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Maldives detains MPs, ex-Saarc secy gen

Emergency rule continues, curfew eases

AFP, BBC ONLINE, Male
A curfew in the capital of the Maldives was eased but parliament sessions were put off indefinitely and emergency rule continued following last week's riots, officials and residents said.
State television in the Indian Ocean atoll nation, a luxury tourist destination, said yesterday the curfew now came into force in Male at 11.30pm, two hours later.
Shops, offices and schools also opened yesterday in a sign of a return to normality after Friday's unrest linked to pressure on President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom to bring in democratic reforms.
Scores of people suspected of being anti-government activists were kept in custody. The authorities said 185 suspects were detained, but activists put the figure much higher.
Among those detained were Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, former secretary general of the seven-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) and a parliament member and former Maldives attorney general, Mohammed Munavvar and four other parliament members. The detained members of Citizens' Special
Majlis (MPs) are Ibrahim Ismail, Gasim Ibrahim, Mohamed Shihab and Dr. Mohamed Munawwar.
Four dissidents wanted by the government were arrested overnight, residents said. However, there was no confirmation from the police or the National Security Service, which is spearheading the crackdown.
The parliament announced overnight that its regular sittings would not be held and gave no reason for the indefinite postponement, but residents said at least five members of parliament had been arrested for supporting dissent.
The Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), which is campaigning for a multi-party democracy in the tiny, one-party nation, said Gayoom loyalists continued to intimidate the population.
"My daughter has been beaten up in prison, " MDP spokesman in Colombo, Mohamed Latheef, told AFP. "They feel they have brought the situation under control and they can now do anything they want."
The MDP called on the international community to take action to prevent the country of 270,000 Sunni Muslims from slipping into
chaos after a state of emergency was imposed Saturday.
The unrest in the capital caused no disruption to tourism, the archipelago's main foreign exchange earner, residents said.
Holidaymakers who visit the Maldives are usually ferried from the airport island to resorts by boat or seaplane without having to go through the capital island of Male.
In the highly congested capital, home to 80,000 people, Gayoom's seafront palace continued to be tightly guarded with two heavy military vehicles parked across the main road to prevent cars entering the area.
Gayoom has ruled the Maldives since 1978, turning the once fishing nation of 1,192 coral islands into a prosperous upscale tourist spot.
But he has faced mounting criticism at home and abroad for failing to tolerate any opposition. He began cautious reforms after an unprecedented riot in Male last September triggered by the death of an inmate at a nearby prison.
Dozens were hospitalised Friday when police fired teargas and used sticks and batons to break up a protest calling for the release of political prisoners.
Amnesty International appealed to the Maldives to abide by human rights in looking after detainees.