Substantial damage caused to National Museum in unrest

The National Museum has been attacked and damaged in the ongoing unrest in Male’

A National Museum spokesperson said that the incident took place on 7 February, when a group of masked men entered the museum and attacked its showcases. He added that this attack was not politically motivated.

“Masked men destroyed our showcases and idols pieces on display. We can’t give you more information at this stage. I don’t believe this attack was political; it was driven by something else,” said a museum personnel who witnessed the incident.

He said that a Police forensic team took photos of the damage, and that the mess has now been cleaned up.

A Police Media Official said that this incident was not reported to the Police. They received this information through the media and have now commenced investigations into it.

The National Museum was constructed with the free aid of the Chinese government, and opened by former President Nasheed on 26 July 2010.

The current political turmoil in the country has resulted in several properties being damaged, including Police stations and vehicles being damaged during yesterday’s protest.