A government official has posted an old video on social media to promote the government, in a way that degrades the reputation of fishermen among the Maldivian public.
Deputy Minister of the Youth Ministry, Mariyam Shiuna, posted a video on X today showing money being distributed on the GA. Vilingili Fahimagu dhoni earlier this month. The money given at that time was for payments up to December 17.
Shiuna previously made a post on X regarding India, which caused tension and weakened relations between India and the Maldives. This is an unprecedented scene from a government official in recent times. She is now working to degrade the reputation of fishermen and create discord and corruption between the public and fishermen. Furthermore, she is using fishermen as a weapon to spread false information on social media to cover up the government's actions at this time.
A fisherman has come out and shown the money given to fishermen by this government! pic.twitter.com/ElWt0XAk2F
— Mariyam Shiuna (@shiuna_m) February 22, 2024
Fishermen are angry about this video issue and are currently expressing their displeasure and sentiments on social media.
"Tweeting without knowing what's going on! The government didn't just give the money, the fishermen went out and squeezed it out of them! Because the government withheld the money owed to fishermen for a long time, fishermen protested and put pressure on the government, forcing the government to give some of it to the fishermen yesterday," said fisherman Sajid.
Alibe, who is seen in this video, is a person commonly seen in videos raising his voice on fishermen's issues. People post the messages he has directed at the government on social media. He was also among the fishermen who raised their voices the loudest to get the money during the recent Kooddoo protest.
The fisherman got the money because that fisherman went out, called the President 'Choru Muizzu', and brought Kooddoo to a halt. https://t.co/nKHnlYnG6h pic.twitter.com/GiXjhDqanE
— Ahu Madhu (@Dhonkolhu) February 22, 2024
Fishermen said the money was released yesterday because the President had no other choice but to visit GA during his trip to the south. Fishermen describe the trip as campaign trips made without paying the money owed to fishermen. Fishermen said the results of this will be seen in the upcoming election.
Because the government did not pay the money owed to fishermen, fishermen protested at the Kooddoo Fish Factory and the Addu City Fisheries Complex. Due to increased pressure on the government, some of the money owed to fishermen was released last night. The fishermen stopped the protest after the government promised to distribute the owed money in installments.
MIFCO released 70 million Rufiyaa last night. While 26 million Rufiyaa for fish weighed last week will be released this week, the government has decided to release 30 million next Monday. The government has also given assurance that the remaining 180 million Rufiyaa will be paid in full by March 5.
