The International Mission for Press Freedom in the Maldives has recently expressed concern that the Maldivian Government is not progressing with the democratic reforms that it had previously promised to implement.
In a statement issued Monday, the Mission, which is comprised of several press freedom organisations including Article 19, Reporters Without Borders and the International Federation of Journalists, criticised the Maldivian Government for preventing privately-owned broadcast media from operating in the country.
It also condemned the government for wrongfully arresting and harassing journalists working for the opposition press.
The group went on to urge Maldivian leaders to “rapidly” initiate the legal framework necessary to transform the State broadcasters into public service broadcasters and to “protect, rather than undermine press freedom”.
Currently, the state controls all legal radio and television broadcasting from within the country.
In its statement the International Mission said: “[We] understand that a legal framework is needed for the licensing of private broadcasters in line with the practice around the world. We do not believe, however, that there is any reason why such a legal framework should not have been developed by now.”
The statement continued: “the official ‘Roadmap for the Reform Agenda’ said legislation of privately-owned broadcast media (putting an end to the State monopoly on radio and television) would be completed by 31 October. However, on 1 November 2006 it was announced that this legislation has been delayed.”
According to the International Mission, one reason behind the delay was the fact that the Information Ministry of the Maldives had decided electronic media would have to be monitored due to the “negative effects of unconditional press freedom”.
This decision was taken despite the fact that two weeks before its announcement, the Information Ministry was quoted in Haveeru Daily saying privately owned broadcast media would be able to obtain licences “quickly”.
It also follows a meeting with members of the International Mission in May, in which the Information Ministry reportedly promised the “rapid authorisation of private broadcasters and the creation of a Media Advisory Board consisting of leading figures”.
But the International Mission has said that the broken promise by the Maldivian Government to privatise broadcasting was not the only issue it was worried about.
“We would also like to express concerns that a licence application by Minivan Radio, the only non-governmental radio station broadcasting in Divehi, will not be treated fairly,” it said. “This concern arises from the fact that the government engages in frequent attacks on the Minivan Daily newspaper and the Minivan News website.”
“The staff of Minivan Daily have been particularly targeted,” continued the International Mission. “They were, for example, accused of calling for President Abdul Gayoom's assassination when the Maldivian Democratic Party appealed for a demonstration on 10 November. The newspaper also said that police tried to arrest editor Aminath Najeeb and sub-editor Nazim Sattar on 23 November.”
At the end of its statement the International Mission said it had recently been informed of comments made by Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed, which stated that the new press law in the Maldives would lead to an unprecedented improvement in the situation of the media.
In response the International Mission said: “although the draft law does include some positive provisions, it also creates of a number of new ‘media crimes’, and includes a long list of ‘banned matter’. On balance, our view is that the draft undermines press freedom far more than it protects it.”
