In the wake of the ongoing anti-India campaign by th Opposition parties in Maldives, the country’s Defence Ministry has clarified that no foreign armed forces are present in the country.
The Defence Ministry has also clarified that no foreign armed forces will be active at the Uthuru Thilafalhu (UTF) base where the Coast Guard dock and dockyard of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) is being developed.
This clarification by the Defence Ministry comes after a massive “#IndiaOut” campaign being spearheaded by the opposition leader and former President Abdulla Yameen.
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“Statements that allege UTF to be a foreign military base are simply untrue,” the defence ministry said in a press release.
India is developing the Uthuru Thilafalhu(UTF) coast guard harbour, the pact for which was signed back in February 2021.
Yameen and his supporters criticize this pact as an India strategy to place its troops in Maldives, thereby compromising the country’s sovereignty.
Addressing a rally on Friday, Yameen said that there is an agreement between India and Maldives which allowed the former’s military ships and vessels to enter the latter’s territorial waters without any clearance.
The Maldivian defence Ministry has denied this.
“Stating that foreign military vessels that arrive in the Maldives do not need a diplomatic clearance, and does not require a permit from the National Defense Force to enter this port, is untrue,” the release further said.
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The release has also clarified that the design of the dock and dockyard was undertaken by Maldivian National Defence Force.
The “#IndiaOut” campaign has been raging for two years now, which is supported by former President Yameen.
During his reign, Yameen was seen as an anti-India leader who sought to develop close relations with China. India’s relations with Maldives deteriorated during his rule.
In February 2022, some members of the ruling party in Maldives considered outlawing the “#IndiaOut” protests by criminalizing demonstrations which impact the country's relations with other friendly countries.
The bill is titled “The Bill To Stop All Actions That Could Negatively Affect Relations Established By The Maldives With Foreign Countries”.
