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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000455 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER 
 
STATE FOR INL, SCA/INS, DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT 
 
MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE 
 
TREASURY FOR LESLIE HULL 
 
GENEVA PASS USTR 
 
E.O 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL ECON ELAB ETRD MARR PHUM KDEM KISL EAID MV
SUBJECT:  MALDIVES: DRUGS, EDUCATION, ISLAMIC EXTREMISM AND WOMEN'S 
ISSUES TOP ISSUES DISCUSSED DURING U/S FORE'S VISIT 
 
REF: A) COLOMBO 429, B) COLOMBO 423, C) COLOMBO 289 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  This cable contains an Action Request in 
Paragraph 14.  During Under Secretary of State for Management Fore's 
March 7 visit to Maldives, in addition to discussions with President 
Gayoom (Ref A) and female political and business leaders (Ref B), 
she met separately with the Foreign Minister,  Defense Minister, 
Attorney General,  Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister 
of Planning and National Development, and the United Nations country 
team.  Interlocutors spoke about the need for improved education, 
growing use of illegal drugs, women's role in society as adversely 
affected by extremist Islamic elements, the government's roadmap for 
political reform, interest (but insufficient capacity) in 
participating in peacekeeping activities, and desire for increased 
diplomatic ties through establishing diplomatic posts in Maldives 
and Washington DC.  End summary. 
 
EDUCATION: 
DRAWING MORE MALDIVIAN STUDENTS TO US UNIVERSITIES 
 
¶2.  (SBU) During a March 7 visit to Maldives, Under Secretary of 
State for Management Henrietta Fore met separately with Foreign 
Minister Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, Defense Minister Ismail Shafiu, Attorney 
General Dr. Hassan Saeed, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs 
Abdulla Shahid, Minister of Planning and National Development Hamdun 
Hameed, and the United Nations country team.  Several of these 
officials told U/S Fore they hope to see a significantly higher 
number of Maldivians study in the United States.  Minister of State 
Shahid noted that word of mouth is very important for students in 
South Asia when selecting universities.  Ambassador Blake, 
accompanying U/S Fore at her meetings, agreed with Shahid, noting 
that one particular U.S. university has a significantly higher 
number of Sri Lankan students than would be expected, as a result of 
recommendations by Sri Lankan alumni.  The Ambassador said Embassy 
Colombo would use an upcoming "Friendship Week" to explain 
educational opportunities in the U.S. and reach out to attract more 
Maldivian students to American colleges. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Foreign Minister Shaheed also urged greater Maldivian 
attendance at U.S. universities, saying Maldivian students need 
increased exposure to "more liberal thinking."  He said that 
Maldives was historically inclined toward moderate rather than 
radical Islamist viewpoints, and he hoped to preserve that 
tradition.  He explained that the Maldivian form of Islam comes more 
from island cultures and east Africa, instead of Pakistan and Saudi 
Arabia.  However, he was concerned that nowadays Iran, Pakistan, and 
Saudi Arabia offer Maldivians generous scholarships or drastically 
reduced education fees, drawing in students who later return to 
Maldives with more extremist views. 
 
¶4.  (U) With several government interlocutors, U/S Fore and 
Ambassador Blake discussed the possibility of establishing a Virtual 
Presence Post, which could include links to U.S. colleges and 
universities interested in recruiting Maldivian students. 
Additionally, U/S Fore suggested that the Maldivian government could 
encourage U.S. college and university representatives traveling to 
Mumbai or Chennai to make a promotional stop in Maldives. 
 
INCREASED DRUG USE: 
EFFORTS AT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ADDICT REHABILITATION 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Ken Maskall, the UNICEF Resident Representative in Male', 
told U/S Fore the UN will release an "anthropological study" in 
early April regarding Maldivian drug use habits.  UNICEF initiated 
the study in 2005 after it became clear during an assessment in the 
Gaan Atoll that drug abuse was the principal problem on several 
local islands.  Maskall added that Maldivian youth have their first 
 
COLOMBO 00000455  002 OF 004 
 
 
encounter with heroin, usually in the form of "brown sugar" that is 
smoked, when they are from 11 to 14 years of age.  UNICEF's 
priorities include supporting an after-care program, promoting 
behavioral change, and implementing a drug awareness/prevention 
program in schools. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Government officials also expressed concern about the 
rising drug problem.  Minister of Defense Ismail Shafiu identified 
India, Sri Lanka, and African coastal states as sources for illegal 
drug shipments.  He did not know who was complicit in permitting the 
influx of drugs, but noted that there was a lot of potential for 
corruption since the financial stakes are so high.  He suggested 
that the United States encourage Sri Lanka and India to make 
combating illegal drugs a higher priority. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In a separate meeting, Attorney General Hassan Saeed 
agreed that the majority of illegal drugs in Maldives come from 
India and Sri Lanka.  He said that Maldivian youth are now becoming 
addicted, and noted that Maldives is focusing on demand reduction. 
He said that the drug rehabilitation center will be privatized, and 
that a U.S. company is assisting in this process.  Saeed posited 
that the police and armed forces don't cooperate with intelligence 
forces in combating drugs, although he has advocated the 
establishment of a Drug Enforcement Agency. 
 
EXTREMIST ELEMENTS: 
ERODING SOCIETY AND WOMEN'S ROLES? 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Attorney General Saeed identified the growth of radical 
Islam as the "biggest problem in this country."  He said one method 
to address the worry would be translating moderate Islamic texts 
into English for the Maldivian public to read.  In a separate 
meeting, FM Shaheed also expressed worries about a potential rise in 
Islamic fundamentalism. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) FM Shaheed noted that although the veil is coming into 
Maldives, with some islands reportedly requiring women to be 
completely covered, the veil itself isn't particularly a problem. 
"It's the thinking that comes along with it."  He said that in a 
recent national address, President Gayoom called for a moderate 
interpretation of Islam.  Shaheed said that Maldives wants to host a 
conference of Islamist scholars which would demonstrate that radical 
Islam isn't mainstream Islam.  He added that Maldives has a special 
role to play in terms of promoting its indigenous liberal Islamic 
mindset. 
 
¶10. (SBU) Abdulla Shahid, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (a 
rank that functions as Foreign Secretary) told U/S Fore that women 
have historically been hindered within the Maldivian culture, not 
only due to their traditional role in raising children, but also 
because of less-than equal standing under some laws.  As an example, 
Minister Shahid noted that only a man could be President under the 
current constitution. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Foreign Minister Shahid also said his government would 
welcome a speakers' program to bring in distinguished guests to 
lecture.  Ambassador Blake suggested the Women's Coordinator within 
the State Department as one excellent candidate.  U/S Fore, the 
Ambassador, and Shahid also discussed publishing relevant news 
articles in the local media and possibly establishing Digital Video 
Conference capabilities in Maldives so Maldivians can participate in 
broader discussions with a variety of speakers. 
 
ROADMAP FOR POLITICAL REFORM 
 
¶12. (SBU) In several meetings, U/S Fore encouraged Maldivian 
government efforts to move forward with their March 2006 "Reform 
 
COLOMBO 00000455  003 OF 004 
 
 
Roadmap."   FM Shaheed said the Government hopes to achieve roadmap 
commitments by May 2007, culminating in multi-party elections in 
late 2008.  He added, however, that the public fears political 
reform might create chaos, and many are concerned that resultant 
instability could inhibit economic development.  He told U/S Fore 
that Maldives needs assistance in developing professional media and 
improving public understanding of the rights and duties of a 
democratic society, as well as increased educational opportunities 
as noted earlier. 
 
¶13. (SBU) Attorney General Saeed was also hopeful that reforms could 
pass by May, but assessed that progress depends upon cooperation 
between the government and the main opposition party.  He noted that 
he seeks to build consensus outside of the legislature, since last 
year he submitted 22 bills to the Majlis (parliament) and none of 
them has yet passed.  One such bill is a penal code that combines 
American-style legal protections with elements of Shari'a (Islamic 
law) as drafted by University of Pennsylvania law professor Paul 
Robinson under a grant from the UN.  Saeed said he would seek 
training in criminal procedure, and sought further information from 
the USG on available opportunities. 
 
¶14. (SBU) Action Request:  The Department of Justice administers 
ICITAP, a highly effective international criminal investigative 
assistance program that includes a course called "Moving to a 
Democratic Form of Policing."  That program would be ideal for 
training Maldivian police in dealing with public demonstrations (a 
completely new need since 2005) administering criminal justice, and 
respecting human rights in the course of arrests, detentions, and 
investigations.  Post unsuccessfully sought ICITAP funding each year 
for the past few years.  Post requests that the Department inform us 
whether this program could be provided if paid by the Maldivian 
government, and if so, how we might facilitate the process. 
 
NEED FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY, 
GROUNDWATER, AND COASTAL MANAGEMENT 
 
¶15. (SBU) Minister of Planning and National Development Hamdun 
Hameed told U/S Fore that Maldives has a development profile most 
closely aligned with the Oceana (referring to other countries 
consisting of archipelagos and lacking large or primary islands). 
He listed some of the challenges and opportunities for Maldives, 
highlighting the potential for wind, solar and wave energy in 
Maldives, and the work of one US company, Southwest WindPower in 
developing a wind pilot project.  He asked that US universities with 
programs in groundwater and coastal structures management assist 
Maldives in identifying and developing appropriate policies and 
programs. 
 
PEACEKEEPING PARTICIPATION: 
INTERESTED, BUT CONSTRAINED BY CAPACITY 
 
¶16. (SBU) Minister of Defense Shafiu shared with U/S Fore his desire 
to build up the professional capacity of Maldivian military forces. 
He expressed thanks for the training provided by the USG, and noted 
that while some regional countries offer training to Maldives, he 
emphasizes diversifying the overseas training, noting a strong 
preference for the UK and the United States.  While speaking 
positively about a future role in peacekeeping operations, he told 
U/S Fore that the senior levels of the military need more training 
to "understand what it's all about."  Ambassador Blake suggested the 
Peacekeeping Training Institute in New Delhi as one possible forum 
for trilateral U.S.-India-Maldives cooperation. 
 
INCREASED DIPLOMATIC TIES: 
NEW POSTS IN BOTH COUNTRIES? 
 
 
COLOMBO 00000455  004 OF 004 
 
 
¶17. (SBU) On several occasions, Maldivian government officials noted 
that Maldives will inaugurate an embassy in Washington, DC, with FM 
Shaheed saying he expects it to open by early April 2007.  U/S Fore 
and Ambassador Blake welcomed the new embassy and expressed hope FM 
Shaheed would personally visit and take a continued interest.  U/S 
Fore also noted at several meetings that the USG is considering 
opening an American Presence Post in Maldives, which she and 
Ambassador Blake believed would help improve diplomatic ties. 
 
COMMENT: 
TOP PRIORITIES 
 
¶18. (SBU) In addition to the cautious steps Maldives is taking 
toward increased political freedoms and a potential multi-party 
election in late 2008, the country faces two major challenges: 
rising drug abuse and an inflow of radical Islamic teaching.  The 
Embassy has advocated an American Presence Post in Male' (Ref C) and 
was encouraged by U/S Fore's support.  In the interim, we are 
exploring the option of creating a Virtual Presence Post in 
Maldives.  Considering that by law and custom, Maldives is a 100 
percent Islamic nation, it is unusually friendly toward the United 
States, and seeks a dramatic increase in educational and cultural 
ties with our nation.  Their plans to open an embassy in Washington 
DC, in addition to their current office in New York, signals the 
importance Maldives attaches to U.S. input as it attempts to move to 
a freer form of government. 
 
¶19.  (U) Under Secretary Fore has cleared this cable. 
 
BLAKE