé will lose their licences, and their foreign workers will be deported after they were discovered preparing and selling rice packs during the fasting days of Ramazan, the Trade Ministry announced today.

The Director of Trade Licencing, Usman Shakir said on Thursday that the all the cafés' staff would be sent home now the businesses were closed. 'Once the licences are cancelled, and the jobs lost, then the foreigners must be sent home.'

The workers caught preparing the rice packs have been deported on condition they may not return for a certain period.

Those only employed in the de-licenced cafés may return whenever they wish.

Usman said that almost all the cafés' employees were foreigners.

The cafés were registered in a Maldivian's name, but the foreigners were in charge of the management. There was no Maldivian involved.

'Their food and drink expenses are the Maldivian person's responsibility. They don't have to go to a café to eat during the day of the fasting month. It is illegal,' said Usman.

The rice packs were discovered when teams from the Trade Ministry carried out a check on day trading allegations.

During Ramazan, all prepared food and drink trading is banned from 4.30 am until sunset.