Indians safe in Maldives, says High Commission

Male, Feb 11: Indians, who constitute a significant chunk of the total population of over three lakh in Maldives, are safe in the country, where as unrest erupted following a regime change four days ago.

There are about 29,000 Indians in the country and almost 22,000 of them live in Male, the capital.

According to Indian High Commission sources here, they have not received reports of any violence on Indian property.

Violence had erupted in this picturesque country, known as a tropical paradise, after President Mohamed Nasheed resigned and a new regime took over.

"Indians here are respected by the locals. Many of Indians are in the teaching profession or are doctors," an official with the High Commission here said.

The scene of the action, the headquarters of the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), the police and the Presidential office is just a stone throw away from the High Commission.

Sources said foreigners and tourists were not a target of the violence that had erupted.

"It was between political activists, police and army. The foreigners and tourists would not have even come to know about the unrest in the first day," a source said.

He, however, said if fresh violence erupts, spillover effects cannot be ruled out completely.

Refusing to give up his political ambitions, Nasheed, facing an arrest warrant has demanded fresh polls, as India stepped in to help the country defuse the situation.

PTI