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India, Maldives eye further co-operation in fighting terrorism
Delhi remains concerned about the risk of violent extremists seeking to build a presence in the Maldives, while both countries pledge continued co-operation against Indian Ocean pirates.
India's defence minister, A.K. Antony, was in Male earlier this month for talks with his Maldivian counterpart, Mohamed Nazim. High on the agenda was the need to combat terrorist threats, as well as piracy in the Indian Ocean.
Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony, right and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nazim met in Male September 13th. They agreed the two nations would work together to fight terrorism and piracy. [Photo courtesy of Press Information Bureau, Government of India]
Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony, right and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nazim met in Male September 13th. They agreed the two nations would work together to fight terrorism and piracy. [Photo courtesy of Press Information Bureau, Government of India]
"There have been contentious claims of terrorist activities in the island nation [of Maldives]," N. Sathiyamoorthy, director of the Chennai chapter of the think tank Observer Research Foundation, told Khabar South Asia.
On September 30th, 2007, a homemade bomb went off in Male's popular tourist spot, Sultan Park, injuring two British tourists.
"There were firm reports of al-Qaeda activity in Male at the time," a former Indian deputy high commissioner to the Maldives, S.K. Singh, told Khabar. "These were confirmed by subsequent developments."
Singh was referring to the May 27th, 2009 suicide attack on the headquarters of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence in Islamabad by a Maldivian member of al-Qaeda. "This confirmed reports of rising fundamentalism in the Maldives," he said.
Pakistani troops arrested nine al-Qaeda operatives in a training camp in South Waziristan Agency in 2010. They turned out to be Maldivian citizens.
However, the extent of the extremist risk in the Maldives remains a highly disputed issue, one coloured by political developments. Former President Mohamed Nasheed, ousted in February 2012 under circumstances that remain unclear, has maintained that hardline Islamist groups are fomenting militancy on the island. The current administration of Mohammed Waheed Hassan, meanwhile, rebuts those claims.
"While one section of the polity believes there is a real threat of terrorism, the present establishment accuses the pro-democracy elements of promoting the activity of fundamentalists," Sathiyamoorthy explained to Khabar.
India, which has kept a close eye on security in the Maldives since intervening in 1988 to prevent a coup attempt by mercenaries, is taking the risk seriously. "The island nation, which is a magnet for international tourists, could go bankrupt if it gets a bad name as a haven for al-Qaeda. We just cannot gloss over the stray but firm evidence of al-Qaeda activity which is coming in thick and strong," counterterrorism specialist and former RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) counter-terror head B. Raman told Khabar.
A bilateral agreement between India and the Maldives on launching a dialogue on counterterrorism is expected to be signed in 2013. The talks between Antony and Nazim, held on September 13th, have paved the way for that process.
Ongoing efforts to tackle piracy
In addition to activities by violent extremists, piracy remains a scourge in the region. The Indian Navy has a long-standing biannual exercise with the Maldivian Navy aimed at strengthening the fight against Indian Ocean pirates. The Sri Lankan Navy also participates in the drill. During Antony's visit, India and the Maldives agreed to build on their joint efforts.
Future defence co-operation will see India loan helicopters to Maldives so that it can patrol the seas. India has also agreed to train the first batch of pilots of the fledgling Maldivian Air Force.
Such steps are "part of India's larger vision of returning Maldives to a period of political and economic stability," Ministry for External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told Khabar.
While in the Maldives, Antony inaugurated a military hospital which was constructed with Indian assistance. Delhi has also loaned a team of Army medics to run the 25-bed facility.
In his address, Antony described Indo-Maldivian relations as a "shining model of collaboration and co-operation".
India, Maldives eye further co-operation in fighting terrorism - khabarsouthasia.com
Delhi remains concerned about the risk of violent extremists seeking to build a presence in the Maldives, while both countries pledge continued co-operation against Indian Ocean pirates.
India's defence minister, A.K. Antony, was in Male earlier this month for talks with his Maldivian counterpart, Mohamed Nazim. High on the agenda was the need to combat terrorist threats, as well as piracy in the Indian Ocean.
Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony, right and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nazim met in Male September 13th. They agreed the two nations would work together to fight terrorism and piracy. [Photo courtesy of Press Information Bureau, Government of India]
Indian Defence Minister A. K. Antony, right and his Maldivian counterpart Mohamed Nazim met in Male September 13th. They agreed the two nations would work together to fight terrorism and piracy. [Photo courtesy of Press Information Bureau, Government of India]
"There have been contentious claims of terrorist activities in the island nation [of Maldives]," N. Sathiyamoorthy, director of the Chennai chapter of the think tank Observer Research Foundation, told Khabar South Asia.
On September 30th, 2007, a homemade bomb went off in Male's popular tourist spot, Sultan Park, injuring two British tourists.
"There were firm reports of al-Qaeda activity in Male at the time," a former Indian deputy high commissioner to the Maldives, S.K. Singh, told Khabar. "These were confirmed by subsequent developments."
Singh was referring to the May 27th, 2009 suicide attack on the headquarters of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence in Islamabad by a Maldivian member of al-Qaeda. "This confirmed reports of rising fundamentalism in the Maldives," he said.
Pakistani troops arrested nine al-Qaeda operatives in a training camp in South Waziristan Agency in 2010. They turned out to be Maldivian citizens.
However, the extent of the extremist risk in the Maldives remains a highly disputed issue, one coloured by political developments. Former President Mohamed Nasheed, ousted in February 2012 under circumstances that remain unclear, has maintained that hardline Islamist groups are fomenting militancy on the island. The current administration of Mohammed Waheed Hassan, meanwhile, rebuts those claims.
"While one section of the polity believes there is a real threat of terrorism, the present establishment accuses the pro-democracy elements of promoting the activity of fundamentalists," Sathiyamoorthy explained to Khabar.
India, which has kept a close eye on security in the Maldives since intervening in 1988 to prevent a coup attempt by mercenaries, is taking the risk seriously. "The island nation, which is a magnet for international tourists, could go bankrupt if it gets a bad name as a haven for al-Qaeda. We just cannot gloss over the stray but firm evidence of al-Qaeda activity which is coming in thick and strong," counterterrorism specialist and former RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) counter-terror head B. Raman told Khabar.
A bilateral agreement between India and the Maldives on launching a dialogue on counterterrorism is expected to be signed in 2013. The talks between Antony and Nazim, held on September 13th, have paved the way for that process.
Ongoing efforts to tackle piracy
In addition to activities by violent extremists, piracy remains a scourge in the region. The Indian Navy has a long-standing biannual exercise with the Maldivian Navy aimed at strengthening the fight against Indian Ocean pirates. The Sri Lankan Navy also participates in the drill. During Antony's visit, India and the Maldives agreed to build on their joint efforts.
Future defence co-operation will see India loan helicopters to Maldives so that it can patrol the seas. India has also agreed to train the first batch of pilots of the fledgling Maldivian Air Force.
Such steps are "part of India's larger vision of returning Maldives to a period of political and economic stability," Ministry for External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin told Khabar.
While in the Maldives, Antony inaugurated a military hospital which was constructed with Indian assistance. Delhi has also loaned a team of Army medics to run the 25-bed facility.
In his address, Antony described Indo-Maldivian relations as a "shining model of collaboration and co-operation".
India, Maldives eye further co-operation in fighting terrorism - khabarsouthasia.com
