Mauritius Hit by Worst Riots Since 1999 over Water Shortages and Living Costs; Curfew Extended, Schools Closed, 94 Arrested
PORT LOUIS — Mauritius, an Indian-ocean island nation best known for its white-sand beach resorts, has been rocked by its worst riots since 1999, Bloomberg reported.
Demonstrations that erupted on October 7 over water shortages and living costs escalated after the police shot and injured a 27-year-old woman on Oct. 9. Protest action started in the Vacoas-Phoenix area in the central region of the main island, with roads blocked with broken furniture and mattresses, and spread to nearby areas.
Protest action turned to rioting following the shooting of Élodie Thomas, 27, by a police officer at a roadblock in Camp Levieux, whilst she was transiting from work. A team of 13 surgeons from India was mobilised to assist the Mauritian medical team, and she underwent 7 hours of surgery to remove a bullet stuck in the back of her neck. Police sergeant Gautam Singh Taukoor, 57, was soon arrested.
On October 12, protesters burnt down a police station in the town of Rose-Hill using a Molotov cocktail and blockaded roads across the country. Companies were looted and vandalised, rioters caused so much damage to the Metro Express tram system, especially in Barkly, that services were suspended, and a McDonald's in Beau-Bassin was vandalised with a number of vehicles set on fire.
Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam imposed an overnight curfew on October 13. The Mauritius Police Force said the curfew was extended for two more nights — from 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday until 5 a.m. the following morning — across the island's main population centres, and schools would remain closed for the rest of the week, except for students appearing for international examinations. According to the police, 94 people had been arrested since the riots began; police said the situation was under control, although some incidents were reported in parts of the island overnight on Wednesday. Authorities warned that violating the curfew could lead to imprisonment for up to five years and a fine of up to 50,000 Mauritian rupees (approximately $1,050), and that offenders could face prosecution under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
"This time again, as in 1999, the police are the main target," Jocelyn Chan Low, a historian and political analyst, told Bloomberg. "The scale of the violence has multiplied, with police stations and vehicles set ablaze." The war in the Middle East has driven up fuel prices and a crippling drought has emptied reservoirs, resulting in water-use restrictions in some areas. The archipelago, which relies on tourism and financial services, is Africa's second-richest nation per capita after the Seychelles and has held peaceful elections since independence from the UK in 1968. (GSM, from Bloomberg reporting)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：毛里求斯首都路易港海滨资料照片。照片：carrotmadman6，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0。Photo: the Port Louis waterfront in Mauritius (file photo). Photo by carrotmadman6 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
