Confrontations take place in Alimatha Resort during efforts to arrest protesters

Confrontations have taken place between protesters and the police in V. Alimatha Aquatic Resort during efforts by the police to arrest two protesters.

An employee of Alimatha said that protests took place in the island following the dismissal of the employees who led the preparation of a petition requesting an increase in employee allowance. He said that police arrived in the island today, and that the confrontations took place when the police attempted to arrest two protesters.

“The situation heated up when the police attempted to arrest two protesters by force. The other protesters came and tried to obstruct the police from doing that. Then the police used pepper spray. That’s when the situation heated up,” the employee said.

He said that several police officers in plain clothes continue to patrol the island, but the atmosphere was calm for the time being.

The petition, signed by 36 Maldivian employees, requests for an increase in the salary and service charge provided by the resort as the employees are not able to make ends meet with their present incomes. The employees had also asked for improvements in the standard of food and other basic services provided by the resort to its employees.

Ashaam Hassan, one of the employees who led the preparation of the petition, told Sun Online on Monday that the management had said that it was not able to cater to any of the employees’ demands. He said that the management was given a deadline in the petition, which was later revoked and apologised for when the management expressed discontent for being given a deadline. He said that the management, in spite of this, dismissed the employees who led the preparation of the petition.

It has not yet been possible to get the resort management’s comment in relation to the ongoing protests in the island. Resort Manager Abdullah Nasir told Sun Online earlier, however, that the resort was facing some problems and further information could not be provided as they were in the process of looking into the matter.