Radio Australia's Bruce Hill fail to confront racism in Tonga

Radio Australia "Pacific Beat" Bruce Hill is in Tonga and interviewed populist politician 'Akilisi Pohiva but did not raise with him the mere fact that 'Akilisi is portraying himself as a defender of human rights and is secretary of the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement which is funded from New Zealand; yet is more commonly associated in Tonga with slurring the Asian community here. The Pohiva family owned newspaper, Kele'a, once reported that the Chinese here go to the beach on Sunday. But surprise! surprise! the Kele'a employees were caught working on Sunday without the necessary permit. Then editor Tavake Fusimalohi informed the world of the unfair treatment meted out to them. Bruce is either trying to please Mr. Pohiva or is just too foolish; an illness that seem to infect other so-called Pacific correspondents.   

Dirty politics in Tonga

There has so far been one case of drty politicking in the run up to Tonga's first ever democratic election on November 25. The Kele'a, a tabloid-style newspaper that is owned by the director of the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement, has accused one candidate of dancing one night without underpants. The paper's source is someone who dranked kava. Anyone who has been high on kava knows what the beverage can do to your senses. The candidate denies the story and claims to have more witnesses on his side. The Kele'a in its latest issue is waving the race card. It is scaremongering at its worst, "In future we will become labourers to these foreigners [Chinese]. Our descendants will be economic prisoners." Not bad for a paper that is owned by someone who is paid by the Christian World Service of New Zealand to promote human rights in Tonga!