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Maldives dismisses human rights critics, wants int'l help

Xinhua, May 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Maldives has called on United Nations members to support rather than criticize it's fledgling democracy after jailing its ex-president, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Delivering a speech to the United Nation's (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) members, at its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva, Foreign Minister Dunya Maumoon has said that criticism alone cannot help but that the international community needs to invest in Maldives to bring about change.

Members had questioned Maldives on the independence of the country's judiciary and the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed, who was handed down a sentence of 13 years in jail in March in a trial that the international community including the UN has criticized as being politically motivated.

In her opening remarks, Dunya pointed out that it had taken many centuries for democracy to stabilize in Western countries while on the other hand Maldives was rushing through the process in a short period of time, resulting in the country facing unfamiliar issues and challenges.

"It is easy to criticize, but we urge you to not only do that: invest in us, bring about meaningful change," she said, adding that democracy cannot be forced and that Maldives needs to come up with localized solutions in order to sustain its infant democracy.

She announced that President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has formulated a special strategy to develop a political system that will consist of efficient, professional, non-politicized non- governmental organizations (NGOs).

Dunya said that the government has never claimed that there is no room for improvement of the state's institutions and that the new steps will strengthen and instill public trust in the judiciary and subsequently transform it into a stronger institution. Endi