Similar to 25 years ago, freedom and religion are being threatened, says Yameen

Presidential candidate for the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) Abdulla Yameen has said that attacks to country’s freedom and religion are still ongoing, 25 years after the failed coup d’état of 3 November 1988.

Speaking at an event by PPM to mark Victory Day in Alimas Carnival area on Sunday night, Yameen said there are extraordinary similarities between the country’s situation today and the day of the 3 November attack. He said the attack happened due to frustrations by a group of people who could not have their destructive ways, such as a widespread business of narcotics in the country.

“The problem then was that the president was determined to create obstacles to the luxury they were enjoying, something they could not tolerate,” Yameen said.

Yameen said former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom during his presidency had made great sacrifices to protect the country’s freedom and religion, particularly on 3 November. But he said the country has already forgotten his efforts on that fateful day, he said.

Yameen accused former president Mohamed Nasheed of trying wipe away the great sacrifices of 3 November and pointed out that he had given high posts to the orchestrators of the 1988 coup d’état in his administration.

“Former president Nasheed is now saying that the attack was never a danger to the Maldives. He did not hold a single event, during his short three years, to remember 3 November. He had liked the great heroes of this country to traitors. He freed Abdulla Luthfee during the very early days of his presidency. He is now a free man. He was serving a life sentence, he was sentenced to be executed,” Yameen said, referring to Abdulla Luthee, the local businessmen who masterminded the 3 November attack.

Yameen said the country might have to face a day similar to 3 November 1988 on polling day, this Saturday.

“The people will ask themselves and decide on 9 November, whether we will endure in the path of Allah, whether we will continue in the service of Islam, if we will stand upon the pillars of our nation as an Islamic state,” Yameen said.

Maldives marks Victory Day on 3 November after 19 Maldivians died in 1988 when armed mercenaries from Sri Lanka’s People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), planned and led by a group of locals, attacked the capital Male’ in an attempt to overthrow former president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom's government.