Multiple attempts to contact Maldivian authorities, reg. required visa, ignored: LAWASIA

Earlier this week, Maldivian authorities refused entry for a high-level delegation from the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) for not having that “appropriate” visa.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, LAWASIA noted the multiple attempts made to inform the authorities of their visit to obtain the required visa, starting from 11th February, four days after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement inviting “its development partners and representatives from international organizations and associations to visit the Maldives to assess the situation and witness the safety and security of Malé”.

It said that it wrote to both the Immigration Department and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to inform of their plans, including a number of ‘reminder’ mails.

LAWASIA noted that, on 23rd February, they had reminded the authorities of their impending arrival dates, and informed that the delegation would be proceeding with its plans, unless they receive “direct advise to the contrary”.

Noting that the did not, the statement says that the four-member delegation arrived at Velana International Airport on Sunday evening.

“Each had declared the purpose of the visit upon arrival. Instead of providing guidance and facilitating the mission with a visa as would have been consistent with the open invitation issued by the Government of Maldives to international organization, the Maldivian authorities had instead refused entry to the members of the team, detained and kept them at closed detention facility under guard and surveillance, and subsequently deported them. Although the actions taken by authorities were inconsistent with their public statements of invitation, and unnecessary, the immediate officials who attended to us were courteous,” reads the statement.

LAWASIA said that by doing so, the Maldivian government “deprived itself of the benefit of an independent and impartial assessment by a fact-finding team not sponsored by individuals, parties of organizations in the Maldives”.

Noting that it is "disappointed" over the government’s actions, LAWASIA said that the fact-finding team “will nevertheless continue with its mission and carry out its mandate’ and said that it hoped that the government and key stakeholders in Maldives “would take meaningful steps to assist and participate with this task”.