Maldivian Police officers stand guard near the MDP (Maldives Democratic Party) opposition party headquarters after Maldives President Abdulla Yameen declared a state of emergency for 15 days, in Male, Maldives February 6, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer
Beijing, February 7 (IANS) China on Wednesday indirectly cautioned India against intervening in the Maldives, saying any outside "interference" in the country's political crisis would "complicate" the situation - a day after the exiled former President Mohamed Nasheed sought India's military help.
China also denied allegations that Maldivian President Abdullah Yameen had its backing and said Beijing follows the principles of non-interference in other countries' domestic affairs.
"The current situation in the Maldives is its internal affair. It should be properly resolved through dialogue and consultation by relevant parties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.
"The international community should play a constructive role based on the (principle of) respecting the sovereignty of the Maldives instead of taking actions that may complicate the current situation," Geng said.
On Tuesday, former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, who was ousted in a coup in 2012 and is close to India, asked New Delhi to intervene militarily in the Maldives.
India in a strongly-worded statement said it was disturbed over the state of Emergency imposed by President Abdullah Yameen whose government has arrested the country's Chief Justice and former Maldivian President Abdul Gayoom.
Last week, the apex court had ordered the release of nine parliamentarians which could have restored the majority of the Maldivian Democratic Party-led by Nasheed and threatened Yameen's Presidency.
To calls by the international community for the Maldives government to comply with the apex court's ruling, Geng said: "We believe that the Maldives' government, political parties and the people have the wisdom to address the situation independently."
"We hope the relevant parties in the Maldives will resolve the issues through consultation and restore the national stability and social order as soon as possible."
Asked about former Maldives Parliament Speaker Abdullah Shahid alleging that Yameen was backed by China for approving a pro-Beijing trade pact, Geng said: "I have just said that the current situation in the Maldives is its internal affair. China always follows the principles of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs."
"China maintains friendly cooperation with the Maldives including the FTA which serves the common interests of the two countries. The facts have proven that after signing of the FTA cooperation has benefited the two peoples," he added.
China has invested heavily in the infrastructure and booming tourism sector in the Indian Ocean nation. In 2017, Maldives became the second country after Pakistan to sign a free trade agreement with China.
The Yameen government had rushed through the FTA pact in the country's Parliament, triggering concerns in the opposition party and in India. China's growing closeness to the Maldives under Yameen is seen as part of Beijing's strategic encirclement of India, and eroding New Delhi's influence with Male.
Yameen also approved China's Belt and Road project, a network of highways, railways, sea lanes and ports that aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe.
Nasheed renews appeal for Indian intervention in Maldives
Male, February 7 (IANS): In a rebuff to China for warning India to keep off from interfering in the Maldives, the Indian Ocean nation's exiled ex-President Mohamed Nasheed on Wednesday reiterated his appeal to India to intervene, saying his countrymen view New Delhi's role "positively" and during the 1988 crisis India were "not occupiers but liberators".
Nasheed said in a tweet: "Saying 'resolve things internally' is akin to asking us to escalate the revolt, which can lead to chaos. Maldivians see India's role positively: in '88 they came, resolved the crisis, and left. They were not occupiers but liberators. This is why Maldivians look to India now."
The tweet by Nasheed, a friend of India, came as China, in apparent reference to India, on Wednesday cautioned against outside interference in the Maldives' internal affairs, saying it would "complicate" the situation.
On Tuesday, Nasheed, who lives in self-exile in Britain, had asked India to intervene militarily to help resolve the burgeoning crisis in his archipelago nation which is under a state of Emergency clamped by President Abdulla Yameen.
"On behalf of Maldivian people we humbly request: 1. India to send envoy, backed by its military, to release judges and political detainees including President Gayoom. We request a physical presence. 2. The US to stop all financial transactions of Maldives regime leaders going through US banks," he had tweeted on Tuesday.
India had in a strong statement said that it is "disturbed" by the situation in the Maldives where the Supreme Court Chief Justice and another senior judge has been jailed and emergency clamped. Yameen clamped emergency days after the apex court in a ruling last Thursday ordered the release of nine political prisoners, including Nasheed, and the reinstatement of 12 legislators who were unseated for defecting from the ruling party and annulled the apex court's previous ban on floor-crossing.
In more tweets on Wednesday, Nasheed said: "President Gayoom and the Judges must be released immediately. I am told President Gayoom is not taking food, while (jailed Supreme Court) Justice Ali Hameed has been ill treated."
He said "Hon Qasim's son, Ibrahim, has been arrested. This is clearly politically motivated. This disgraceful, illegal arrest must be reversed and he must be immediately freed," Nasheed posted.
Turmoil in the Indian Ocean archipelago nation began when President Yameen refused to release Nasheed along with other nine high-profile political dissidents, in defiance of a February 1 apex court order, sparking protests.
On Monday, Yameen declared a 15-day state of emergency, giving sweeping powers to troops to arrest and detain individuals while curtailing the powers of the judiciary and the legislature.
He also ordered the arrest of the Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdulla Saeed and another judge, Ali Hameed.
Former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who allied himself with the opposition, was also detained at his home.
Hours after the judges arrests, the court's remaining three judges revoked the court's release order "in light of the concerns raised by the President".
The US State Department said it was "troubled and disappointed" by the developments in Maldives, while British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called on Yameen to lift the emergency.
India, China and Britain have issued travel warnings for their citizens.
China has invested heavily in the infrastructure and booming tourism sector in the Indian Ocean nation. In 2017, Maldives became the second country after Pakistan to sign a free trade agreement with China.
