AFATHIS DAILY NEWS ARTICLE 9 NOVEMBER 2004
http://www.aafathisnews.com.mv/main.asp?inctype=hotopic&StoryID=4049,001100030005.asp
Quick Translation
PEOPLE GATHER IN FRONT OF MALDIVES EMBASSY IN ENGLAND AND HOLD A DEMONSTRATION
Ahmed Waheed (Maldives News)
9/11/2004
People gathered yesterday in front of the Maldives Embassy in England and held a demonstration. It started at 12 noon English time (6pm in Maldives).
Speaking in a Ramadan reception held for media personnel last night Chief Government Spokesman Dr Ahmed Shaheed said that, in the gathering that included Maldivians, the leading person shouting in front of the Embassy was an Englishman.
"Twenty-three people assembled in front of the Embassy. Among them 7 were Maldivians. They used banners. They were calling for the release of those detained following August 12 and 13 incident," Dr Shaeed said.
Shaheed said the people who did this, which lasted for about 45 minutes, did this because these people were funded by a Christian group and that they had to demonstrate to them (the donors) that they are able to do this.
"They called people to come out (and demonstrate) on 20 September. And even after that. It was being said that these people were not able to do anything and so they only did this to prove they can," Shaheed said. Shaheed said the leaders who planned this gathering broke into the tourism convention World Trade Mart (WTM) last year and that this year it was possible that they might try to do it again but that it had been requested to the authorities not to allow them the opportunity to enter the WTM convention held in England at the moment.
The purpose of these people is to spread stories by way of the media and other means saying that there is no freedom in Maldives and consequently they are attempting to destroy tourism in the Maldives Shaheed said. Even the English police attended the location while the demonstration was going on. A group of Maldivians living abroad have held a news conference with the purpose of depressing tourism in the Maldives.
END