Truck and Barter

In the capital of Maldives, Male’, citizens have been making arrests of criminals;

“A group of civilians from the area where Maaveyo Magu and Buruzu Magu intersect have recently formed a group, and have gone out searching for drug offenders and turning them over to the Police along with the evidence they find. A member of this group has said that they had so far handed over at least 20 drug offenders to the Police.”

In other news;

“A new non-violent democracy group, calling itself Gaumataka, marked Evan Naseem Day on Tuesday by delivering flowers to the police and representatives of the government.

The human rights activists delivered white lilies and roses to the police headquarters in Male’, the Maldivian High Commission in London and to the head office of President Gayoom’s public relations company, Hill & Knowlton.

Gaumataka said the flowers were “delivered as a symbol to urge the police to stop all brutality and to join hands with the people to bring about a just and democratic Maldives.”…

Tim Fallon of Hill & Knowlton, President Gayoom’s London-based spin-doctor, was less enthusiastic to discuss torture and human rights abuses, however.

“We went into the Hill & Knowlton office and asked if we could see Tim Fallon to present him with the flowers. The flowers are in memory of those people that Fallon’s client has murdered, tortured and abused over the past 28 years. However, Fallon would not meet us. First we were told that he was not in the building, then we were told he is “too busy” to see us,” said Sara Mahir.