Month: January 2011

Chinese tourist found dead near Sun Island Resort

A 36 year-old Chinese tourist was found dead off the coast of Sun Island Resort and Spa yesterday afternoon, police have reported.

Police did not identify the tourist but stated that he was last seen snorkeling with other tourists staying on the island.

”His body was discovered by another tourist on the island,” police said in a statement. ”He was declared dead by the resort’s health centre.”

Tourists snorkeling with the man reported his disappearence to the reception. Resort staff searched for the man before his body was discovered by another tourist.,

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said the body had been brought to Male’, and police were now investigating the incident.

The resort had not responded to enquiries at time of press.

Chinese visitors last year numerically constituted one of the largest tourism markets for the Maldives, with off-season arrivals from China compensating for the impact of the economic crisis in traditional European markets.

However last year Chinese tourists also made up a disproportionate number of tourist fatalities, usually while snorkeling.

In September 2010 a 48-year old Chinese woman who had been snorkeling at Paradise Island Resort and Spa was pronounced dead after she was pulled from the water and rushed to ADK hospital.

In mid-August 2010 a Chinese couple holidaying in the Maldives disappeared from their resort after they went for a swim.

The 38 year-old woman and 40 year-old man were holidaying with their 13 year-old daughter on the Hilton Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort in Noonu Atoll.

On March 14, police received a report that a Chinese national, Rui Dai, died while snorkelling at Holiday Inn Kandooma Resort, South Malé Atoll.

Earlier that same month another Chinese man died while snorkeling at Chaaya Lagoon Hakurahura Island Resort, less than a day after a German tourist died in a snorkeling accident at Embudu Village Island Resort.

A top UK transplant surgeon, Ali Bakran, also died in the water while snorkeling at the Adaaran Meedhupparu Resort in Raa Atoll last year.

Mohamed Ibrahim ‘Sim’ from the Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) last year stated that Chinese guests in particular needed to be made more aware of the dangers of snorkeling in the Maldives, “because it is a totally different environment than what they are used to.”

While UK tour operators passed on advice and information to tourists, China was a relatively new market “and the operators need to be made aware also,” Sim added.

“Few resorts have reception staff or guides who speak Mandarin.”

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EC announces 17 resorts will host ballot boxes

The Elections Commission have announced 17 tourist resorts that will host ballot boxes during the local council elections on February 5.

The Commission said the resorts would be: Hilton Maldives Irufushi Resort and Spa, Kuredhoo Island Resort, Palm Beach Island Resort, Bandos Island Resort and Spa, Taj Exotic Resort and Spa, Paradise Island Resort and Spa, Sharaton Maldives Full Moon Beach Resort and Spa, Baros Maldives, One and Only Reethi Rah, Huvafenfushi Maldives, Olhuveli Beach and Spa, Soneva Gili By Six Senses, Ananthara Dhigu Resort and Spa, Holiday Inn Resort Kandooma Maldives, Kuramathi Island Resort, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island and Sun Island Resort and Spa.

The Elections Commission said that these resorts that had registered voters numbering above the minimum of 100 required to host a ballot box.

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Maldives moves into Commonwealth’s Small States Office in Geneva

The Maldives is one of several small island states being provided subsidied office space by the Commonwealth’s Small States Office when it opens in Geneva on January 17.

The Maldives, the Bahamas, Solomon Islands, the Organisation for Eastern Caribbean States and the Seychelles will operate from the new office, which includes a business centre for visiting delegations attending meetings in Geneva. Tenants will also have access to a resident technical expert on trade and human rights.

“We are delighted to open this new office to assist our small states that could not otherwise afford the full cost of a Permanent Mission in Geneva,” said Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma.

“The office will allow these countries to establish a diplomatic presence in the region for bilateral accreditation in Europe and to the many multilateral organisations in Geneva. It will also act as a global hub for small states to work with other countries on issues such as trade, private investment, human rights, health and labour.”

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Diving with the Maldives’ manta rays

The rays are great black silhouettes, scything streamlined shapes that fishermen called “devil fish” because of the curious horn-like fins hanging down near their mouths, writes Tim Ecott in UK newspaper The Telegraph.

“But side on and up close you can look into their eyes and get a sense of their peaceful nature. Unlike stingrays, mantas don’t have venomous spines in their tails, and unlike many fish species they seem to enjoy human company. They tolerate our presence and sometimes perform loop-the-loops through the air bubbles exhaled from my scuba gear.

I have come to Hanifaru, a small lagoon next to an uninhabited island in the Maldives, especially to see manta rays. These great harmless filter-feeders congregate here during the south-west monsoon between May and November and, if the tides and winds are right, enter a shallow cul-de-sac in the reef to hunt for food. On certain days, usually near to the full moon, the bay can attract more than 100 mantas.

Read more

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Cabinet to launch four new Male’ development projects

The Cabinet has announced four new projects intended to develop the capital under Male’ Municipality’s ‘Veshi Fahi Male’ programme.

The projects include:

  • Development of a container terminal at the industrial ‘garbage’ island of Thilafushi, releasing land in Male’ presently being used for warehousing and unloading and speeding the development of Thilafushi as the city’s industrial sector.
  • A light industrial park in nearby Villingili consolidating services and low-rent commercial properties, increasing local employment.
  • Outsourcing management of the T-Jetty to increase operational efficiency.
  • Developing a local market in Male’, including a building with water facilities for small-scale retail.
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Two years and 25 lashes for sexual assault of Japanese music teacher

The Criminal Court of the Maldives has sentenced a man to two years imprisonment and 25 lashes for sexually assaulting a Japanese woman on Kulhudhufushi in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

The Criminal Court, which identified the victim, said she was walking down the ‘Giolhilaashi Hingun’ street in Kulhudhufushi on November 6, 2010, when she was approached by Adam Shareef who sexually assaulted her.

“Adam Shareef stopped [the victim] and [sexually assaulted] her according to his own admittance.”

An authority at Kulhudhufushi told Minivan News that the Japanese citizen was a volunteer music teacher at Kulhudhufushi school.

”Whatever took place happened on that street,” he said. ”It is a very narrow street where people do not walk very often.”

”Another islander reported the incident to police, not the Japanese citizen,” he said, adding that the incident occurred during broad day light in the afternoon.

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Business Profit Tax ratified by President

President Mohamed Nasheed has ratified the Business Profit Tax Bill after it was passed by parliament on December 30.

The long-awaited Act, which the government contends is vital to the country’s future economic prosperity, includes six chapters setting out a framework and guidelines for the taxing of businesses in the Maldives.

The government will ultimately phase out the US$8 a night bed tax charge on the tourism industry and replace it with a goods and service tax (GST), land rent and business profit tax.

Following the ratification, the Business Profit Tax Act has been published in the government Gazette.

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Declaring Addu a city “against spirit of decentralisation Act” claims DQP

The criteria for establishing a city given by the government last week, prior to its second declaration of Addu as a city, was “against the spirit of the decentralisation Act”, the Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP) has claimed.

Haveeru reported that Secretary General Abdulla Amin had sent a letter to President Mohamed Nasheed complaining that announcing the criteria through the one-member Local Government Authority was “in contradiction with the idea of decentralisation”, and “humiliates the manners of democracy”.

Amin claimed in the letter that declaring Addu a city was premature as it did not have a functional sewerage system, or even a paved road other than the primary link road, and accused the President of “escaping from his responsibilities.”

The party has said it will support the development of Addu as a city “if done according to the law.”

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