India says 'disturbed' at events in Maldives, no word on intervention

However, China called for a resolution of the crisis in the Maldives through dialogue without external intervention

In its first reaction on the political crisis in the Maldives, India on Tuesday evening said it was 'disturbed' by the declaration of an emergency by the Abdulla Yameen government there and described as a matter of "concern" the arrests of the Supreme Court Chief Justice and political figures.

India is concerned about the safety of 25,000 of its nationals living in the Maldives, and also has security and economic interests in the Indian Ocean archipelago of 1,100 islands. The Maldives has a population of 400,000.

Earlier in the day, exiled former Maldivian president Mohamed Nasheed asked India to intervene militarily to