MDP takes fishermen's arrests and suppression of protests to the ILO

The opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has submitted the matter of the crackdown on the yellowfin tuna fishermen's protest which demanded that the government company MIFCO purchase their catch, and the arrest of several individuals, including Kendhoo constituency MDP Member of Parliament Mauroof Zakir, to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

The protest, carried out by fishermen in their boats near the channel outside the official jetty in Malé, was broken up by the police on Thursday afternoon, resulting in several arrests. Yesterday, the Criminal Court ordered the detention of three of those arrested, including MP Mauroof Zakir, who is also a co-founder and General Secretary of the Fishermen's Union, for five days for investigation purposes.

In a statement issued today, the opposition MDP claimed that the government has obstructed the fishermen's efforts to secure their rights and illegally extended their detention period. Consequently, the party has now lodged the issue with the ILO.

The MDP statement said: "The submission requested that the necessary steps be taken immediately to ensure the protection of those who work to promote and protect the rights of workers."

The MDP also appealed to the ILO to instruct the government to begin sincere consultations with the fishermen's representatives to find solutions to the issues they face. The party has called for the immediate release of those detained during the fishermen's protest.

The Yellow fin Tuna Fishermen's Union, which organized the protest, maintained that the police boarded some boats and broke up the demonstration while the fishermen were protesting peacefully. They stressed that it was a peaceful protest.

The police countered this by stating that the protesters obstructed vessels traveling near Malé and failed to comply with police warnings. The police further claimed that the fishermen attempted to enter an area restricted by security forces while blocking vessels.

The fishermen stated today that their protest will not stop until a solution is found for their concerns.

Imran Mohamed, Vice President of the Fishermen's Union, highlighted that yellow fin tuna fishermen are not receiving money from private companies, noting that three to four months have passed without payment. He reiterated the union's firm stance that the fishermen will not put out to sea until a resolution is found for this crisis.