Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo Mayor Saud Ali has said justice has yet to be delivered to residents who were victims of the island's forced depopulation and the violence inflicted on them.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of Thinadhoo's repopulation, Saud said people today could not fully understand the suffering of those who were forced to live as refugees on neighboring islands.

Thinadhoo was forcibly evacuated and razed on February 4, 1962, during the United Suvadive Republic rebellion. Former President Ibrahim Nasir during his tenure as Prime Minister sent troops to the island, forcing residents from their homes and driving many into the sea, where several people died.

The government allowed residents to return to Thinadhoo four years later.

Mayor Saud said residents had been forced to abandon everything they had built and leave the island with only the clothes on their back.

After returning, they rebuilt Thinadhoo within a year to a year and a half.

He said residents began building schools and other facilities to educate their children, laying the foundations for the island's development.

However, the atrocities committed against Thinadhoo residents remain unresolved, Saud said.

“[The work] had to start from scratch. Even though education is easy now, it was difficult to teach children basic education and the Quran [back then],” Saud said.

“These stories should not stop being retold. This is something to think about,” he said.

Saud said residents had gained some hope when the previous government established an Ombudsperson's office to investigate their grievances. However, he said it was unfair that the outcome of the case had not been made public.

The government of former President Mohamed Nasheed formally apologized to the people of Thinadhoo on August 23, 2011, which Saud described as providing some relief.

Thinadhoo City Council is also working on a film about the forced depopulation of the island. Work on the film began about 10 years ago but was halted by the government at the time, Saud said.

Former Presidents Mohamed Nasheed and Abdulla Yameen attended the anniversary ceremony. President Dr Mohamed Muizzu and senior government officials were also invited, but did not attend.

Saud said the President's absence signaled that the government did not accept the “Thinadhoo 60” commemoration.

He also called on the government to begin planned development projects in Thinadhoo without further delay.

Mayor Saud said companies had been invited to develop housing, particularly real estate projects, while the government had also been asked to establish offices in the city to create employment opportunities for young people.

He said the council had also proposed developing higher education facilities, a modern boatyard and flats in Thinadhoo.