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The
People's Council of Addu Atoll
Ref: Administrative
Office
UK/10/85 Huttadu
Addu
Atoll
15
November 1961
H.E.
Sir Alexander Francis Morley, K.C.M.G., C.B.E.
United KIngdom High Commissioner in Ceylon
Your Excellency,
I
have the pleasure in acknowtedging the receipt of your
letter 50/22/5, dated 18th October, 1961. I have communicated
Your Excellency's ideas to the People's Council of Addu
Atoll, and the Council has requested me to convey respectfully
to you the following points for your favourable consideration:-
1. We
appreciate the advice which Your Excellency has been
kind enough to give us and would like emphasize that
the people of Addu Atoll have always appreciated the
good office of Her Majesty's Government in trying to
find a peaceful method of resolving the differences
between the Maldivian Government and the people of Addu
Atoll. The later have expressed earnest desire to enter
into negotiation with the Male Government on the basis
that the vital interests and fundamental rights of the
people of Addu Atoll should be preserved.
2. You
will be aware that on the 3rd July, 1961 and again on
the 18th July, 1961 we forwarded to the Male Government
via the United Kingdom Representative in Male, two proposals
expressing our views as to the themost suitable method
of resolving our difficulties. The reply to the first
proposal was a threatening ultimatum and in response
to the second propoasal a delegation from Male was sent
to the Addu Atoll on the 18th August, 1961. This delegation
brought desires from their "Majilis" which
contained no reference to our proposal and after studying
them very carefully we found them most unjust and completely
unsuitable as a basis for further negotiation. We therefore
informed the Male delegation that we found them quite
unacceptable.
As
Your Excellency knows the people of Addu Atoll have
been under the despotic rule of Male for over 800 years.
During this period the Government, although imposing
heavy and unjust taxes, has contributed nothing in return
to improve the living condition, health or education
of our people.
In
spite of these unfortunate circumstances we bore our
difficulties and remained loyal to Male until the present
Government not only increased our burdon taxation but
also imposed now restrictions thereby reducing our earning
power. As a result we had no alternative other than
to take the low into our own hands and, with the help
of Almighty Allah, establish our own administration
in the Atoll.
Since
this break-way conditions in the Attoll have improved
considerably. This is not due solely to the presence
of the Royal Air Force, in fact less than one third
of the adult male population is employed on Gan, but
can be attributed largely to the fact that taxes have
been reduced to a reasonable proportion of earnings
and, in spite of this facilities have been increased
The
people of Addu Atoll are now more contented and happy
than ever before in their history. It is obvious that
this standard of living would not have been attained
had we continued under the autocratic rule of Male and
it is therefore not surprising that the people of Addu
Atoll are unanimously opposed to the agreement which
is likely to re-impose unfair taxes and restrictions
and deprive them of their legitimate rights. Now we
have presents to you the facts we feel sure you will
understand our point of views. We still propared to
negotiate on the basis of the proposal submitted by
the People's Council on the 3rd July, 1961. which have
been consistently ignored by the Male Government. The
Government unwillingness to discuss these proposals
suggested strongly that it desiren only a return to
the previous intoterable conditions to the detriment
of Addu Atoll and benefit of Male. We must ask you to
consider seriously the fact that the terms dictated
by Male would be so repugnant to the people of Addu
Atoll that any other form of subjugation would be preferable.
We
have stated our case in strong terms knowing how sympathetic
Her Majesty's Government is towards the cause of democracy
and justice and because we want you to be in no doubt
about our feelings on this, to us, very important subject.
We would therefore appeal to Your Excellency to give
full considerations to our case and implore you not
deliver us into the hands of our mortal enemy.
I
append a Maldivian version of this letter, which has
been signed, as you will see, by all members of the
People's Council of Addu Atoll.
I
have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your
Excellency's most obedient servant,
(signed)
Abdullah Afif Didi
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