From Minivan News:

quote:

Government Orders Dismantling of Tsunami Project The government ordered an indoor marketplace in Haa Dhaal, Kulhudhuffushi to be dismantled last week because the building was donated by “people in opposition to the government” and “Christians.”[b] The $70,000 marketplace was built by Tracy Structures, a UK construction company, and facilitated by Maldives Aid, a UK-based tsunami charity. The building, part of Maldives Aid’s tsunami relief work, is designed to allow locals to buy and sell fish and other produce. It was finished in March and was due to be handed over to the island community in an opening ceremony this month. [b]The largest post-tsunami construction project in the atoll looks in jeopardy, though, after the Minister for Fisheries, Abdullah Kamaluddeen, ordered the Kulhudhuffushi Island Chief to destroy the building for political reasons. “AK visited the island a few weeks ago. He told the Island Chief ‘this building has to come down.’ When the Island Chief asked why, AK said ‘this was built by people opposed to the government… they cause trouble… and the building is not good for this purpose,’” Maldives Aid coordinator Mariyam Seena told Minivan News. The Kulhudhuffushi Island Chief, Moosa Ali, added that central government sees the steel building as a ploy to “spread evil principles in Maldives.” Maldives Aid is the sister organization of UK-based Friends of Maldives (FOM), a pressure group that campaigns against human rights abuses in Maldives. Although the two organizations are officially separate, the government has bent over backwards to make Maldives Aid’s work difficult - impounding tsunami aid, obstructing projects and refusing the NGO registration. They continually accuse the trustee of the charity, David Hardingham, of ‘Christian Missionary’ work but blacklisted him from the country last year on suspicion of ‘Islamic terrorism.’ Speaking from the island, locals accused the government of playing petty politics with their lives. “If the government can’t stand Christian money, they should give back all the aid the European Union gives them,” a local man told Minivan Radio. The government signed a €50 million loan with the European Investment Bank this month for post-tsunami reconstruction. Although dead-set against the Kulhudhuffushi marketplace, Abdullah Kamaluddeen is more relaxed about receiving money for his own personal use. The minister was shamed in January following revelations in Adduvas magazine that he embezzled over Rf.1 million of public funds in the ‘soft loans’ scandal.

This is insane. I can't stand people who claims moral supremacy at the cost of others. Hope my donation didn't go to Abdullah.

Eh, let them tear it down. It's kind of sad really that someone would allow their pride to get in the way of taking a gift meant to help them, but it's their building.

The Maldives aren't going to be around much longer given the current rise in sea level. I think the highest elevation of any of their islands is only around 100ft. above sea level and the majority of them have a high point of only a couple feet. If they want to survive they'll learn how to swallow their pride and except aid no matter who it came from.

quote:

Originally posted by WM2 Eh, let them tear it down. It's kind of sad really that someone would allow their pride to get in the way of taking a gift meant to help them, but it's their building. The Maldives aren't going to be around much longer given the current rise in sea level. I think the highest elevation of any of their islands is only around 100ft. above sea level and the majority of them have a high point of only a couple feet. If they want to survive they'll learn how to swallow their pride and except aid no matter who it came from.

Denmark isn't much higher than 100 feet either!

That is fucking insane though, and it might be their building, but it was our money that buildt it, which should give us something to think about before donating to the maldives again...

All I have to say is...

___________________
"The Greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." -Stephen Hawking
"First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me— and there was no one left to speak out for me." -Martin Niemöller

You just can't win with some peoples.