ISAS Briefs

Democracy is definitely on the move in South Asia. After Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan, it has turned corner in Maldives, a republic of 1,192 islands in the splendid Indian Ocean. Asia’s longest ruling autocrat, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, lost his Presidency in the elections held in October 2008 to his 30-year younger challenger, Mohamed Nasheed ‘Anni’, who suffered six years of prison for raising the democratic struggle against the Gayoom regime. Mohamed Nasheed ‘Anni’ had been declared a ‘Prisoner of Conscience’ by Amnesty International, a human rights organisation.