Media rights group tells Maldives not to pressure media

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – An international rights group has urged the Maldives to stop pressuring critical media, expressing concern over the closure of an independent news website.

Reporters Without Borders said in a statement Thursday that the closure of Channel News Maldives last month will lead to increasing self-censorship by other outlets still daring to criticize the government.

The group said the editor of the website confirmed that the closure was due to government pressures and not because of financial reasons as claimed earlier by its majority shareholding company.

Authorities first attempted to take over the website and convert it into a pro-government outlet. When it failed, they pressured the owners to close it down, the group cited editor Ismail Rasheed as saying.

“The close of Channel News Maldives is very bad news for pluralism and democracy in Maldives,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the rights group’s Asia-Pacific desk.

“The disappearance of one of the last media outlets still daring to criticize the government will inevitably be accompanied by an increase in self-censorship by the few remaining independent media still operating,” said Benjamin Ismaïl, the head of the rights group’s Asia-Pacific desk.

The government spokesman could not be immediately contacted for comment.

Maldives is an Indian Ocean archipelago state known for its luxury island resorts. Its government faces heavy criticism for abusing the judiciary for political gain and controlling civil freedoms.

Earlier this year, the oldest newspaper Haveeru closed down after a controversial court order into an ownership dispute.

Maldives became a multiparty democracy in 2008 after decades of autocratic rule.