China distances itself from Nasheed's arrest, says its Maldives internal affair

Beijing, Feb 25: China on Wednesday declined to react to the arrest and ill-treatment of former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed, saying that it is the internal affairs of Maldives and its government has the capacity to deal with the "domestic" issue.

"The question you mentioned is the domestic affairs of Maldives," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here in response to a question.

"We are committed to non-interference in others internal affairs. We believe the Maldives government has the capacity to deal with this issue," he said in a brief reply.

India, the United States, the United Nations and the European Union have expressed concern over Nasheed's detention on Sunday for ordering the arrest of a judge when he was the president three years ago.

Nasheed, 47, was arrested under anti-terrorism laws for allegedly ordering the arrest of a senior judge in 2012 that triggered violence in the Indian Ocean island.

He was virtually dragged by the security forces as he was presented on Monday before the criminal court, which ruled that the Opposition leader will remain in custody until the case against him was complete.

India has said it was concerned over recent developments in the Maldives, including the "arrest and manhandling" of Nasheed, and asked all involved to resolve their differences within the country's constitutional and legal framework.

The US also asked the Maldives to take steps to restore confidence in their commitment to democracy, judicial independence, and rule of law in the wake of Nasheed's arrest.

PTI