The solution to this problem is to figure out credible reasons to justify the number of indian military personnel, and the expenses of maintaining this relationship. Once you do that, reveal the details, and they lose leverage to push through this issue. /1

And that means owning up to why Indian military assistance is needed. This requires large national conversation about the threat of Islamic extremists in the Maldives, explain the dangers and the opportunity cost of an attack etc. /2
People will except we'll reasoned decision making. And the public already has a frame of reference to indian military assistance from November 3rd 1988. So none of this is new or a surprise. /3
What is being weaponised is this imagined spectre of loss of autonomy for the country by collaborating with indian military on national security issues. This is an easy problem to solve. /4
The solution is merely laying out how national autonomy is maintained in such a national security collaboration. It's not like the Maldives can defend itself from any foreign military invasion anyways. /5
The country's independence and autonomy is maintained not through military force. It's maintained through relationships. This needs to be unpacked and explained the people to convince the public over national security collaboration. /6
This problem with Islamists hiding behind political facades and agitating the government and public don't go away until you take away what they are weaponizing against the government. This problem won't go away until it's solved. /7
I hope you all make the right decisions and move past this issue. @ibusolih @MohamedNasheed @MariyaDidi @CDFofMNDF @HCIMaldives @IndianDiplomacy @MDPSecretariat 8/8 #SecularMaldives #FikuryInqilab
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