An emergency meeting was called in Parliament and a committee consisting of only ruling party MPs passed the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement. The 1000 page agreement was reviewed within 10 minutes, without any debate and in the absence of opposition MPs. Not even a single MP from opposition was informed about such a meeting or the bill. This unconstitutional activity carried out by President Abdullah Yameen has gone to such an extent that he has even signed the agreement on his recent visit to China.
This agreement’s implementation will result in an influx of Chinese labors, engineers,workers in Maldives. Under the FTA Maldives will only export fish to China while Beijing will get to invade the most important sectors of Maldivian economy, like Tourism,Health etc. China will built resorts or take over the existing ones but only Chinese citizens will be allowed to hold the main positions. There will be hospitals but they will be made by Chinese, with Chinese labors and Chinese equipments. We all know the ‘high’ standards of China’s raw materials or work. The existing example is the so called ‘ China-Maldives Friendship Bridge’.
Other nations in South Asia are also suffering the consequences of giving a Green signal to Chinese investments. Sri Lanka has been forced to sell its Hambantota Port and Pakistan is also seeing delays in CPEC. In Myanmar Rohingyas are suffering due to the same ‘Win-Win’ agreements by China.
Apart from being dangerous for the whole nation, thousands of Maldivians are also at a risk of either losing their jobs or getting demoted. Increase in Beijing’s influence will bring more Chinese settlers who will take over our jobs, culture and soon our identity. The Maldives-China Free Trade Agreement is nothing but a collusion of two authoritarian mindsets who want to undermine the democratic values of Maldives.
Maldives Voice requests you to take an action for stopping the implementation of this agreement by signing the petition and writing your thoughts on social media. Share this petition and urge everyone to become the Voice Of Maldives!
