Tourism authorities in Palau have launched an investigation after a Taiwanese musician alleged that he and a dive professional had been assaulted under water by a South Korean dive-guide – who in turn claims that he was acting in self-defence.
The underwater altercation involving Song Jianzhang, a member of a Taiwanese ‘mandpop’ group called Nan Quan Mama, occurred at a depth of around 30m at popular dive-site Siaes Corner, west of Koror, on 9 October.
Song, a singer and drummer also known professionally as Devon Song or Dan Tou, alleged that he had been struck and that the diver responsible, identified in media reports only as Romeo, had attempted to remove his dive-mask while he was under water.
The musician subsequently shared footage on social media of the second part of the encounter involving his own dive-guide, and reported the incident to police, according to Taiwanese media outlets.
Song alleged that Romeo had approached his group under water and struck his mask before attempting to remove it. The musician said that he had resisted and that his dive-computer had been lost in the ensuing struggle.
He further alleged that when his own dive-guide, Bangladeshi national Sobuj Patwary, had intervened, Romeo had turned on him, pulling at his mask and fins and interfering with his regulator.
The dive-centre that employed Patwary alleged that he had been repeatedly targeted and had experienced difficulty breathing after the interference with his equipment. The centre had also reported the incident to Palau’s police and Division of Maritime Law Enforcement (DMLE) and supplied information about the encounter.
Another perspective
Romeo has given a substantially different account. In a statement reported by news outlet Jimu News on 13 October, he claimed that the group of divers that included Song and Patwary had entered the area occupied by his own group, who were secured by reef hooks. He said that the arriving group had ignored hand-signals directing them away.
Romeo, who has described himself as an experienced diver, alleged that Patwary subsequently approached him aggressively, pushed him and struck his mask with his head. He said that he had responded by pushing back.
He also acknowledged attempting to take a camera during a later confrontation, and said that a fin had come off during the struggle. He maintained, however, that he had not initiated the physical altercation and had been attempting to manage what he regarded as an intrusion into his group’s diving area.
The accounts have not been independently reconciled, and the precise sequence of events remains unclear. Palau’s Bureau of Tourism and Koror State Government confirmed that they were aware of the incident and were working with the relevant authorities to investigate.
According to a statement in the Jimu News report, anyone directly involved in the confrontation was to be temporarily suspended from diving and tourism-related duties while the investigation continued.
The authorities stressed that this was a precautionary measure intended to protect visitor safety and did not constitute a determination of fault or wrongdoing. They said that further action would be considered after the investigation had concluded.
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