The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) is looking into the government’s attempt to deport Bangladeshi nationals who protested in Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo despite the Constitution assuring the right to protests to foreigners residing in the Maldives.
Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a UN human rights treaty signed by the Maldives, guarantees the right to peaceful assembly to all persons including expatriates, HRCM said in a short statement sent to the media on Saturday.
The right is also granted by Article 32 of the Maldives Constitution, the HRCM statement said.
Last week, a group of Bangladeshi citizens protested peacefully in Gaaf Dhaal Thinadhoo in solidarity with anti-government protests in Bangladesh.
But Home Minister Ali Ihusan said recently that the protest organisers will be deported, labelling it as a “political activity” in violation of visa requirements.
HRCM said that it was looking into the case very closely after the government’s decision came to its attention.
Transparency Maldives also expressed concern over the government’s decision to deport the Bangladeshis who demonstrated peacefully in Thinadhoo.
The right to peaceful assembly is granted to all by both the Maldives Constitution and the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the NGO said.
“Imposing a condition on visas that deprives fundamental right guaranteed under the Maldivian Constitution is illegal. It is a grave violation of fundamental rights given to workers and it is concerning that such restrictions are being used to justify arbitrary arrests, termination and deportation of migrants in Maldives,” Transparency said.
Transparency called on the government to revoke the Home Ministry’s decision, refrain from the use of arbitrary measures and discrimination against foreigners and to adopt the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
Concluding the statement, Transparency Maldives noted that migrants make up 32 percent of the working population and called on state and non-state actors to work towards ensuring the fundamental constitutional and international human rights of migrants in the Maldives.
