From Brando's Atoll to the
Brando Hotel
Some kinds of stories are much more difficult to tell
than others. The next one is theirs. Effectively, that's the death sentence of
a magical atoll what it is.
We are talking about a place
that was a royal Ma'ohi residence before
evangelization; it was the accomplished dream of a Marlon Brando; it was
until the early 2010s, the natural setting of a paradise for birds, fish,
plants and many other natural species of Polynesia…
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| The welcome at The Brando Hotel before Dick Bailey |
To
have stayed on the atoll a few years ago, while the reception and accommodation
were still operated by Marlon Brando's family and some local employees, I can
attest to the warmth of home, the wild beauty of the place
completely preserved... But also the fact that the place was open to all,
without discrimination of any kind.
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| Atmosphere at the heart of The Brando Hotel in 2001 |
Tetiaroa was, indeed, a favorite destination (because nearby) and
quite affordable for the people of Tahiti and Moorea.
The end of a
world
All it took was for the meeting between crooked
politicians, whose interests are to define in this file, and a dubious reputed
businessman, for the atoll of Tetiaroa is removed shamelessly from resorts
accessible to Polynesians and to common tourists, in order to be reserved only
to a few hypothetical billionaire customers...
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| Gaston Flosse and Dick Bailey, makers of an ecological scandal |
An official vocation that
seems compromised if one considers that, at the opening of The Brando Hotel in July 2014, not one of the guest stars, even so displayed in flashy
press, was present. An inauguration yet announced to great fanfare and strangely
disappeared from calendars without explanation... Wouldn't the offer correspond
at all with the requirements of these ladies and gentlemen, or would the many
issues, raised by the opposition and the very existence of this hotel,
encourage the stars to keep themselves away in order to preserve their image?
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| The Brando Hotel for the advertising |
What is certain is that by
itself, the price of the outward and return flights Tahiti-Raiatea would
suffice to keep out Polynesians wanting to go green: until 31 March 2015, the
outward-and-return journey (2 x 20 minutes) costs you € 298.50. Thereafter, the
rate will increase to € 597 per person for the same trip! Note that the flight
takes 15 minutes, including takeoff and landing…
But beware: to take your
ticket, you have to justify booking a night at least. And to do that, it takes
a minimum of € 3,000 per night for 1 or 2 people ... This rate may increase to
€ 9,000! But, of course, add all meals, drinks, and various priced activities
available on site.
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| All about for the environment“, said the developer |
Yet that’s neither the worst
nor the most disturbing.
The Brando Hotel
and environment
The first scandal of The
Brando Hotel, and the one that angered the true conservationists, from the
birth of the project, is the planned destruction of a previously pristine
atoll.
We will not go into the
details of the already done damages, or those inevitable. To access all the
practical and scientific information, we can only invite you to visit regularly
and carefully "The Brando-Apocalypse Now "
webpage.
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| Lagoon and coral reefs, destroyed by the works |
However, it is essential to
inform the public the following few points.
Why an association of
so-called protection of the environment was created from scratch at a time when
many environmentalists’ voices began to speak out against this project? An
association that is, one wonders why, the only authorized by the sponsor to
monitor the environmental situation on the atoll of which, and curiously, the
Bureau members who move all closer to the said-promoter? This association,
totally independent and objective course (!), is called "Tetiaroa Society"; its founder (who is also the secretary) is,
quite by chance and without any ulterior motive, the same developer of The Brando
Hotel, a certain Dick Bailey ... You said neutrality and independence!
The real picture, as for the impact of the hotel on the environment
The association, oriented
environmentalist, "Tetiaroa Society" has a website which, like its
Facebook page is in English and the only other available information relating
to the web seems to be on this link: http://www.pacificbeachcomber.com/projects/tetiaroa/tetiaroa-society/. A link that leads to the site of Pacific Beach
Comber, i.e. the promoter's company ... Therefore, it is reasonable to have
very serious doubts about the independence and objectivity of this association.
Like about its objectives, besides...
The
Objective: TETIAROA must be concreted
The Brando Hotel has already
benefited from several billion Pacific francs, and yes: you read well billions,
within the framework of the tax exemption. In other words, some public money
for a private operation … But this is other shutter, just as shocking, about
this affair which we shall soon open in a new article.
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| How The Brando Hotel respects the environment |
The developer's real project
is to build a series of great luxury pavilions to be sold to a few billionaires
seeking paradisiac isolation. For this purpose, work has already begun. No
building permit or authorization of any kind was ever received, apparently. In
other words: illegally. Especially since, remember, the developer does not own
these motu but is only tenant...
Again, everything is done in
the most total opacity with the active complicity of Polynesian public
(political) authorities and Marlon Brando's heirs. And of course at the expense
of the population, really owner of these places...
What will be the appearance
of these bungalows? What is their real impact on the fragile environment of the
atoll in the short and long term? Why this very large real estate project
doesn't appear nowhere in the service of urban planning and rural development
in Polynesia? How could the works begin without a prior impact assessment, and
nobody cares?
Stolen images, a few weeks
before the inauguration
Yet, therein lays the real
issue of all this fully dubious financial and real estate operation, conducted
by and for the benefit of the Pacific Beach Comber Society.
Politics,
money and the law
The issue of private
property, maritime domain and the public domain is the basis of a recurring
debate in French Polynesia. But things do not seem so complicated if we stick
to the texts, that they are governed by international maritime law, French law
or Polynesian law.
Thus, in the case of an
atoll as Tetiaroa, only the land surface may be covered by private property,
knowing that the line drawn by the sharp point of the highest known tide line
means the beginning of the public domain. This rule under international
maritime law thus allowing free access to the reefs, lagoons and beaches.
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| Tetiaroa, the end of a world |
The proof is an annex to the
long lease transferring the usufruct of the atoll to Marlon Brando, a document
prepared by the service of the mortgage of Polynesia dated October 26, 1966,
states in full: "Mr. Marlon Brando
also recognizes formally the public domain of the reef surrounding the atoll
and its inner lagoon where access by sea remain free. "
It is therefore reasonable
to ask why this commitment does not apply to Tetiaroa today... That's the case
though.
Fishermen
banned from the public maritime domain!
Indeed, fishermen see their
access and use rights, subject to the whims of the management of the hotel
company! Worse: an area of the lagoon has been declared by the decree of the
Council of Ministers No. 951 CM of June 26, 2014, prohibited fishing zone
without consulting fishermen. But the hotel allows customers to fish and take
pictures with their catch. So what right?
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| You said: prohibited fishing in this area? |
Worse: a site dedicated to
promoting tourism publishes pictures of the Brando Hotel's guests posing with a
huge catch, at the very heart of this area, supposedly protected!
It must be said that monitoring
of the entire atoll, private and public spheres, is ensured by security guards
hired and paid by the hotel and ... Why, again, what right?
Regrettably, this is not the
most important point.
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| Fishermen of Arue are angry |
From 2009, the Union of
Fishermen of Arue has striven against the private operation of the atoll of
Tetiaroa. It must also be pointed out that this lagoon has always been a vital
reserve for anglers fishing in the municipality. Again, the obvious collusion
of politician and promoter averted
these intruders. And again, through a decree of the Council of Ministers, that
is to say, without the hassle of a debate and a vote of the Assembly of French
Polynesia...
This is Order No. 952 CM of 26 June 2014.
Besides the various rules governing fishing in the lagoon of Tetiaroa, this
text formalizes the creation of a "committee of management of the maritime
space of Tetiaroa." That’s something we can only applaud a priori.
Except...
Here, fishing area strictly prohibited...
Except that the geographical
reality is this: the lagoon is 86% of the total area of the atoll of Tetiaroa.
Therefore, it's not understandable why the fishermen have barely three
representatives on the "Management Committee of the maritime space of the
atoll of Tetiaroa" for four selected by the developer himself, who is just
tenant of 14% of the whole. This distribution of seats is so much aberrant (if not downright outrageous), that the
representative of the group of fishermen of Arue, Gérald Grand,
resigned from the said committee, not
seeing at all what his presence could well serve ...
After all these already more
than unsettling elements by themselves, we have to mention the very special
situation of a very dangerous character (!), threatening very seriously the
safety of people and property on the atoll of Tetiaroa: I mean Teiki Pambrun...
Teiki Pambrun:
fearsome pirate or lagoons' Don Quixote?
It's been three years since
the aquatic fauna and flora of Tetiaroa are terrified by the presence of a
sailing traditional livable dugout in the lagoon of the atoll. An obvious
aggression for the environment and the future of this paradise: you need only look at the pictures to see
this! And, above all, a considerable
inconvenience to customers and staff of the hotel Brando...
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| The dugout of mass destruction of lagoons...… |
Let us recall that in the lease between the hotel’s
developer with the heirs of Marlon Brando, only a part of the atoll is
considered private. Remember also that the reef, the lagoon and the land
surfaces (up to the line of the highest known tide) is in the public domain.
The meaning of "public ", in our dictionary is: accessible to all ...
This rule is clearly established in international maritime law as in the French
law or the Polynesian legislation.
Teiki Pambrun, Tetiaroa's friendly squatter, seen by Lolo Lachiparmentier
A rule also confirmed,
although restricted by the Ministerial Decree No. 952 CM of June 26, 2014
already cited. Except that now, seized by the ineligible Gaston Flosse while he
was still president of the government of French Polynesia, the Court of First
Instance of Papeete decided September 23, 2014, nominally, that the captain of
the dugout, cited above didn't have the right to approach within 10 km from the
Brando Hotel. In other words: a Polynesian citizen no longer has the right to
access the public domain of Tetiaroa lagoon!
But who is this bloodthirsty
pirate who terrorizes the authority and the developer, by murdering in a
permitted fishing zone, at least one fish per day to feed his family? And who
is his formidable crew?
When Teiki Pambrun
made his "Grand
Houit”( Grand Huit)"
His name is Teiki Pambrun
and he's sailing with his 12 years old daughter Temanu and his girlfriend, Teae...
not to mention Lady, the terrifying Dalmatian!
Hopeless pacifist and advocate
of the environment, he’s especially known for creating, at Moorea, the first
Polynesian lagoonarium, an educational place with a wonderful underwater trail
particularly popular with teachers and their students.
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| Teiki Pambrun, the eco-terrorist who shakes the promoter |
This debonair-smiled sexagenarian
is also the designer and builder of Hitiura, the beautiful traditional sailing
dugout that serves as a primary residence. And about this wonderful boat, it's
important to note that it was designed and constructed here with the utmost
respect for environmental standards. Thus, it produces its fresh water,
recycles its wastes, provides energy and, don't forget, it's floating under
sail... Can we compare the environmental impact of the ship on the atoll of
Tetiaroa with that of The Brando Hotel: reef destruction, deforestation of motu, coral damages and extraction, etc.?
...
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| Treat yourself to a dwelling dugout designed by Teiki Pambrun |
Let's be serious. But, alas,
what can do our Don Quixote of lagoons face the weight of the collusion between
a developer with a reputation more than doubtful and a totally corrupt
political power, in the image of its leader Gaston Flosse, sentenced to
repeatedly on charges of corruption and misuse of public funds ?
Let's save
Tetiaroa!
At the risk of being evicted
forcibly at any time by the security forces, Teiki Pambrun simply wants to
witness the atrocities committed on this wonderful place that was Tetiaroa.
Thus, for example, to report that the construction of villas for millionaires
began without impact study or any building permit, shows in fact the purpose of
this strictly estate transaction...
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| Lady cries over: « we must save Tetiaroa!!” |
Only Teiki, Temanu, Teae and
Lady can do nothing for the atoll of Tetiaroa.
But ... Imagine... that the
social networks are flooded with messages of support, that the page of
"The
Brando-Apocalypse Now" amasses
thousands of "likes", that
a petition without borders is organized and expands on
the Internet, that big-hearted browsers come to cast beside Hitiura, as the international media finally do the echo
of the scandal ...
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| Tetiaroa How long... |
So, we can dream that might
be saved Tetiaroa, that no more
Polynesian atoll might suffer
further harms of profit and corruption, that the Polynesians might find
their enjoyment of paradise, what requires so much work and energy to feed simply a family...
That depends on you.
An article
of Julien Gué
Translated from French by Monak
See also:
Tetiaroa, the island of Marlon Brando, an article by Julien Gué;
The Brando Apocalypse now, the Facebook page that tells you all about what
happens in Tetiaroa
Copyright Julien
Gué. Ask for the author’s agreement before any reproduction of the text or
the images on Internet or traditional press.
