Male, Maldives – Maldivians woke up on Wednesday to the news of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s surprise arrival on a pre-dawn flight, sparking a fierce backlash as the Maldives government was accused of helping the disgraced leader escape justice.
Rajapaksa fled to the neighbouring Indian Ocean archipelago hours before his promised resignation over Sri Lanka’s worst economic crisis in decades. The 73-year-old flew on a Sri Lankan Air Force plane with his wife and two bodyguards to the Maldives capital, Male, the Sri Lankan Air Force confirmed.
On Wednesday afternoon, a group of Sri Lankan expatriates protested at the artificial beach in Male, carrying a banner that read: “Dear Maldivian friends, Please urge your government not to safeguard criminals.”
Riot police swiftly snatched banners and placards, and dispersed the crowd. One Sri Lankan man was taken into custody.
On social media and in the comment sections of news outlets, Maldivians expressed outrage and solidarity with Sri Lankan protesters, calling for Rajapaksa’s repatriation and condemning the “shameful” decision to facilitate his departure. Concerns were also raised over the safety of an estimated 8,000 Maldivians who reside in Sri Lanka amid the continuing unrest.
How did you let this happen Minister @MariyaDidi ?
For sure without yours and President @ibusolih permission a military aircraft cannot enter Maldives.— Suad (@thathu182) July 13, 2022
Corrupt Maldivian Politicians fascilitated this for their own gain.Nothing to do with the nation.
Thanks for disrupting the most precious diplomatic ties between.
Ashamed & embarassing moment being a Maldivian. #maldivesstandswithsrilanka 🇲🇻🇱🇰— Shani (@shani1i) July 13, 2022
The Maldivian government “sheltering Gotabaya Rajapaksa and aiding him evade accountability for war crimes and corruption is a betrayal of the people and activists of Sri Lanka who had supported struggle for democracy in Maldives,” tweeted Ahmed Shaheed, a UN Special Rapporteur and former Maldives foreign minister.
Ismail Naseer, the editor of the Maldives’ main newspaper, asked in an op-ed: “Why should Maldivians become the intermediary for fleeing easily after running a nation into the ground? Why should the Maldives government fall to such a lowly state? Why did one person become more important to the Maldivian state while many millions are starving and despairing? There’s no one to give an answer!”
Much of the anger was directed at Speaker of Parliament Mohamed Nasheed. The former Maldives president was reported to have intervened after Maldivian air traffic control refused the plane’s request to land. Local media reported that Nasheed was spotted at the airport before the military plane landed at approximately 3am local time (22:00 GMT on Tuesday).
Nasheed, who was previously coordinating efforts to secure foreign assistance for Sri Lanka, faced criticism from both Maldivians and Sri Lankans who cast doubt on his democratic credentials.
Can our friends from the #Maldives help the people of #SriLanka? If the claims are true, @MohamedNasheed has betrayed his principals of democracy and forgotten his suffering endured by anti democratic forces. #Maldives please do not give refuge. He has to be held accountable https://t.co/I9LtYuPCQY
— Deekshya Illangasinghe (@DeekshyaI) July 13, 2022
Finally so called good governance advocator @MohamedNasheed facilitated fleeing of @GotabayaR, Maldives sources say. Where is your governance/justice for Sri Lanka’s public? What made you to facilitate temporary asylum to Gotabaya who has resulted millions of people to suffer?
— Shihar Aneez (@shiharaneez) July 12, 2022
From “reformist” to getting in bed with corrupt politicians on an international scale @MohamedNasheed 😠
How dare you give him sanctuary in our country!
Send him back to #SriLanka! Make him face his people 😡 #GotaGoHome https://t.co/jxLxpchmux
— Piko (@AimonLatheef) July 13, 2022
But many questioned the speaker’s authority to either authorise the landing or provide diplomatic clearance. Others argued that the Maldives could not bar entry to a sitting Sri Lankan president in the absence of an arrest warrant. The Maldives foreign ministry and the president’s office have yet to make any official statement.
Nasheed was among several dissidents who found refuge in Sri Lanka during the Maldives’ pro-democracy movement in the early 2000s. The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party was founded by exiles in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, a city considered a second home by many Maldivians. The South Asian island nations share a close bond after centuries of cultural and trade ties.
Protecting this murderer becoz they gave refuge to u politicians,is that the justification?
No concern about what this family did,brought a nation to their knees &with the blood of 1000’s on their hands
& what about all the Maldivians?no concern for their safety?
The shame😡— umay mohamed 🎈🇲🇻🇵🇸 (@umaymohamed) July 13, 2022
#Maldives sheltering Gotabaya Rajapaksa and aiding him evade accountability for war crimes and corruption is a betrayal of the people and activists of #SriLanka who had supported struggle for democracy in Maldives. The MDP leadership and current govt should know this better.
— ahmed adam🎈❓ (@ahm3da) July 13, 2022
What a shameful day for Maldivians when @MDPSecretariat facilitates the escape and harbouring of #GotabayaRajapaksha . Here is what Srilankan activists who have sacrificed their lives for their freedoms say to @MohamedNasheed and @ibusolih. From @rukitweets to #Maldives pic.twitter.com/FBn5HrSQYV
— Shahindha Ismail 🎈(she/her) (@HindhaIsmail) July 13, 2022
The main opposition Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) meanwhile condemned the authorisation of Rajapaksa’s arrival as an “atrocity” and demanded answers from the defence minister and army chief.
President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih along with Speaker Nasheed and Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid “must bear responsibility for the danger facing Maldivians in Sri Lanka”, the PPM said, calling for immediate security measures.
The Maldives National Party, a minority party led by a former defence minister and former police commissioner, submitted a motion for a parliamentary inquiry into “how the Maldives Government acted in giving refuge to President Gotabaya”.
Unconfirmed local media reports claim that Rajpaksa and his wife are staying at the Waldorf Astoria Ithaafusi resort in South Male Atoll. According to Sri Lanka’s Daily Mirror and Tamil Guardian newspapers, Rajapaksa is planning to fly to Singapore later on Wednesday.
