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Social media calls for Maldives boycott
Maldives tourism has been targeted by a major human rights campaign on social media.
Campaigners are calling for a boycott of the destination after a 15-year-old rape victim was sentenced to be flogged for having "premarital sex."
The girl was raped by her stepfather, who is also accused of killing the child she bore.
A petition on global campaign site Avaaz.org has now got nearly 2 million supporters.
The campaign is calling for supporters to help "threaten the islands’ reputation through hard-hitting ads in travel magazines and online until the law is abolished."
The campaign has been gaining massive support throughout the world; last week Sir Richard Branson became the latest high-profile figure to voice his criticism.
He said he has written to the Maldives President, who has promised to review the case and ensure that similar cases are not repeated.
The Government said it has established a committee to review the existing child-protection mechanisms and recommend areas that require urgent changes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs seemed already to be back-pedaling. It said on its website that "the Government of Maldives is deeply concerned by the prosecution and the Juvenile Court’s sentence to flog a 15 year-old girl on the charges of pre-marital sex.
"Though the flogging will be deferred until the girl turns 18, the Government believes she is the victim of sexual abuse and should be treated as such by the State and the society and therefore, her rights should be fully protected.
"The Government is of the view that the case merits appeal. The girl is under State care and the Government will facilitate and supervise her appeal of the case, via the girl’s lawyer, to ensure that justice is done and her rights are protected."
By Diane Evans
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