101 East

Fiji: Destroying Paradise

We investigate a Chinese developer accused of ruining land and intimidating locals as it builds Fiji’s biggest resort.

Fiji is sold to tourists as the land of white sandy beaches and clear blue waters but a new resort development is threatening the Pacific nation’s idyllic image.

A Chinese-owned company is building a casino hotel on Malolo Island, near a world-famous surf break.

Landowners claim that without any permits or permission, the company has ripped up 5,000 square metres (53,820 square feet) of the ancient reef, ploughed through a mangrove forest used by locals to source food, and illegally encroached on their property.

101 East investigates how one of the country’s biggest resort developments is wreaking havoc on Fiji’s pristine environment.

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