Hilton Maldives trying hard to sink the evidence of environmental crimes :: Maldives News :: Dhivehi Observer

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Hilton Maldives trying hard to hide the evidence of environmental crimes

28 March 2006

Could this be the wind of change? It was observed on (27th March) Monday afternoon that the Hilton and its local sponsor were rather busy at destroying the evidence that could put them into deep trouble for destruction of Mandhoo Thun'di. Huge piles of dead coconut palms were cut in small chunks by jack-saw and some were buried in huge wells long dug to get top soil. A huge proportion of it were burned on the beach area resulting further destruction of more and more mangrove trees that got burned along with the torched palm-tree chunks. Sources among the Mandhoo Thun'di workforce confirms that the remaining would be dumped in the ocean in the late hours of the night.

Despite various attempts by the media to unveil the dark secrets of Hilton Maldives currently undergoing a major renovation project, the Maldivian government has turned a blind eye to these environmental disasters. The scale of operation by the Hilton at Mandhoo Thun'di has never slowed down by even an inch. The degradation of the environment by their activities has been at its peak, not even the slightest glance backwards.

It is evident that Hilton Maldives and its local sponsor Crown Company had been backed by many powerful yet invisible hands that enabled them to continue its destruction of environment at large scale on Mandhoo Thun'di. Neither Hilton nor the Crown Company seemed to have any concern of the fact that the media had been publicizing its unethical moves.

Isn't it natural that one would wonder why a network of companies, well associated with the Dictator Gayyoom's government, would go through all this trouble of destroying the hard evidence when it didn't bother them at all in the recent past? So, why now? Could they have sensed some sort of an upcoming investigation against their illegal operations and decided to swiftly get red of the debris and save their own backside? There are reports that some kind of investigation is due to take place there by environmental agencies, local and international.

This is also a warning to all the seafaring vessels in the ocean/channel near the South Western tip of Mandhoo to be cautious of possible damage and barricades at sea by the floating debris.

Hilton and Crown Company may very successfully hide the evidence but what are they going to do to the Nazeer Island? Are they going to make that island sink down in to the sea like they did the underwater restaurant in Hilton to make the first underwater island in the world?

Hilton's Save the Environment Album

These pictures were taken by DO agents yesterday 27th March 2006

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Special Report
Hilton hits on Mandhoo: No room for ethics in Maldives resort
Full-grown coconut palms, mangroves and tons of irreplaceable topsoil and sand are being removed from the inhabited island of Mandhoo for Hilton Maldives Resort & Spa complex in Rangali and Rangalifinolhu islands on Alifu (south Ari) atoll. more