Trafiquants et tourisme de luxe : Bienvenue aux Maldives

Trafiquants et tourisme de luxe : Bienvenue aux Maldives

Somewhere in the middle of the Indian Ocean lies one of the few airports in the world, where planes land and take off directly on the water. Natacha and Nicolas, a newlywed couple, are preparing to take off. For their honeymoon, They chose one of the only destinations accessible only by seaplane. I have baggage. Good morning. Good morning. Watch your head when climbing. A seaplane, It is a small plane that has barely ten seats and can land on water. For your safety, I would like to remind you of the rules of this seaplane. There are five emergency exits and smoking is prohibited during the flight. Here, rather surprising thing, All the cabin crew wear flip-flops. Natacha, who is phobic of airplanes, is totally panicked. The flight will last half an hour. It must be said that Natacha and Nicolas decided to spend a week completely isolated from the world on one of these islets, in the Maldives. Their honeymoon, They will pass it over this strip of sand. A small paradise barely 700 meters long. Customers land directly with their feet in the water, a few meters from the beach. Welcome to Zitalikou by Afna Farouk, I am Sandrine, the hotel manager. Nicolas and Natacha treated themselves to a week at this 5-star establishment. In the Maldives, The concept is an island for a single hotel. This little piece of land lost in the middle of the ocean. They will therefore share it with around a hundred clients spread across 50 luxury bungalows. Welcome to your villa. THANKS. Wow, we saw it. Great. The little mark of attention. Happy honeymoon. A 100 square meter suite, with a gigantic bathroom offering an indoor jacuzzi and an outdoor shower. But the highlight of the show is on the terrace. Heaven does exist on earth, in fact, I believe. He touched a little how hot it is. 28, 29 Maybe more Total disorientation. It’s like in the… Solo world. Overweight. Everything you need to be happy, in other words. How are you It makes you happy as a honeymoon Natacha and Nicolas are not used to luxury. This honeymoon, It’s a gift from their family. It’s a pleasure. I’ll give you a bottle of champagne. Come on SO, They decided to enjoy every moment. It’s the pool above the water with the moon. Heaven, What. Great view, there is no one around. That’s great. This is also what the Maldives is. For this week, all inclusive in this resort, understand luxury club, They paid no less than 9,000 euros. Like them, 850,000 tourists come to enjoy the Maldives every year. This archipelago, located south of India, includes nearly 1,200 islands extending over 21,000 km². In 20 years, The Maldives have become the high-end destination, because the promise of the hoteliers is tempting, Live the Robinson Crusoe experience on a dream island. The Maldives are a paradise on Earth. Paradise islands lost in the middle of the ocean, where you can find the most refined products. Here,
there are no limits. The only limit, It’s the sky. But today, Customer comfort and international luxury demands are taking over the archipelago. Here,
we have a lot of problems with mosquitoes. Often, to the detriment of the islands’ ecosystem. Is it dangerous? I think it’s a bit harmful to health. The environment is a taboo subject in the Maldives. The culture of secrecy is omnipresent. Please turn off the camera. To keep the idyllic image of the islands intact. They are just garbage, ok? The food is over there. Managing tourist waste, It’s a hotel nightmare. We followed the path of this garbage. And we discovered their open-air dump. A unique place in the world. Here, there is more and more waste. But the Maldives, They are not just resorts with welcoming staff. The archipelago is above all an Islamic Republic that is becoming radicalized. I’ll show that one if it’s a good idea to bring strangers here for us. This is what happens with these people. It would be easy for them to kill us. Today, More and more religious fundamentalists are opposing the habits of tourists. I don’t want alcohol or spas in resorts anymore. Journey to the other side of paradise. The Maldives archipelago is known for its turquoise sea, its white sandy beaches, but also for its many spas. Some hotels offer massages at a depth of 10 meters, among the fish. On these islands, two out of three clients are tempted by these wellness sessions. Nicolas, the young groom, is discovering it. I’m very happy here. Oh yes,
now that’s pure bliss. This person takes care of me completely. She has an extra touch. This is excellent. If Nicolas is in heaven, Natacha, She, remains of marble. It must be said that this is the first time she has seen her husband in the hands of another woman. Not usually a massage, So. It’s funny to see him in this situation. At the start, Nicolas was not tempted by this activity. Without interest, and much too expensive, according to him. On average, These massages cost $250 for two. I, who had an impression, finally an a priori, that the spa and massages were only for women. Imagine, I was completely wrong because I’m really enjoying it right now. I feel completely drained. In this resort at 9000 euros per week, All the staff take great care of the customers. Holidaymakers can enjoy two restaurants. At their head, John. A chef straight from Holland. Guys, short, briefing. A few little reminders for today. The special dinner for Villa 14. In his kitchen, John leads a team of 13 cooks to offer gourmet cuisine. Let’s get to work! But cooking in the Maldives is not as easy as in France. Because the country does not produce any food, no vegetables, nor meat. That, This is a magnificent duck breast that comes to us from France. There,
that’s a beautiful piece of lamb from Holland. In these resorts, Maldivian specialties are rare. This evening’s menu should not be out of place. Natacha and Nicolas. As a starter, they will taste foie gras from France, on a bed of beef carpaccio from England. All accompanied by Spanish asparagus. It’s beautiful, we are served like kings. You have to taste, you have to do an off-flat. And for the main course, here again, not a gram of local cuisine, It will be lamb accompanied by a truffle risotto. We don’t just take stars on paper. For a week, Nicolas and Natacha will fully enjoy their stay. Deserted beaches, but above all numerous aquatic activities, such as water skiing and scuba diving. In the Maldives, The hoteliers’ goal is to give their guests the impression that they are alone in the world. But not everyone will have the chance to taste it. 150 km away, on the Lavigani atoll, Virginie and Nicolas, another French couple, also enjoy their stay in the Maldives. Finally,
they try. Each day, They witness a constant stream of seaplanes landing and taking off. We start hearing planes in the morning around 7 a.m. it seems to me. Since even we, when we leave, We’ll leave around 7am. 7 hours later, it must be every hour, every hour and a half. There can be 4-5 in the morning, though. We are not on a desert island, It’s sure. In high season, Nearly ten seaplanes collide on this island every day. It is the largest in the entire archipelago. It is 1.5 km long and has 400 bungalows spaced just a few metres apart. Because the island can accommodate up to 1,200 vacationers at the same time. This is 10 times more than the Maldivian average. The one who is responsible for welcoming them. This is Arthur, a 28-year-old Filipino. He has been working at this hotel for 6 years. Today, We are expecting about 8 seaplanes. That’s between 98 and 100 new customers. This is the first flight of the day, and we’re expecting seven more. Arthur is careful to preserve the good image of this establishment. Hello and welcome to our hotel. This way, please. The atmosphere is like that of a holiday club. In this establishment, Maldivian authenticity is advocated. You can sit at the bar and then we will come and show you your villa. This is a very good way to welcome guests. This allows them to discover Maldivian traditions. We organize this for all guests arriving at the resort. And yet, to look at it more closely. No, I am Mauritian. The members of this small welcoming committee come from far and wide. No, I’m Filipino. I am from the Philippines. Me too, I am from the Philippines. Among the members of this traditional music group, only 4 are Maldivian. Virginie and Nicolas arrived at this hotel a few days ago. For their stay, They rented a small bungalow, laid on the beach, at around 2500 euros per week. Don’t forget the camera. It’s good It’s a whole. They saved all year to buy themselves the postcard image of the Maldives, with its white sandy beaches and transparent sea. We’re going to swim over there, look at. It’s pretty clear. We didn’t go there yesterday. But here’s what they discovered right across from their room. Ah, yes, this is the part, there. A huge rusty pipe, straight out of the sand. That’s not what they reject. We really didn’t pay for that. We had paid for a real blue lagoon, as we can see in the sites. The sandy beaches, not spoiled by pipes. It’s a bit of a shame. This pipe looks a bit out of place in the middle of this heavenly setting. But for Arthur, the manager, it is essential for the proper functioning of the hotel. This is the wastewater pipe. They flow from the villas into the sea. The discharged water is filtered and returned to the ocean. It is a water recycling that is not harmful to marine wildlife. According to him, discharging wastewater into the sea would have no impact on the environment. And yet, According to several biologists, they would be at the origin of the proliferation of these algae. They are not harmful. But they have completely upset the balance of the islands. Pipes like this, there are several dozen of them. The entire island has been gridded to manage wastewater. Because to welcome nearly 50,000 tourists per year, These islets have become real small towns. In this resort, for example, There are 7 different restaurants. SO, salad, onions… Ah, yes,
It didn’t need midnight, Sir. They have a choice of 7 starters, 8 main courses… And no less than ten desserts. Actually, Today, There is nothing that pleases me. Like most tourists, they chose the all-inclusive option, that is, they can consume without any limits. For that, The hotel is supplied twice a week, in the middle of the night, around 4am. Arthur’s day begins. Good morning, How are you This morning, He has to receive several tons of food, in complete discretion. This is very important to us because we don’t want to disturb guests walking on the beach. So this work, we only do it very early, in the morning or late in the evening, so that no one can see us. As in all resorts, the products come from very far away. Our products come from Singapore and Dubai, I think. To maintain their freshness, All products are packaged in these polystyrene boxes. The fruits and vegetables are then unpacked near the kitchens. The dozens of kilos of packaging are thrown directly into the trash. It’s not part of the food supply, ok? What’s the problem? The image may seem innocuous, However, Arthur puts an end to our filming. Can you turn off the camera, Please ? I’m not comfortable with that. We agreed that everything must be approved by the general manager. These are wastes, ok? Food, It’s over there. No taking pictures of trash. The day after, We insist that Arthur film the place where the waste is stored. It has to do with waste, All right ? So, it’s a very complicated subject. Why is it so complicated? Waste management, This is a whole problem. Maybe people will think that… Finally,
We don’t want to give a negative image of the resort. or even the country. What Arthur didn’t want filmed is in the middle of the island, in an area forbidden to tourists. Here are some pictures of the dump that we were able to take while escaping the vigilance of the resort staff. But in these dream islands, no question of accumulating tons and tons of garbage. So we have to get rid of it. These bins leave the resorts by boat. Impossible to get into one of them. We found their trail 300 km south of Virginie’s hotel. And Nicolas. On an island… Which does not appear in any tourist guide. In the Maldives, it is called Rubish Island, Waste Island. It is 7 km long. This is where the whole country dumps its garbage. Each day, Dozens of boats dock to unload 400 tons of garbage. This is a boat that belongs to a resort. They throw everything here and leave. On this island… We do not practice selective sorting. The plants are mixed with the glass, to plastic bottles and metals. This jumble of garbage is then transported to the heart of the island, on these trucks filled to the brim. It is in the middle of this apocalyptic setting that around fifteen Bangladeshis work. Like Ali. At 35 years old, he is responsible for making his mountains of waste disappear. It is important to know that each tourist produces 3.5 kilos of garbage per day. Here, there is more and more waste. SO, to prevent it from overflowing, I burn them. I do this 8 hours a day. In the Maldives, nothing has been planned to incinerate these tons of waste. To light the fires, Ali uses everything he finds, even the most dangerous. Like this truck inner tube that releases extremely toxic smoke. Ali does not wear a mask, any protection. In this open-air dump, he seems completely left to his own devices. The smoke hurts my lung. It gives me gas too. And you know, here, I am not given anything. Gloves and even shoes, I found them further away, over there. What is incredible, is that Ali is employed by the Maldives government. For this very arduous work, He is paid around 240 euros per month. I can’t do anything else here. When I arrived, My boss took my passport. It’s the law here. SO, if I quit this job, They will send me back to my country. This island is completely contaminated by pollution. The waste is overflowing into the sea. But now, These tons of garbage interest investors. How many of you work there? Everything must be finished by this evening. Walid, a Maldivian man in his forties, decided to collect his waste and turn it into gold. What is your job? My work, It’s about saving the environment. Pardon ? Save the environment. That’s it, my work. What do you do with all this waste? I sell them and make money from them. And you make a lot of money from this? Yes. Yes,
how much I get every month, by selling plastic, 300,000 rufias profit. That’s $20,000 a month to run your small business, or go from him also to hiring Bangladeshis. All Wears a T-shirt with his company name on it, like Sharif. His work Collect pieces of metal. I pick up all the pieces of metal I find. I make about fifty boxes like that every day. And after, they are resold. Sharif arrived on Garbage Island a month ago. Like the other Maldives, he was promised a good job, but this is where he finally landed. A dog’s job. Like all Bangladeshi workers, Sharif is staying on the island. I’m really hungry right now. Walid, his boss, installed them on this vacant lot. He too, strewn with garbage. And it is this old room reserved for equipment that serves as their roof. You see, There, we live at 7. There are two colleagues sleeping there. It’s true that it’s not very comfortable. But you see, We have nothing else here. At 7, In this hut made of concrete blocks and sheet metal, there is no room for privacy. But there is no running water either. Walid simply installed a rainwater collection tank outside for them. Offered by an NGO. This is where Sharif does a bit of a freshening up. We spend all our days in the garbage. It is absolutely necessary to wash, otherwise we immediately fall ill. No alternative to this basic hygiene, quite insufficient when you are in daily contact with dust and toxic smoke. And that’s not the only problem Sharif and his colleagues have. Hold, I brought you some water for your meal. Here, we are all more or less sick. I have stomach aches, For example. But that’s the worst part. The worst, It’s just that we haven’t been paid for three months. Appalling living conditions, no remuneration. Their Maldivian experience is turning into a nightmare. For us,
the Bangladeshis, live here, It’s very complicated. And I imagine that for tourists, the Maldives, It must be heaven. After their break… Walid discreetly distributed masks to them, rather rudimentary. We then took the opportunity to ask him about the working conditions of his employees. No,
for the moment, Only this guy felt bad. Yesterday. He’s just a little sick. Because I explain to them that these fumes are not very good for their health. That’s why I give them masks. But sometimes, they forget to wear them. Facing him… None of them will dare to complain or demand their salary. When was the last time you paid your employees? For now, we don’t pay. Why is he asking me this question? that one? The day before yesterday, We started a colleague from Scrap Metal and now we will get the money. I think tomorrow or today. If we receive this money, we’re going to pay these guys. So they’re not getting paid yet? They work for nothing? Yes. This man swears, His employees will be paid in a few days. In the Maldives, Garbage management is therefore catastrophic. So, to limit the extent of the phenomenon, Some resorts are playing the ecological card. Daviani Atoll, in the north of the archipelago. In this hotel, you will not find a Villa on stilts. The 40 rooms blend into the vegetation. The promise Live the Robinson Crusoe experience. Tourists eat organic vegetables from the garden and walk barefoot throughout their stay among the animals. Luxury, It’s simplicity. It’s back to nature with rabbits, little chickens, the vegetable garden, the jungle around you. Of course, all this has a price, but that’s real luxury. Approximately $3,000 a night. Nicolas is the director of this resort. Unlike others, he does not wish to hide anything. Hello everyone, How are you this morning? Did you sleep well? It’s good. A few years ago, He declared war on waste. Good morning, How are you this morning? I need a crate of chag for the main kitchen. Can you take them and load them onto your bike? We create, we make our own mineral, All right ? We bottle it. So, here, you have still mineral water and here, sparkling. Sea water is desalinated, then mineralized. Before that, This resort consumed 100,000 plastic bottles per year. All of them were then burned on Trash Island. The problem for us and the problem for the Maldives, It’s plastic. We don’t have a solution in place to deal with plastic. So you imagine 100,000 bottles per year, That’s 100,000 fewer plastic bottles arriving at the resort. Nicolas wants his hotel to be eco-responsible. He is also very proud to show us that at home, Organic waste is transformed into compost and glass and metal are sorted on the island. In all, Nicolas’s hotel sends 40% to Trash Island of waste, less than the average of other resorts. The environment, This is the commercial argument of his establishment. In this hotel, This is Hassan, the reservations manager. I can help you Yes,
I would like to look at next week’s reservations. please. Next week I’m not sure many were rented. This is the number of reservations currently, Okay?
Yes, That’s good. Okay,
Nicolas, It’s 4 p.m. I have to go to the mosque. It’s time for prayer. OK, no problem. Go ahead. Thank you for this information. Hassan suddenly leaves his post. Hassan, He goes to the mosque. We have a mosque on the island. And five times a day, They will be at the mosque for prayer. Most tourists don’t know this, but the Maldives archipelago is an Islamic Republic. Islam is the state religion. The first rule, when you want to open a resort, It is to build a mosque for the employees. There is one. On every island in the country. As Muslims, We have to go to the mosque to pray 5 times a day. Whatever we are doing, work or anything else, We stop when it’s time and come to the mosque. Afterwards, we go back to work. Maldivians are particularly religious. In hotels, They can’t work behind a bar because of the alcohol. In the kitchens, because of the pork. Nor in spas, due to nudity. It’s not a problem at all. We love working with foreigners and discovering different cultures. I have no problem meeting people of other religions. And yet, today in some resorts, The Western way of life is not well accepted by Maldivian staff. In these amateur images, A Swiss couple is renewing their wedding vows. This ceremony is very common in the Maldives. But during the celebration, The employee took the opportunity to insult the tourist couple in Maldivian. Abusive remarks, of a religious nature. On the Internet, The video has been viewed several hundred thousand times, creating a wave of indignation. The employee was identified and sentenced to 5 days in prison. This video says a lot about the evolution of the Maldives. To discover the other face of the archipelago, you have to go to Male, the capital. Male is the most populated island in the world. More than 100,000 inhabitants are crammed into barely 2 km². Over there, change of atmosphere. Most women wear the veil. Consumption of alcohol is punishable by imprisonment. Mariat is a young 26-year-old journalist. This Maldivian woman works for the archipelago’s only independent press outlet. Hello Neil. Hi how are you ? I’m doing well. Created 5 years ago by this Australian, This newspaper denounces the excesses of the current government. Due to lack of funding, It is only broadcast on the Internet. Actually, it’s an apartment. This is also where we work. This is Neil. He’s working in the kitchen today. Yes, it’s true. This is the price of independence. We work in the same place as where we live. Like that, we can limit costs. Their fight right now, It is the rise of religious fundamentalists. On the agenda, an article on the increase in veiled women in Male. You can ask them what perceptions they have of women who do not wear the niqab. Yes,
I think it would be interesting to gather that kind of opinion. If you walk down the street, you will certainly see that today, There are more conservative people who wear the veil. For a very long time, The Maldivians practiced a moderate form of Islam. But the first democratic elections in 2008 gave a stronger voice to an Islamic party, Adalat. Imams trained in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are even said to be preaching in some Malay mosques. Mariat takes us to one of them where members of the political movement campaigning for a more rigorous Islam meet. Above the place of prayer, a black flag flies, symbol of jihad, the Holy War. He’s been here for a month at most. or a few weeks. I saw him on my way to work one day. I came back to take a picture of it and people told me that if I kept doing this, They were going to kill me. I ran off to my office. That’s why, I think it’s really dangerous to go inside. Two men are inside the mosque compound. We decide to approach them to find out why they are using this flag. All Muslims wear it because it is written there. There is no god but Allah. It is also written in the Quran. So we, we use it as our currency. Like when Christians say Jesus is our God. And yet, This northern flag clearly signifies support for the holy war. It is used by Salafists, the jihadists of Northern Mali-Larbor regularly. The extremists, there are some around us. In the sense that some people do not pray in the mosque, but outside. But we are not killers, we don’t do that. We also respect people like you. But suddenly, This interview takes a completely different turn. One of the two men moves away to try to photograph Mariat, the journalist. You see That’s what I was telling you. I’m going to be in big trouble. The man is threatening. This photo could be a call to murder. Take it easy, I’ll show that one if it’s a good idea to bring strangers here for us. The message is clear. She should never have brought us here. She must be punished. This is what happens with these people. These threats must be taken very seriously. Last June, Ismail Rachid, another journalist, had his throat cut in front of his home. He also criticized the rise of Muslim fundamentalists in the Maldives. By some miracle, he escaped death. Today, This journalist lives in exile in Sri Lanka. I don’t want to become a target for them. They would be ready to attack us physically. In a small town like Male, It’s very scary to be identified in a video. It would be easy for them to kill me in the blink of an eye after recognizing me. Are you afraid? I’m afraid, Yes, but I think someone needs to say what’s going on here. That’s why I came. But it is not without danger, really not. Mariatte told us about a place where the concentration of fundamentalists is said to be very high. This is Wimendou Island, located two hours from Male. In the Maldives, Authorities prohibit foreigners from visiting islands inhabited by locals. After several days of negotiations, only two men, Ali and Charide, agreed to take us there. We don’t know how they might react to strangers like you. Their women have their faces and the rest of their bodies covered. We only see their eyes. If you go there to film them, without being accompanied by a Maldivian, They will be very aggressive. They have been in the past. No foreigner has set foot there for many years, because the place is known to be very dangerous. In 2007, violent riots shook the island. For several days, the inhabitants, for most rigorous Muslims, clashed with the police. They were trying to prevent the arrest of their imam, known for his fundamentalist sermons. The fighting was extremely violent. In these images, a police officer is found lying on the ground. He was reportedly beaten after being captured by rioters. Summary of the clashes, around ten police officers injured and 30 residents arrested. After two hours on the boat, we finally arrive. Emendou, It is a small, typically Maldivian island, but very far from the luxury of resorts. Here,
Sharia law is applied, Islamic law. All women are veiled, Most of them wear the niqab. On this island, we do not go unnoticed. We had barely arrived, A man on a bicycle approaches and calls out to Charide. This man, He is the chief of the island. Who are these two? I don’t want any strangers here. Tell them to leave right away. Aimendou Journalists are not welcome, especially if they are foreigners. The chief of the island demands that we leave the island, on the spot. Eventually, We managed to get in touch with a family who agreed to welcome us away from prying eyes. In this family, all women are veiled, even the youngest. There,
that’s my wife, my second daughter. There,
this is the last one, the third, and there,
That’s my eldest daughter. Living on this island, It is a choice for Ibrahim’s family. In my opinion, the most important, it’s Islam, nothing but Islam. Here, all women, even young girls, must be completely veiled. Amelie There are many women who wear the veil with tight-fitting clothes. I’m against it. That’s why we’re good here, on this island. Behind his smiling face, Ibrahim is not a softie. In 2007, He actively participated in the riots against the police. In these images, we can see him on the front line, throwing projectiles at the police. I tried to defend our imam. It’s true that I fought. Besides, I spent three and a half years in prison for that. But if I had to do it again, I would do it again. Ibrahim will not say another word about his involvement in the riots. Today, He divides his time between the mosque and fishing, which provides his livelihood. There, This is my boat. This island is located right in front of a resort. But in Emendou, The inhabitants live in seclusion. They refuse all contact with tourists. A few years ago, I worked in a resort. But the foreign managers wanted me to shave my beard. And then, sometimes, They wouldn’t let me go to the mosque at prayer time. In the resorts, We are not allowed to be good Muslims. In Imendo, We are less and less tolerant of the practices of luxury hotels. Ibrahim’s wife is very clear on the matter. This is against Islamic law. I don’t want alcohol or spas in resorts anymore. We are a country 100% Muslim here, That’s how it is. We respond to the laws of Allah. This rigorous discourse is increasingly influential in the Maldives. In January 2012, under pressure from the Islamist party, The president orders the closure of all spas in resorts. Reason given, Massage rooms are said to be immoral. After six days of standoff between hoteliers and Islamists, The president finally reverses his decision and authorizes the reopening of spas in hotels. If the fundamentalists did not win the battle of the spas, However, they managed to impose that the islands where the locals live live according to the laws of Islam. Malay,
the capital, This is the other side of heaven. Here, for example, unlike hotel islands, It is forbidden to drink alcohol, even for tourists. We find, Mariat, the Maldivian journalist. For her, everyday life is becoming increasingly difficult. In the resorts, Life is completely different than in the rest of the Maldives. Here,
we don’t have that kind of freedom at all. For what For example, There are no more nightclubs in Male. Before,
there was one, but it was closed a few years ago by the Islamic authorities. In Male, Most entertainment is prohibited. Even watching a foreign film can be dangerous. Some films are allowed, but not all. If there is any element contrary to Islam, then it will be censored. Yes,
it’s true, She’s right. You see, even he, he agrees with me. Even on YouTube, If you watch a banned movie, you spend three years in prison. And even if you watch the trailer, It’s three years of tolossi. Result, Mariate’s only distractions are limited to meeting friends in a bar. Hi, How are you? Here, even at late hours, the national drink, It’s coffee. You don’t drink alcohol? Alcohol No,
you can’t drink it. It is against our religion. We are a 100% country Muslim. We are not allowed to drink it. Anyway, no one serves it in Male. Have you ever tasted alcohol? We cannot answer you. We would go straight to prison. If we say yes to you, we go to prison. And if we tell you no… You’re going straight to jail. Just talking about alcohol can get us into trouble. Maldivian laws therefore leave little room for the freedoms of these citizens. And yet, for about twenty years, There is a scourge that has slipped through the net. This drug is said to be infecting the country. Hakim is 30 years old. Like a quarter of young people in the Maldives, he is unemployed. These days, He spends them trying to find money to buy drugs. Yeah,
where are you? There? Behind the Park Okay, I see. On the phone, He’s one of his dealers. Well, I’m with strangers. They have a camera, but don’t worry, There will be no problem. Akim has been addicted to them for 8 years… In Male, a third of young people would use this drug. It’s pretty easy to get drugs here. It is easy to carry, so everyone has some. Unlike alcohol, which requires a lot of organization to store. SO, everywhere, there are many requests, You know. If there were no requests, they wouldn’t be here. Almost all young people in full swing. Hakim, him too, goes around in circles in the capital. So, to escape, there are up to 6 falls per day. Are you sure it’s quiet here? Hakim is very careful, because at less than 30 years old, He has already been to prison three times because of drugs. The police are very repressive and violent. We have to be very careful. This is the kind of dose we find here. One pack costs 100 rufias. It’s brown sugar. But since he is a friend, He gives me two for 150 rufias. 150 rufias for two doses, This corresponds to a little less than 8 euros. A trifle compared to alcohol. In Male, a bottle of contraband sells for more than 80 euros. She comes from India, then it passes through Sri Lanka before arriving in the Maldives. And sometimes, She comes directly from India. But it’s not really good cam. It’s not pure. It is cut with a lot of things. Hakim still hasn’t consumed anything since last night. Time is running out, because the lack is felt. He agrees to let us follow him home while he takes his dose. Since he has neither job nor money, Hakim still lives with his mother. Sit down. Usually, I’ll take some here if my mom isn’t around. She knows he’s using drugs. The marks on his arms betrayed him. These black spots, These are abscesses where I gave myself injections. NOW, the police, When she stops you, she says to you “Give me your hands, give me your hands!” And he looks at those places. This is why it is no longer safe to inject yourself in the arms. Despite the abscesses and the police, Hakim continues to inject his dose of A six times a day. Today, Only the veins in his hands accept the poison. I don’t want to live here. There are better opportunities for young people elsewhere. I don’t see myself having a child and raising them in this city. I can’t imagine that. It’s really dangerous to grow up here. I don’t know where I’m going to go. For now, The only thing on my mind, It’s about getting clean. For Hakim, The Maldives have become an artificial paradise from which he now wishes to escape by starting a cure. Hakim then plans to do training in tourism, because his dream would be to work in a resort, like Nicolas’s. In his hotel, precisely, He is imagining one of the dishes that will be offered on the restaurant menu this evening. How are you ? Alright, Alright. So, here,
You have, for example, an Italian basil. Here, you have tomato plants. Here you have Lola Rossa, so from the study. In the heart of the island. Nicolas has created a real organic vegetable garden. In all, around fifteen fruits and vegetables grow all year round in his vegetable garden, like Morning Glory. It’s a type of cabbage that we’re going to use with an Indian curry to make a vegetarian dish tonight. We’re going to mix it with spinach. So, here you have spinach. 20% Vegetables consumed by customers are produced in this vegetable garden. Nature would therefore only offer advantages to Nicolas’s business. Well, almost. There is still a shadow over the picture of his island. Mosquitoes, it may disturb our customers, quite. So, it’s up to us, in terms of resort, to limit the spread of mosquitoes so that the customer has a great experience in the Maldives. Nature without drawbacks. Nature without drawbacks, Exactly. Nature with some limits. And to get rid of mosquitoes, They use a rather radical method. With their deafening cannons, Nachid and Mamoun project an opaque, pungent-smelling smoke over all the island’s vegetation. No tree, no leaf or vine must escape them. Here, We have a lot of problems with mosquitoes. A thick fog hangs over the island morning and evening. Smoke seeps in everywhere, even in villas. Tourists are not spared. This smoke is used to eliminate small insects and small bees. I think it’s harmless. There is nothing dangerous in this. These Italian tourists don’t seem worried about breathing in the smoke. Yet, Nachid and Mamoun are wearing gas masks and protective gloves. We wanted to know what product is used for these smoking operations. The answer We’ll get it at the refueling point. This is the product we use against mosquitoes. The pesticide they use, here it is. It is classified 2 in the toxic product category. According to the Scientific Institute of Public Health, Exposure causes eye and skin irritation. It would also be dangerous for aquatic organisms and vegetation. Because permethrin, the main ingredient, the use of which is very regulated in France, would be carcinogenic. And that’s not all. To use it, this pesticide requires another substance, diesel. This is what creates smoke. Nachid puts 5 doses for one dose of product. Isn’t it dangerous? Yes, I think it’s a bit harmful to health. Effectively. Diesel emits fine particles that promote the development of cancer. On this island, particles are deposited absolutely everywhere. The hotel’s organic vegetable garden, him too, would be contaminated. We decided to go see Nicolas, the hotel manager, to find out if he was aware that the smoke he was spreading on his island was composed of this pesticide and diesel. I am very surprised that this is the case. Because, on the other hand, there,
it’s harmful, Yes. Nicolas seems concerned by our statements. No,
it’s diesel, but hey,
it’s been… It’s true that I am… Finally, I don’t hide anything, but I’m surprised that it’s… Let’s use diesel. To be sure, He decides to call his technical manager himself. Apparently, When they filmed yesterday, The employee showed them that he was mixing diesel with dry pinteau. Yes. Is it true or not? And obviously, His employee’s response was not what he expected. So it’s a mix between smoke, diesel and dry pinto Dry pinto. Bread.
How do you spell it? Dry pinto bread. Pinto Dry pinto. Dry pine.
Dry pine, ok. You are right, It’s pinocycle and diesel mixed. There is diesel smoke that is introduced into the smoking. No, I just learned it. Despite his good faith, The situation is very embarrassing. Respect for the environment, This is the hotel’s flagship marketing argument. I’m not very happy, but I will still make sure tomorrow to know in any sequence that this may have on our customers, on our employees and of course, on the island’s environment. Today, like Nicolas’s, 98% Resorts are reportedly using this cocktail of pesticides and diesel to get rid of mosquitoes. In the Maldives? The environmental situation is therefore becoming increasingly worrying. And yet, Nature plays a very important role in tourism. One in two foreigners would go there for its seabed. They are known for their raimentas, his sharks, but especially for its numerous corals. Nicolas and Virginie wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Normally, they take us to the good snorkeling sites, so we trust them. For this sea trip, They would have paid $60 each. Half an hour during which they will be able to enjoy the exceptional diversity of aquatic flora and fauna. In the Maldives, extremely rare varieties of fish are found, that tourists can admire without any scuba diving experience. But this life-size aquarium is about to disappear. Thomas Lebert is a French biologist. 14 years ago, he fell in love with this archipelago. But for a few years now, He is very worried about the future of the country’s seabed. Where we are going, There are a lot of corals that have died. It was a superb reef only three years ago. In 2010, because of climate change, The temperature in the Maldives has risen sharply by 4 degrees for several months. Consequence, a large part of the corals did not resist the heat. So, several times a year, Thomas and his team dive to the bottom of the sea to observe the evolution of the reef. Coral, That’s it. It looks like a small tree, but it is actually a marine animal that lives in colonies. Around the islands, It forms what is called the coral reef. Underwater, Thomas discovers a veritable coral cemetery. Dead coral can be recognized by its whitish color and extreme fragility. Most of them would not have tolerated global warming. The reef is pretty dead. There are still parts of the living. You can see colonies that are really completely dead. There is just a tiny branch that is resisting and trying to lie down again. This may seem trivial, but the coral reef is vital to the Maldives. It helps break the waves and protects the islands from rising waters. There,
on the reef we just saw, I would say, There may be 10% alive at this time. These are the direct consequences of coral death. Thomas takes us to the Virgin Island, located just opposite, and which is supposed to be protected by the reef. In just three years, It was completely eaten away by the sea. Here,
it’s very clear. That was the island level. These trees were on the island. NOW, the waves have arrived, we erode the sand, the trees fell. With the rising waters, This paradise island has gradually turned into a field of ruins. In the Maldives, the water rises about 2 cm per year. It’s not a small tree, Eh There,
it was on the ground, otherwise it would never have grown. I think we’ve already lost 50 meters for 3 years. So if it continues like this, it is possible that in 20 years, This island isn’t even there anymore. Like her, The entire archipelago could disappear by 2050. So, in 2009, The Maldives government has decided to sound the alarm. To alert the international community to the consequences of global warming, The president had the somewhat crazy idea of organizing an underwater Council of Ministers. A communication coup, story of reminding that his country was sinking. In the resorts, The situation is being taken very seriously. For if the islands were to disappear, It would also be the tens of millions of dollars of investment that would risk going down the drain. So, to fight against erosion, Hotel managers literally barricaded their island. On the one where Virginie and Nicolas are staying, Concrete blocks were installed to break the waves and prevent them from eating away at the beach. And as if that were not enough, others are forced to re-sand the island several times a year. ” Hi, How are you this afternoon? Is everything going well for you? Everything is fine ? ” But here, Erosion is a taboo subject. Arthur, the manager of the establishment, dismisses the hypothesis of the disappearance of the Maldives. “It’s not an erosion problem. I hear a lot of people saying that the Maldives will have sunk in 10, 15 years old, or even 20 years. But frankly, Do you think I would be here if I really thought the country was going to disappear? A very personal explanation, far removed from that of the specialists. A few hundred kilometers away, Thomas Le Baer decided to do everything he could to save the famous desert island from disappearing. For three years, he rents it to the government. This island has become his open-air research laboratory. It tries to fight erosion in a natural way. What I do, It’s that I break branches and then I put them in a bit like a graft. And so, we put them like that. And the thing, It’s really about attaching it in such a way that it doesn’t move. This allows us to recreate a reef, that is to say that from a small colony like that, we’ll make a big ball like this. These coral grafts, Thomas will fix them one by one on the bars of his structure. The farms are then numbered and submerged in the sea for the corals to grow. After several months, the grafts have grown. New coral colonies are emerging. The result is amazing. A real reef is being rebuilt. To carry out his project, He will have to install 3,000 coral structures, like this one. The ultimate goal, It’s to save her. And if we get there, to save. At the same time, the rest of the manuals. But to save these islands and preserve their postcard image, The Maldives will also have to address its environmental and political tensions, because in two years, 14 new resorts are expected to be built.

Qui n’a pas rêvé un jour de partir se reposer aux Maldives ? Chaque année, 800 000 touristes profitent des hôtels luxueux de cet archipel du sud-ouest de l’Inde. Mais loin de cette image de carte postale, existe une autre réalité. Crise écologique, économique, politique menacent l’île.

AÀquelques kilomètres des plages touristiques, des centaines de tonnes d’ordures parfois toxiques s’accumulent sur Thilafushi. Cet îlot jadis paradisiaque est, depuis quinze ans, la plus grande « île poubelle » du monde. Les déchets s’amassent aussi sous l’eau, les hôteliers n’hésitant pas à déverser directement leurs poubelles dans les eaux turquoises de l’océan Indien.

Autres fléaux : le chômage et la drogue. À Malé, la capitale la plus densément peuplée du monde, trois maldiviens sur dix seraient toxicomanes. Pour remettre ses habitants sur le droit chemin, le gouvernement crée des iles artificielles pour chaque problème : loin des iles à touristes, une ile-centre de désintoxication et une ile-prison.

Les Maldives, c’est aussi la plus petite République Islamique mondiale. La charria y est appliquée de façon très stricte. Un point que les milliers de touristes ignorent. Le gouvernement veille à ce que les vacanciers et les habitants gagnés par l’islamisme radical vivent dans deux mondes cloisonnés.
Réalisateur : Rémi Delescluse