HRCM advises against children

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives has advised against the participation of children in the mass protest to be held in Male’ and other islands on Friday.

In a letter signed by the Commission’s President Maryam Azra and published yesterday, HRCM said that while it is the right of every Maldivian to hold peaceful protests, involving children in such protests would be in conflict with their families’ and government’s responsibility to protect them. They also said that such events can have negative effects on children’s physical and psychological well-being.

Azra expressed concern regarding the fact that the organizers of this protest are calling for people to involve even infants in the protest on Friday.

“Even in the beginning of talks of this protest, people were talking about involving kids. We had to issue this letter because the organizers are calling for people to involve even their infants in this protest, we do not understand what their intention is. We are concerned about how this will affect these children,” Azra said.

HRCM also advises against any sort of violence, including that to people’s homes and belongings.

They advise people to prioritize peace during the protest, and to avoid any action which might lead to animosity and violence in the society. They advise people to upkeep the rules of Islam, by resorting to peaceful means to solve problems.

“We advise the participators of this protest to use the right to protest responsibly, and avoid any action which may lead to violence.”

The mass protest to be held on 23 December, organized by NGOs and some political parties, is to call for the protection of Islam in the country. The ruling party MDP has announced that they will hold a protest against the mass protest, on the same day.