The owner of a Vanuatu resort says a group of youths have caused millions of dollars worth of damage and lives could have been lost through their alleged arson.
Transcript
The owner of a Vanuatu resort says a group of youths have caused millions of dollars worth of damage and lives could have been lost through their alleged arson.
Hugh Lowe says the group has been harassing him and his resort on Tanna for months.
The latest incident forced him and around 20 tourists to leave for the capital of Port Vila.
He told Koro Vaka'uta what's been happening.
HUGH LOWE: There was an incident about maybe two months ago, they were demanding money and of course they weren't given it because they had no right to, and they burnt a Chinese contractor's truck. They were taken to the police station by the chiefs, they were identified. But the police down here unfortunately have been inefficient for a long time, they really don't do anything. They were released, they weren't charged. Exactly the same group a couple of weeks later came and in broad daylight - not at all ashamed of being seen - torched five of my bungalows, at a time when we were full with guests. Again nothing has been done by police. The same group came back and had an attempt to clean the place up completely and almost succeeded and if it weren't for my loyal staff it would have happened. So that's what's happening. The problem is quite clearly ineffective policing on Tanna.
KORO VAKA'UTA: How much damage was done to your resort?
HL: Just the replacement cost of the main of the building, I've lost a fleet of quads. It's in excess of two hundred million vatu worth, that's about 2 million American dollars, it's huge. That's without loss of income, without the huge damage it will be doing to the tourist industry as well.
KV: Have you feared physical harm, your safety as well, as well as that of tourists?
HL: We hadn't up until this last incident. We thought that they were a group of youths and I expected they must have been drunk or something like that. If they had been dealt with straight away maybe I'd have had nothing to be concerned about. This was out of the blue and at night and could easily have resulted in serious deaths. Our resort again was full. I wasn't evacuated out, I chose actually to leave, because there was no point in trying to protect property when I am quite certain that lives are at stake.
KV: You weren't evacuated, but the other tourists were, by officials or did they just leave on their own account?
HL: Not by officials. We organised all of that. I think the Australian embassy were also involved. We had some New Zealand police who were over here, trying to improve the standard of policing on the island. They were extremely helpful. The local police probably still wouldn't have reacted if it wasn't for the New Zealand boys that were there.
KV: Why do you think they've been so persistent with the trouble-making?
HL: Because they are quite proud of the fact that the police can't do anything to them. The police haven't acted in the past. I've been saying for two years that it's absolutely crucial that they improve the standard of policing, now that tourism is becoming quite widespread on Tanna. It's not a particularly developed island but it is a beautiful place, with beautiful people, and good people on it but being spoilt- as can happen anywhere in the world - by a bad element of only a few people.
Hugh Lowe says he hopes to return to the island soon.
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