In bid to get Maldives government return to democracy, Europe may halt flights

In what might be a strong punitive measure against the government of Abdulla Yameen, large European airlines may suspend flights to Maldives this summer as the international community piles on pressure for the restoration of democratic functioning in the archipelago.

German ambassador to Sri Lanka Joern Rohde, concurrently accredited to Maldives, tweeted on Friday, “We hear big airline carriers from Europe will suspend their Maldives flight for the summer season.” The reason for this, he continued, was that despite the apparent lifting of emergency by the Yameen government, “democratic rights remain curtailed as MPs remain jailed on politically motivated prosecutions. The economy and thus the people suffer since tourists continue to stay away.”

India has also demanded that jailed opposition leaders and judges of the Supreme Court be released and expects Yameen to pave the way for the normal functioning of Parliament and eventually fair elections. So far, Yameen has not paid much heed to calls to mend his ways, flaunting a growing proximity with China to deter efforts to pressure him. The demonstrations against him in Male, though infrequent, indicate continued opposition to his regime.


Cautioning the Yameen government, Rohde concluded his tweet by saying “Solution: Only a return to democracy will bring back stability and the positive image of the wonderful Maldives now tarnished by the ongoing undermining of democratic rights.”

Europe remains the biggest source of tourism to the island nation, although the Chinese now account for almost 20% of Maldives’ tourists. Indian tourists have been rising steadily and are more than 6%.