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Lanka mediates for Nasheed’s release
Sri Lanka has mediated with Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen for the release of his predecessor Mohamed Nasheed who is now serving a jail term. The task was undertaken by Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake who flew to Male last Wednesday on an un-announced visit. This was after both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had given their consent to their mediatory role.
The duo held talks with President Yameen whose archipelago nation faces international isolation over jailing or harassing opponents, particularly Mr. Nasheed, the first democratically elected President of that nation. Mr. Yameen is expected to take a decision soon on the case made by the two ministers, a high ranking Sri Lanka Government source said.
International pressure on the Maldives intensified this week after a European Union delegation went to Male for talks with Mr. Yameen. Also this week, former President Nasheed’s lawyer, Amal Clooney, was meeting US Congress members to appeal to them to impose sanctions on the Maldives. Among them was Senator John McCain (Republican – Arizona). She was also interviewed by the NBC network. The 37-year-old British barrister, wife of wellknown actor George Clooney, told NBC, “Democracy is dead in the Maldives. Literally if there were an election now there would be no one to run against the President. Every opposition leader is either behind bars or being pursued by the Government through courts.”
Lawyer Clooney told US Senators that former President Nasheed had served six months of a 13 year prison sentence in the Maldives.
Foreign Office officials both in Male and Colombo had kept the visit of the two Sri Lankan ministers a secret. However, after the Colombo-based diplomatic community made inquiries from the Maldivian High Commissioner Zahiya Zareer about the duo’s visit to Male, she replied that they were attending the opening of a resort by a Sri Lankan in a southern atoll.
Finance Minister Karunanayake, a close friend of President Yameen, did take part in an opening. However, the purpose of their mission was kept under wraps.
Later, the Foreign Ministry in Male put out a statement that the two Sri Lankan ministers were “on an official visit” on January 13 and 14. The slip in the statement was showing. There was no mention of Minister Karunanayake’s presence in the country. In terms of strict protocol, if she was right in inviting Foreign Minister Samaraweera, the invitation for Minister Karunanayake should have been from his counterpart in the Maldives.
During talks yesterday in Colombo with British Foreign Office Minister Hugo Swire, Mr. Samaraweera briefed the visiting minister on the mission to Male by him and his colleague. Mr. Swire later tweeted that he had thanked Mr. Samaraweera for ensuring stability in the region. Mr Swire is due in Male today.