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Doubts over the “deaths” of two Maldivians in Sri Lanka

Fathmath Shaahunaz
17 November 2016, MVT 15:59
Aerial view of Sri Lankan capital Colombo.
Fathmath Shaahunaz
17 November 2016, MVT 15:59

Doubts have been raised over the recent news of a Maldivian man and his three year old child being killed in an accident in Sri Lanka last Sunday.

While the media had received news that Hassan Ali, 29, of Haa Dhaal atoll Kulhudhuffushi island and his three year old daughter had been tragically killed in an accident while Hassan and his family were out on a drive in their pickup, Sri Lankan authorities have not yet informed the High Commission of the Maldives in Lankan capital Colombo of any such incident.

Meanwhile, various rumours regarding Hassan Ali are rampant amongst the residents of Kulhudhuffushi, such as talks of Hassan Ali having departed for war-torn Syria instead. While some people say he left for Syria three years ago, it remains unknown whether he had not travelled to Sri Lanka afterwards. His family members in the Maldives state that he had been living in Sri Lanka.

Mihaaru’s findings also brought to light that he had been arrested in 2007 during a clash between military officers and Islamic extremists that took place in the island of Himandhoo in Alif Alif atoll.

Hassan Ali’s younger brother Hussain Ali had said that they had received news of the accident Sunday afternoon from Hassan Ali’s wife, and that his brother and niece had passed away after arriving at the hospital. He had also said that they had not received details of any possible injuries sustained by the rest of Hassan Ali’s family members in the accident.

In response to Mihaaru’s inquiry over talks of Hassan Ali having gone to Syria, his relatives in the Maldives refuted the rumours.

“He was a good man who loved his religion. Those talks are spread by people who envy him,” said a relative, going on to say that such rumours of Hassan Ali having gone to Pakistan or Syria were always propagated each time he left for capital Male from Kulhudhuffushi.

The family member added that they have not met Hassan Ali since he emigrated with his wife and two daughters to Sri Lanka two years ago though they had kept in contact over Viber.

Maldives Embassy and Foreign Ministry in the dark

The High Commission of the Maldives in Sri Lanka have not received any notice of such an accident yet.

The foreign ministry stated that the Sri Lanka police would inform the Maldives embassy in Sri Lanka of such incidents within two or three days at least, saying that neither the embassy nor the Lankan police are aware of any accident that killed two Maldivians in Colombo.

“The family has not informed any institution of such an accident, which is why finding information has been so difficult,” said an official of the foreign ministry.

“We even heard about it only through the media.”

Maldives Police Service has also not made any comments regarding Hassan Ali’s “death”.

Upon inquiring as to why the family had not informed the High Commission of the Maldives of the accident, the representative of Hassan Ali’s family in Kulhudhuffushi replied that “there is no embassy or government we recognise”, which was why they “didn’t want to run with the body to embassies”.

The family also said that Hassan Ali and his three year old daughter have been buried, though they do not know to which hospital the remains were taken to or where the funeral took place.

The family representative added that they wish to bring Hassan Ali’s remaining daughter and wife back to the Maldives, but they do not want to do so through the embassy.

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