Yameen thanks India, Pakistan’s defence of Maldives at Commonwealth
President Abdulla Yameen has thanked India and Pakistan for helping the Maldives avoid action by the Commonwealth over human rights abuses, but has offered no indication his government is prepared to meet calls for reform.
02 Mar 2016, 9:00 AM
President Abdulla Yameen has thanked India and Pakistan for helping the Maldives avoid action by the Commonwealth over widely condemned human rights abuses, but has offered no indication his government is prepared to meet calls for reform.
Speaking on the northern island of Utheemu on Tuesday, Yameen said he had been very “anxious” when the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group met in London a week ago to discuss action on the Maldives.
“On that day, I was trying, in between the two podiums, to find a peaceful way out for the Maldives, to speak on the phone with the prime ministers of two of our large neighbours. I spoke with both Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at length.
“They were very obliging … it was their representatives who spoke in our defence. There were some who attacked us. But we were saved because of the work done by both of our neighbourly powers,” he said.
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