Maldives government asks India why its coast guard boarded 3 fishing boats

By MOHAMED SHARUHAN
Associated Press

MALE, Maldives (AP) — The Maldives government says it has asked for clarification of why the Indian coast guard boarded three Maldivian fishing vessels within its economic zone earlier this week without consultation. It is the latest in a series of conflicts that has led to a setback in relations between the two nations since a pro-China leader was elected in the Maldives last November. Both India and China have been vying for influence in the Maldives, which is located strategically along a key sea route, in their competition to control the Indian Ocean. On Friday contradictory statements emerged from the two countries in relation to the president’s demand for the withdrawal of Indian troops based on some Maldivian islands.