“We will not be silenced”: MDP passes resolution for mass protest on November 17 against Muizzu’s authoritarian crackdown

In a bold and defiant move, the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), has passed a unanimous resolution to stage a large-scale protest on November 17, vowing to hold President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s government accountable for its increasing authoritarianism and violent suppression of fundamental rights.

The resolution was adopted during an emergency session of the MDP National Congress held on Saturday night, following the violent crackdown on a peaceful protest held by the party the night before. The protest, part of the “Lootuvaifi, Lootuvaifi!” movement, was forcefully dispersed by police using disproportionate force, leaving multiple protesters injured and sparking widespread condemnation.

The resolution, proposed by Ahmed Saleem, President of the MDP’s Hoarafushi constituency and former lawmaker, and seconded by Naifaru constituency president Abdulla Rasheed Hassan, strongly condemns the government’s use of excessive force to silence dissent. It directly accuses Muizzu of ordering the violent suppression of the protest, including the deployment of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), a military-grade sonic weapon never before used in the Maldives.

According to the resolution, the LRAD caused hearing damage, psychological trauma, and other health issues, not just to protesters, but also to nearby residents and children. The MDP asserts that this act violates both the Maldivian Constitution and the Convention Against Torture, an international treaty to which the Maldives is a signatory.

The resolution goes further, declaring that the arbitrary arrests, 15-day detentions without charge, and the denial of legal counsel and medical access to those detained during the protest are unlawful and constitute illegal detention. It notes with concern that none of the detainees have been allowed to see a doctor, a move believed to be a deliberate attempt to cover up evidence of police-inflicted injuries.

Among those injured in the protest is Mohamed Raslaan, Vice President of the MDP’s Central Hulhumalé constituency, who suffered a heart attack after exposure to the LRAD and remains in critical care at IGMH.

In response to this unprecedented abuse of power, the MDP resolution commits the party to:

Condemn the injuries inflicted under Muizzu’s direct orders and demand the immediate release of all individuals held in unlawful detention;

Continue the fight to defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Maldivian citizens;

Hold a mass protest on November 17 in Malé City if the government fails to meet the demands raised during the previous demonstration.

The party's decision to escalate its protest efforts signals a critical turning point in the national political landscape. As state institutions remain silent in the face of clear human rights violations, MDP is calling on the public to resist what it describes as an increasingly repressive regime that has weaponized the police against its own citizens.

The planned November 17 protest marks a direct challenge to the Muizzu administration’s tightening grip on civil liberties, and a reminder that the people of the Maldives will not be silenced without a fight.