Friends of Maldives United States (FOM US) is a non-governmental organization, working in partnership with Friends of Maldives (FOM) UK. The purpose of Friends of Maldives in the United States is to utilize our location in terms of organized lobbying and to connect concerned Maldivians and allies throughout the continent in their fight to protect the young democracy of the Maldives. With represent
atives all around North America and within grassroots Human Rights organizations, we collaboratively work to ensure government and public attention to the breach of democratic outlooks and humanitarian rights in the Maldives since the coup d’état.
7th of February 2012 saw the toppling of a hard earned democracy in the Maldives. The ousting of the first ever democratically elected leader, aided by police mutineers, creating a state of civil unrest in the otherwise peaceful archipelagic 'paradise'. Since then, Maldivians have been denied their basic right to freedom of expression and right to peaceful assembly. Protesters calling for free and fair early elections have been brutalized by the police, with reports of abuse during detention and arrest. Friends of Maldives United States strictly condemns this brutality, and calls on the Maldivian government to immediately address the detention and torture of political prisoners. Friends of Maldives United States advocates for a speedy investigation of the power transfer, and calls the current regime to respect the results and advice from the investigation as well as the recommendations from the Commonwealth and the United Nations Human Rights Council, without further resorting to constitutional loopholes. Friends of Maldives United States represents a collective calling by concerned Maldivians based in North America, and their North American allies to restore democracy and peace back to the Maldives.
