Disobedient Writer. Occasional satirist.
Comments on society and politics in Maldives.
Because I just finished a 31 hour work day, but Maldives won’t relent, this week I focus on legends that have passed away, and YAG who stubbornly won’t. These are short takes on the headlines from the week gone by. Zero Degree Atoll’s Nashid dies It was around the year 2005 when I first got introduced to Maldivian […]
Because the Maldives could use a Paul Thurrott but doesn’t have one, I step in to save the day. These are short takes on headlines of the week gone by in the Maldives. “Saudi Arabia pledges US$150m ‘bailout loan’ for Maldives” This loan goes towards repayment of previous loans that were taken out ‘for an unprecedented infrastructure […]
Two men walk into a Western Union. The girl at the counter greets them, and then almost immediately the whole thing goes south. The men, both clearly Maldivian, speak in pidgin dhivehi – used by tens of thousands of South Asian labourers in the country. They want to send money ‘home’ (presumably Bangladesh, not Maafannu). She […]
I went to Newport café in Malé once. The café is located not far from the airport ferry terminal – in what is allegedly the trendy part of town. My friend who happened to work in a nearby office took me there. It was a small café. There were about ten or so tables inside. The interiors […]
Like many others, I also tuned in yesterday to catch the announcement in London of the “United Maldives Opposition” coalition. This new coalition, to be led by former VP Mohamed Jameel, has apparently agreed to dislodge Yameen Abdul Gayoom’s regime and restore democracy and the rule of law in the Maldives. The coalition was announced by […]
In December 2011, a small group of Maldivians gathered at the Artificial Beach, in silent protest against the denial of Human Rights in the Maldives. They were physically attacked almost immediately. One of the protesters, blogger Hilath Rasheed, sustained injuries. It is now exactly four years since that day. Hilath Rasheed suffered a near fatal attempt on his […]
Last week, I took part in a panel discussion about the intimidation of bloggers in South Asia on the sidelines of the 30th UNHRC regular session in Geneva. I spoke about the enforced disappearance of journalist Ahmed Rilwan and the #FindMoyameehaa campaign. I highlighted rapidly deteriorating space for free speech in the Maldives that has […]
This is the third instalment in the Dhoonidhoo Diaries series where I pen down my experiences in Dhoonidhoo prison where I was incarcerated following an unprecedented regime crackdown on the May Day rally. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Nearly 200 democratic protesters were arrested on 1st May 2015 by the Maldives’ authoritarian […]
1st May 2015 saw the largest anti-government protests in Maldivian history, with nearly 20,000 protesters filling the main thoroughfare in Malé. I was among the nearly 200 democratic protesters arrested that day, in the largest police crackdown in over a decade. I was released after being held for 21 days without trial. But several May […]
1st May 2015 saw the largest anti-government protests in Maldivian history, with nearly 20,000 protesters filling the main thoroughfare in Malé. It also saw the largest police crackdown in over a decade, with nearly 200 democratic protesters arrested. I was among those arrested, and was held captive for 21 days, including 5 days of house […]
This Week in Maldives: January 8
Because you guys liked, RT’d and shared the hell out of the last edition, this week I focus on aqeeda-endangering textbooks, Dunya’s return to the dark side, and Muizzu engaged in a series of unfortunate Muizzed up things. These are short takes on the headlines of the week gone by. Dunya rejoins the regime Dunya […]
Dhoonidhoo Diaries: Part 3 – Heat and Captivity
This is the third instalment in the Dhoonidhoo Diaries series where I pen down my experiences in Dhoonidhoo prison where I was incarcerated following an unprecedented regime crackdown on the May Day rally. Read Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Nearly 200 democratic protesters were arrested on 1st May 2015 by the Maldives’ authoritarian […]
Dhoonidhoo Diaries: Part 2 – Prison Cell
1st May 2015 saw the largest anti-government protests in Maldivian history, with nearly 20,000 protesters filling the main thoroughfare in Malé. I was among the nearly 200 democratic protesters arrested that day, in the largest police crackdown in over a decade. I was released after being held for 21 days without trial. But several May […]
Dhoonidhoo Diaries: Part 1 – Arrest and Incarceration
1st May 2015 saw the largest anti-government protests in Maldivian history, with nearly 20,000 protesters filling the main thoroughfare in Malé. It also saw the largest police crackdown in over a decade, with nearly 200 democratic protesters arrested. I was among those arrested, and was held captive for 21 days, including 5 days of house […]
I remember the exact moment when I first saw Ahmed Rilwan. It was late 2009, and I had just arrived in the Maldives. Some bloggers had gotten together to sort of welcome me and get introduced. We were sitting in a sea-side café at night, when he walked in with two other well known bloggers. We hit […]
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