Maumoon: Tamils were forgiven in case of more attacks

Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has said that the Tamils who were sentenced to death following the attack of 3 November 1988 were shown clemency to avoid further attacks from them.

In an interview with V-Media on the occasion of the Victory Day, President Maumoon said that he understood that if the death sentences on the mercenaries of People’s Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) were carried out, there would be attacks on the country from time to time. And the Tamils were in war with the Sri Lankan government and the decision was made after thinking on their power.

President Maumoon said that the PLOTE could threaten the country further and they could target Maldivians travelling abroad if the dead sentences were carried out. And so the Sri Lankan government was consulted and transferred them to a prison in Sri Lanka.

Maumoon, the President in power during the attack of ’88 said that a few Maldivians were also given the death sentences but after thinking on it, he decided that carrying out those sentences would not be the best thing to do. The former President said that he believed that carrying out those sentences would create more hate and threat against the Maldivian government.

The former President said that the clemency was for the death sentence alone and they were given life in prison instead.