In a research paper, Iromi Dharmawardhane, a Senior Analyst with the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said Jihadist activity and a radicalised community have been visibly growing in the past decade in the Maldives. He noted that the Maldives experienced a terrorist attack in 2007 wounding 12 foreigners towards the end of Maumoon Abdul Gayoom’s 30-year administration. Mohamed Nasheed’s administration (2008 – 2012) saw a huge increase in violent extremism and the spread of radical ideology among the population, he said. “The present administration of Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom is contending with an increasing number of Maldivians participating in transnational terrorist activity and an actively radicalised community,” the paper, published on August 25, read. Dharmawardhane said the exact number of Maldivians fighting for terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq today is not known, but added that various reports point to a figure of over 100 Maldivian fighters. He noted that most Maldivian fighters have joined the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jabhat al Nusra (JN) terrorist group, although Maldivians also fight for the Islamic State (IS) and other groups. The paper, published in the RSIS Commentary which identifies itself as a platform to provide timely and policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical issues and contemporary developments, said the Maldives is a fertile ground for jihadist recruitment. The growth of jihadism in the Maldives is a serious security concern, particularly for India and other South Asian countries, it said. “A regional effort is required to dismantle the jihadist and drug-trafficking networks which span the region. Regional and international aid and cooperation are required to address the country’s counter-extremism needs and socioeconomic issues,” the paper read. Dharmawardhane noted that there have been some decisive counter-terrorism measures taken by the Maldivian government recently, but said more comprehensive measures are needed. Counter-extremism measures must be greatly augmented in islands with radicalised communities, he said, adding that there must be an immediate crackdown on criminal gangs, particularly radicalised gangs. “A national counter-ideology programme conducted online and on the ground with community support is direly needed to popularise moderate and true Islam once more. Comprehensive terrorist and extremist rehabilitation programmes are needed, especially for radicalised gang members and returning fighters,” the paper read. According to the expert, in order to counter Islamic fundamentalism, the Maldives needs help, not isolation. A boycott of its tourism industry would inflict great suffering on the already poor country, as tourism is its main industry and source of income, he added. “A substantial decrease in tourism would further increase the unemployment rate of youth (approximately 25% of Maldivian youth are unemployed), and in turn increase the level radicalisation among the youth,” the paper read. “Moreover, getting rid of the tourism industry is also one of the main objectives of extremist groups within the Maldives, who care not for the well-being of the people or strength of the nation.” The expert opinion comes amid increased efforts by domestic and international parties to boycott the Maldives’ tourism industry. Government vowed Wednesday to not spare any effort against moves to boycott the Maldives' tourism. Referring to the deportation Tuesday of a crew from German national TV, tourism minister Moosa Zameer said the government was aware of anti-campaigns being carried out by some groups against the country. Such groups are envious of the “speed” at which the government is delivering on its electoral pledges, especially on the economic front, he added. “What we saw yesterday [deportation of the TV crew] was probably the result of that. … They were trying to damage the tourism industry,” the minister said, in an interview given during his ongoing visit to the southernmost atoll of Addu. Maldives came under fire Wednesday after it deported a crew from German national TV filming the political turmoil in the country, with a crew member comparing the situation in the island nation to that of war-torn Afghanistan. Sanjay Kumar, a producer at the South Asian bureau of the German public broadcaster ARD, told Haveeru that he and his crew had contacted the Maldivian embassy in India to enquire about visa regulations before coming to the Maldives. According to him, the embassy had told them that they would get on-arrival visa and would not require to fulfil any formality other than submitting a list of equipment they had with them. Kumar stressed that their local agent was presented with a letter on his request in order to obtain the necessary permits from Maldivian authorities. “We were told [by the local agent] that the permissions have been granted,” he said, in the interview given over phone from Indian capital New Delhi where ARD’s South Asia bureau is located. Kumar stressed that they had come to the Maldives on previous occasions -- once in 2010 to film a story on climate change and its impact on low-lying islands and also in 2013 to shoot for a similar story -- but had not experienced any procedural hurdles before. “The government is simply making an excuse. … This is all about a country claiming to uphold democracy and freedom of press obstructing the work of journalists,” he said. “Just four days before going to the Maldives, I was in Afghanistan. I’ve travelled to many South Asian countries, such as Bangladesh and Nepal. I’ve to say that fear of the government in Maldives is more than the fear of Taliban in Afghanistan.” The Indian-born producer also denied filming for a documentary as claimed by the immigration, insisting that they had come to the Maldives this time as well to shoot for a “news story” in the context of the recently concluded global climate summit in France. Sources told Haveeru that the German TV crew was filming for a story that showed the threat posed by political turmoil in the Maldives to the tourists visiting the island nation. They have reportedly travelled to some islands, including Himandhoo in Alif Alif Atoll where security forces and religious extremists clashed in 2007, and filmed at several locations in capital Male as well. The tourism minister’s comments came a few days after President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom returned to the parliament for reconsideration Thursday a bill that sought to declare calling for sanctions against Maldives and boycott of the island nation's tourism as offences. The government-controlled parliament adopted the bill on November 25. Prior to its adoption by the parliament, the parliamentary economic committee passed amendments to the bill in a bid to change calling for sanctions against Maldives and boycott of the island nation's tourism from a criminal offence to one that carries a civil charge. The amendment does not impose a cap on the compensation for calls for sanctions against the Maldives and boycott of the tourism. Under the amendment, the court can impose any amount as fine for such offences. The bill submitted by Villufushi MP Riyaz Rasheed, from the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM), deals with direct statements made both in the Maldives and abroad calling for sanctions against the Maldives and boycott of its tourism, or any comment and action that encourages such action. The bill classifies endorsements and statements backing such threats as having had participated in the offence as well. According to the bill, making any statement both locally and internationally that may create fear among potential visitors to the Maldives is also a crime. The Maldives, an island nation with virtually no natural resources, depends heavily on its world-famous upmarket tourism for much its revenue. The industry also employs a sizeable majority of its workforce. The original iteration of the bill allowed all those affected by such threats to seek legal action against the perpetrators. It stated that if convicted, the person would be sentenced to prison or house arrest for 2-10 years or would face a fine of MVR500,000 to MVR5 million depending on his role. Those found guilty under the law would also have their business permits revoked. Any allowance or benefit offered by the state to a person convicted under the law would be stopped as well. The proposal to criminalise calling for sanctions against the Maldives boycott of its tourism was submitted amid mounting international pressure on the government over the imprisonment of former president Mohamed Nasheed. The former president’s lawyers have stepped up their efforts to impose targeted sanctions against the Maldives and its leadership, following a UN panel ruling late September declaring his imprisonment as arbitrary. However, the legal team had refused to rule out pushing for a travel boycott. "We haven't come out and called for an all-out tourist boycott yet, but at the same time I don't think we would exclude it. Tourists have the power of the purse," human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, wife of Hollywood A-lister George Clooney had said recently. Maldives Association of Tourism Industries (MATI), meanwhile, had expressed support for the bill. Speaking at a review session held by the parliamentary economic committee in October, MATI Secretary General and Crown Tours Maldives’ Director Ahmed Nazeer declared it mandatory for the government and parliament to halt any activities with negative repercussions on the nation’s tourism. He noted that certain entities’ actions have been negatively affecting the tourism for several years.