Global Voices » Tonga

Oceania: Epeli Hau'ofa Has Passed Away

Preetam Rai — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:22:05 +0000

Noted Fijian (Born in Papua to Tongan parents) antropologist Epeli Hau'ofa died on January 11 in Suva, Fiji. The Savage Minds blog links to an essay by Epeli Hau'ofa tha argued against the commonly held assumption that the pacific islands were isolated communities held apart by massive oceans.

Tonga: Muddy Water

Preetam Rai — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 09:22:01 +0000

The Tonga Review writes about a newly commissioned multi-million dollar water system that produces muddy water.

Tonga: Ridiculous Cost Cutting

Preetam Rai — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 16:20:03 +0000

Samiuela LV Taufa writes about a local hospital that takes cost cutting to ridiculous levels.

Oceania: Arc of Instability and the Africanization of the South Pacific

Preetam Rai — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 08:09:38 +0000

Pacific Empire in a guest post at cominganarchy.com looks at the concepts of “arc of instability” and “Africanization of the South Pacific” that some academics and analysts use to describe the instability in the island nations of Pacific Ocean.

Tonga: News Site Closing

Preetam Rai — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 10:50:32 +0000

Samiuela LV Taufa is lamenting over the government decision of closing down the Tonganow news site in Tonga. “I wonder who had the bright idea of closing these guys down for not being politically correct ?”

Tonga: Mobile Phone Upgrade

Preetam Rai — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:29:51 +0000

Samiuela LV Taufa is looking for a higher paying job in order to have the latest mobile phone that everyone seems to be carrying in Tonga.

Tonga: Upgrading Mobile Phone

Preetam Rai — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 06:26:15 +0000

Samiuela LV Taufa is looking for a higher paying job in order to have the latest mobile phone that everyone seems to be carrying in Tonga.

Tonga: Blame Game in Tonga

Preetam Rai — Thu, 23 Nov 2006 07:35:17 +0000

Travel Writer David Stanley at Southpacific.org blog does not agree with Tonga Tourist Association's general secretary who blamed the recent troubles in Tonga on pro-democracy movement.

Samoa: No Peace in Pacific

Preetam Rai — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:33:22 +0000

Fagogo in Samoa lists the latest happenings across the Pacific islands and remarks that the Pacific ocean is anything but pacified.

Tongan Capital Burns

Preetam Rai — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:07:22 +0000

Riots broke out this afternoon in Tongan capital city Nuku'alofa.

Image from Tonga Now Portal

Samiuela LV Taufa on Nomoa.com, a community site in Tonga posted this email

Today we finally hit the bottom of the bucket. It started with the stoning of the Prime Ministers office at 3:30pm and then quickly led to stoning of the Finance Ministry, a smash and grab raid of Molisi Supermarket (PMs private business), smashing of front of Pacific Royale and burning down of the Shoreline offices. This led to the stripping of Leiola Duty Free shop and then burning of Molisi supermarket, ANZ Bank, Tonghua, Taumoepeau family business, …

A market in Nuku'alofa city centre on a regular day

Ms. Vakaivisavosa in neighbouring Fiji Island says the Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele was targetted by the mob because they felt disappointment at the pace of democratic reforms in Tonga. Pro-Democracy groups in the islands want a lesser role for the royal family in running the country. The blogger remembers the 2000 riots in Fiji where the protests ended up in looting.

I am reminded of the riots that took place in Fiji in 2000 where looting became a crime of opportunity and organised gangs of robbers led the smashing of showglass windows and burnt selected businesses.

Chinese businesses were also the target of the mob and the Chinese families who own the shops had to seek refuge in the Chinese embassy.

Nomoa has another post earlier that tried to figure out the mob's objective

We don't know whether this was a politically motivated attack, or whether it was scare-mongering personal by the detractors to government against the Prime Minister and any other scape goat they can blame to increase their own power-base in Tonga. What we do know is that the most high profile properties of the Prime Minister and a few business leaders were primary targets of attacks, with no direct connection to government propriety or accountability.

Ms. Vakaisavosa asks the Fijian government to take a hint from the situation in Tonga.

This explosion of anger in Tonga where representation in parliament and cabinet is reserved for certain bloodlines is a warning to Fiji where life gets harder everyday while the elite visibly get richer and do not seem to notice the discontent and hunger around them. We see increasingly violent and desperate criminals who lurk and prey on the successful for any opportunity to grab at the material goods denied based on the ability to pay.

Whatever the justification for the riots, Samiuela LV Taufa does not agree with the mob's action

All, in all, whatever the justification from the “Democratic Movement” to incite this level of violence against members of society, they surely walk a fine line between Stalinistic and Hitlarian methodologies that justifies the means by the cause.

Tonga: Riots in Tongan Capital

Preetam Rai — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 07:55:08 +0000

Ms. Vakaivosavosa in Fiji has a post on rioting that took place in Nukualofa, the Tongan capital city earlier today. The rioteers were angry at the lack of democratic reforms and they targetted the prime minister's family business. The blogger writes that the riots must be seen as a warning sign in neighbouring Fiji. “This explosion of anger in Tonga where representation in parliament and cabinet is reserved for certain bloodlines is a warning to Fiji where life gets harder everyday while the elite visibly get richer and do not seem to notice the discontent and hunger around them.”

Fiji: Building a Traditional Underground Oven

Preetam Rai — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:39:07 +0000

Peceli blogs about the tradition of building a “lovo” - the traditional underground oven used to cook communal meals in the South Pacific. “In Australia we can’t make a lovo in your back yard without permission from the local council and the Fire Prevention Officer. The ruling is if we have a small back yard you don’t make the lovo close to the fence – at least 2 metres away. It’s good manners to talk also to your neighbours because there will be smoke. Making a lovo early in the morning is a good idea.”

Tonga: Tonga and Nationalism

Preetam Rai — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 18:44:45 +0000

Tongan native Samiuela LV Taufa compares the Australians with the Tongans on their respective ideas of nationalism and belonging. “As I understand Tongans, we're only truely nationalistic when it is to contrast/combat another national. Whereas we seem to identify much closer to our inner community (township, school.) Of the Australians I grew up with, they would identify themselves closer to their ‘nationality' than with their township.”