Maldives tells India to stay away from crisis
Ministers briefed foreign media to reassure them about the situation and stress the normality of life outside Malé, which has borne the brunt of the turmoil since last month’s shock Supreme Court ruling and state of emergency declaration.
14 Mar 2018, 9:00 AM
The Maldives’ political crisis is an internal matter like Kashmir, government ministers said as they told India to stay away from the troubled holiday destination.
The remarks came from Fisheries and Agriculture Minister Dr Mohamed Shainee, who has previously drawn parallels between the state of emergency in the Maldives and the one in France.
Kashmir has been a flashpoint between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan for decades, with both countries laying claim to the territory in its entirety. Tens of thousands of people have died in the violence, not including those who have disappeared due to the conflict.
“Why haven’t we gone into the Kashmir issue … and asked to be (an) intermediary? Because they are internal matters … India should stay away from our issue,” Shainee told visiting Indian journalists on Wednesday, in what appeared to be the first formal news briefing with international journalists since a state of emergency was declared more than a month ago. “We are independent and capable of dealing with the situation. If we need help, we will let India know.”
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