From the Commander on 7 February:
If events of 7 February were planned, Nasheed was involved in planning them

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)’s Ground Commander on 7 February has said that it was former President Mohamed Nasheed who gave the order to Police and Armed Forces to leave the area, subsequent to handing over the Operation Command to Armed Forces during the confrontations between members of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) and the former coalition parties on the night of 6 February 2012.

MNDF First Lieutenant Ali Ihsan said in a 43-minute audio interview that he was the Chief Ground Commander on that day, and that MNDF’s Operation Command was ordered to take charge of artificial beach area at 22:00.

He said that Armed Forces should take charge of a situation if the Police fail, or if the Police make a request following loss of control after being taken over by another group. That night, Armed Forces were ordered to take charge by President Nasheed himself.

“Only then can Armed Forces give orders - and then even the Police have to obey our orders. We were also confused that we were suddenly put in charge. We did not understand why, or what had happened, for us to be put in charge. The President ordered us (Operation Command) to take over, so we did,” Ali Ihsan said.

He said that Armed Forces had no intention to arrest any Police officer when they went to the scene that night, and that there was no such order either. Even though confrontations were ongoing between the two groups, any political motives for the confrontations were not understood. Both the Police and Armed Forces arrived at the area, as well as left the area, following orders by President Nasheed.

Ihsan said that the Police left the area when Armed Forces arrived, and five minutes later MNDF’s Operation Command was also ordered to leave the area and go back to the Headquarters. He said that the purpose of this order was to facilitate the ongoing confrontations between the two parties.

“Armed Forces went there to restore peace. Why were they asked to leave? Two violent crowds were on the verge of fighting. There is no other reason why Armed Forces were asked to leave, other than to allow them to fight. But we decided to wait near MTCC instead of going back to the headquarters because of the situation. So we waited there. A minute later we received information that the crowds were throwing bricks and one another and started fighting.”

He said that crowds were encouraged to fight that night, and Police did not leave the area even after being ordered to do so because there was no other security in the area. When Armed Forces left the area, the Police decided to camp at Republic Square.

He said that the Police were angry when they arrived at the scene for a second time, because they had controlled the violence, when the situation was handed over to MNDF, and then MNDF left the scene resulting in fights breaking out again.

“As we chased the crowds at artificial beach, it was noted that they all went and entered MDP Haruge (station). This is something we had noted for several nights. I personally have seen them creating violence, and then going to MDP Haruge.”

Ihsan said that information was received that the Police had raided the Haruge, and MNDF Command Centre was ordered to go and save the Haruge. However the Police were no longer there when MNDF officers arrived the Haruge.

MNDF was then ordered to go to Republic Square, and the order was to arrest Police Officers as indicated by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ismail Atheef. They refused this order after considering the consequences of doing so.

“We told them that that is not a good idea. We could see the Police crowds. They were angry, and we knew clearly why they were angry. If we enter the crowd to take some of them under arrest, they will take over us. The Police have much better training in terms of unarmed combat riot control than Armed Forces. They would be more competent in catching and arresting people. But if we go to war with arms, we would be much better than them.”

He said that challenges were faced that night in maintaining security because not more MNDF officers were deployed from the headquarters. They were watching as the fence put up near MMA was torn down by the crowds. It could not be stopped because there were not enough officers.

He said that a large amount of tear gas was used that night, and as soon as the area was cleared of gas, crowds gathered through the roads leading up to Republic Square. Some members of the public tried to side with the Police.

“As there was not enough MNDF Officers, we had to chase the crowd to arrive at the scene. The officers were not enough to form a cordon. So we were using tear gas to move around, and amidst all this the tin fence was broken down.”

He said that President Nasheed ordered to arrest the Police gathered at Republic Square, and that he told the President that that can be done. However when asked if the President will take responsibility for the consequences which may arise from doing so, he did not reply.

“We could have used the Armed Forces and sent the Police away. But the next day there would be a trained Police force wanting to confront the Armed Forces. If such a Police force decides to join the public, what can we do? Who would solve traffic problems? Theft problems? We considered all these things, that’s why we did not attack the Police.”

Police were denied their request to meet the Commissioner of Police because President Nasheed did not grant permission to the Commissioner to meet the Police. Nasheed wanted the Police to put down their weapons and go to Iskandar koshi. Ihsan raised the question as to why the Police were ordered to give up their weapons before going to Iskandar koshi.

Ihsan went on to say that a riot gun, as well as a huge force was put out from MNDF headquarters to confront the Police, and an order was even issued to charge it. However as negotiations were ongoing, the process failed and it was taken back into the headquarters. After this, the MNDF Command was gathered and ordered by the President to disperse the Police crowd from the Republic Square by using any means possible.

“The President gathered all the commanders and told us that they had conducted a coup, that we were the only ones remaining, and asked us to send them away. He asked us to arrest them in whatever way that was possible, to chase them away, to clear the Republic Square. We requested him to send the Police Commissioner to the Square, but the President said that the Commissioner will not go there. That’s how we knew that the Commissioner was not allowed to go there.”

He said that when the country was faced with this situation, two questions came to mind, one was why Police and Armed Forces were removed from artificial beach, and the second was why the President did not allow the chief of the Police institution to meet the Police.

He also said that Home Minister Hassan Afeef, Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem, Commissioner of Police Ahmed Faseeh, Chief of Defence Force Moosa Ali Jaleel and Defence Minister Thalhath Kaleyfaan were all at MNDF Headquarters at the time. Following the last order, an MNDF team was formed under Ihsan’s command to confront the Police; however the Police also prepared for a confrontation, at which point MNDF decided to step back. They stepped back because they understood the seriousness of the violence that would take place in the country if such a confrontation took place.

“If the Police and Armed Forces attack one another, the country will be destroyed. And it would not be possible to create a Police institution overnight. How can we train traffic cops and investigators and create an entire institution? That’s why we did not charge.”

At the moment when the country was in such an extremely critical situation, the President called a meeting with all MNDF officers, who were forming cordons in various areas, inside the headquarters. Ihsan said that faced with such a situation, this is not how things would be done in any part of the world. Word spread in the headquarters that MDP members and Police had attacked each other, resulting in the death of one person, which increased the dissatisfaction of the MNDF Officers.

“Twelve hours had passed and we were still trying to control the situation. Suddenly a decision was made to bring all the officers inside, creating unrest all over. From the point the public and Police gathered at that location, the country had to make a decision – either the President had to go out and calm the crowd, or he had to tender his resignation.”

He said that current Defence Minister and several other personnel were allowed to enter the headquarters by former Defence Minister Thalhath. He stressed that they were given permission to enter, for the sake of national security. If former President Nasheed claims that this was planned, then he was part of the planning, because the situation was created by Nasheed himself.

“I believe that if this was planned, the President was involved in the planning. We faced that situation because he created it. If the situation was not created how could they have gone and asked him for his resignation?”

Ihsan said that President Nasheed’s claim that Armed Forces were prepared to shoot the Police is an outright lie, and noted that they did not even agree to assault the Police, much less shoot them.

He also condemned Polices’ and Armed Forces’ call for the President’s resignation, and said that action should be taken against any uniformed body that calls for a President’s resignation.

“A crime is a crime, even if it is Armed Forces, or a crowd of 3000 people who commit it. So it should not be let go without investigation. First error was by the MNDF officers who joined the Police and shouted at MNDF officers. Second error was by the MNDF officers who left the Headquarters and called for resignation; third error was by the MNDF Officers who came from Hulhule’ who called for resignation. These acts cannot be justified in any way.”