New Delhi sources have stated that four days after the Supreme Court of the Maldives called for the release of all political prisoners, the government of Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency in the country for 15 days, further suspending the Supreme Court and arresting the chief justice, another top judge, the president’s estranged half-brother and former dictator, Maumoon Gayoom.
Officials have stated that “India is a destination for a large number of Maldivians who travel to the country not only for educational purposes, but also for advanced medical treatments in the hospitals of Kerala and Tamilnadu and any restrictions on visas would directly impact ordinary citizens, which would be detrimental to Indian interests too”.
According to sources the Indian tourist arrivals in the Maldives have been hiked by
24% in 2017 when compared to the previous year. Further Chinese
tourists declined by 5.5%, but they still constitute 22% of foreign tourists
while India has only a 6% share. The region which is the biggest source for
foreign tourists is Europe, which account for 46.5% of arrivals in the
Maldives, so travel advisories from India, China, the US, UK and EU will certainly
impact the tourism industry.
Presently Maldivians are passing around messages telling one another to "be safe". With many constitutional rights suspended, there is little protection. Accordingly the US State Department said it was "troubled and disappointed" by the developments.
