Maldives

Feb 2014 :

Religious Conservatism :

• The Maldives, a string of 1,192 islands, has made several moves to cement the supremacy of Sunni Islam since Yameen was sworn in as president in November 2013.
• The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has set its top priorities for 2014, which include blocking all religions except Islam in the nation, ensuring that all laws and regulations adhere to Islamic principles and developing and strengthening the Islamic Fiqh Academy to issue fatwas. 
• The ministry has also signed an agreement with the Saudi Arabian Muslim Scholars Association to receive a grant of MVR1.6 million, or $104,166, for the “mutual goal” of developing and improving the study of the Quran and religion.
• The Ministry of Education has meanwhile introduced Arabic as a subject in schools.

Before 2014 :

• Just before it hosted the SAARC summit in 2012, the Maldives allowed China to open an embassy. 
• Maldives requested China for a soft loan of Rs. 250 crore for an IT infrastructure project.
• The Sri Lankan subsidiary of Chinese telecom equipment-maker Huawei Technologies has signed an agreement with the National Centre of Information Technologies, Maldives, to develop the IT infrastructure under the ‘Smart Maldives Project.’
• EC declares presidential elections to be held on september 2013.
• India stiffens medical visa facility for Maldivians
•  India is also angry over detention and deportation of Indian travelers and confiscation of the passports of Indian workers there by their employers.
• Nasheed, who defeated former autocratic President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom in the 2008 election but was ousted in an alleged coup in February 2012, had promised to bring true democracy for the nation’s progress.