My remarks in India have been misrepresented: Zaki

Special Envoy to former President Mohamed Nasheed, Ibrahim Hussain Zaki, has said that the remarks he made in India have been misrepresented.

In a statement issued last Sunday, Zaki said that his remarks were related to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Maldives and the international law obligations of regional partners, and that he is deeply troubled by the misrepresentation of his words.

“The comments I made were directly related to long-standing security cooperation between India and the Maldives, and the common interest of both countries in ensuring peace, stability, law and order in the Maldives, and the emerging international law obligation of Responsibility to Protect. They respond directly to the growing political violence in the Maldives with clear international dimensions,” Zaki said in the letter.

Zaki stressed in his statement that it is ludicrous to suggest that he would propose, or that India would receive from him, a request that violates the sovereignty of the Maldives or the Charter of the United Nations.

Indian papers reported Zaki saying recently, “If we were in the government, definitely we would have done it by now... definitely (asked for) their (Indian forces) to be on the ground.”