The National Boating Association of Maldives (NBAM) called today for a fair investigation into a confrontation that occurred underwater among a group of foreign divers in the Maldives.
In a statement, the association expressed concern regarding the incident involving individuals associated with the diving teams of the liveaboard "Maldives Legend" and "Infinity X" visible in a video circulated on social media, stating its belief that relevant authorities must conduct a complete and serious investigation into this matter impartially.
NBAM urged the boating and diving sector of the Maldives to refrain from pointing fingers at one another internally, from making hasty decisions before the facts are clarified, and from making various allegations.
NBAM also stated that no party should attempt to damage the reputation of the entire Maldivian boating and diving industry due to the actions of specific individuals, or depict the Maldives as an unsafe destination for diving.
NBAM called upon the police, the Ministry of Tourism, and other relevant institutions to conduct a complete, fair, and transparent investigation into how this incident transpired.
According to NBAM, in addition to this incident, concerns exist regarding foreign vessels operating tourism activities within Maldivian territorial waters under the cover of companies registered in the Maldives without adequate Maldivian ownership, participation, or managerial role.
The statement noted that NBAM is aware that "Infinity X" was previously operated as a foreign vessel and that, following regulatory changes regarding the localization of vessel operations, the vessel was transferred under the structure of a company registered in the Maldives.
However, according to NBAM, questions and concerns have arisen over the extent of genuine Maldivian participation and managerial control within the current setup.
NBAM also stated that discrepancies exist between details on the official register of the Ministry of Tourism and figures disclosed regarding the capacity of the vessel "Infinity X" on popular global booking websites.
The association also condemned attempts to portray the Maldives as an unsafe destination for diving based on a specific incident or the actions of specific individuals.
A video surfaced last week showing a group of foreign divers attacking a Chinese diving instructor near "Kudarah Thila" in ADh. Atoll, a famous diving spot in the Maldives, engaging in a major underwater confrontation. The confrontation occurred last Wednesday.
At a time when a large number of divers were gathered in the area, a foreign diver hit and pushed a Chinese instructor, and also struck him with his fins. During this confrontation occurring 18 meters underwater, the attacker attempted to pull off the Chinese instructor's oxygen mask.
