MV Princess Ashika trial, journalism and human rights in Tonga

Four defendants are being tried in the Tonga supreme court over the MV Princess Ashika tragedy. Almost all of those who died were unaware that the ferry was severely corroded. The question is why wasn't the public alerted to this? The media in Tonga, in particular the Tonga Media Council, did not issue a single sentence doubting the seaworthiness of the vessel before it sank. 'Akilisi Pohiva, former newspaper editor, populist politician and secretary of the Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement, told the commission of inquiry that he had informed the minister of finance of his concern over the condition of the vessel. Yet it sailed Tongan waters for a whole month before it sank. According to 'Akilisi he was too busy to go and see the Ashika. But his son Po'oi, who is director of the FIHRDM, should have looked at the Ashika instead. The tabloid-style newspaper Kele'a, which is owned by Po'oi, prospered following the sinking. Its coverage of the tragedy and the sickening photos of the very corroded Ashika, plus all the allegations and finger-pointing made the Kele'a very popular indeed. To be fair the other media companies all profited from the Ashika. But then how can the media here in Tonga discover the un-seaworthiness of the Ashika after just one month of sailing when the FIHRDM has been in existence for over ten years, writing human rights reports while advocating at times outright racism flavoured with traces of human rights jargon. Only the Taimi 'o Tonga newspaper has stated categorically that the FIHRDM is not a human rights organization. The Matangitonga Online should tell its readers what exactly the FIHRDM does, unless of course it too is convinced that the organization genuinely, despite all the evidences, promotes human rights. I wrote last year to the editor of the Talaki newspaper, one of the four major newspaper that is sold in Tonga, expressing my dismay that the FIHRDM continues to portray itself as a human rights organization. No response. That was surprising since the editor is a brother of Fr. Seluini 'Akau'ola, a Roman Catholic priest and intellectual who is conversant with the principles of human rights. Here in Tonga we have several with degrees in jounalism; there is even one with a doctorate but the FIHRDM has no problem with these. In celebrating press freedom day in 2010 the Tonga Media Council not only hosted an invitation-only dinner contrary to previous years, but also decided to honour the 12 journalists  who died the world over while plying their trade. But how about the 74 lives who perished on the Ashika?      

Radio New Zealand correspondent call Tonga's independent members of parliament traitors

Radio NZ correspondent in Tonga, Mateni, wrote in an editorial on 24 December 2010 on page 8 in the Kele'a, the newspaper that he edits, about "these few representatives who betrayed the people." Huge betrayal by Sunia Fili and Fe'ao Vakata" [two of the five independent MPs in the new government] is the headline of Mateni's editorial on 29 December 2010. On page 32 there were two letters to the editor on the same theme under the following headings "We have been betrayed by Fe'ao Vakata" and "Fe'ao Vakata and Sunia Fili are two Judases." In the Kele'a on 5 January 2010, it is "betrayal" "betrayal" "betrayal" in all three letters to the editor. In an article by an anonymous author on page 27, "the five independents...are the Judas of this election." Before the formation of the new government Mateni wrote in the Kele'a on 15 December 2010 of the independent MPs, "if they betray change, all the struggle, sweat and blood that has flowed since the start of this crusade...will be placed on these representatives' heads." Incredibly in the very next sentence he denied that this is a threat. Well done Radio New Zealand!!!

Tonga's human rights organization call independent members of parliament Hispanics

The Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement (FIHRDM) annoyed that independent MPs helped elect a noble as prime minister ran a full-page advertisement in the Kele'a newspaper on 5 January 2011titled "Nobles are smarter in Politics." Initially it labled the independents as "non-independents" and "drifters" in paragraph 1. In paragraph 2 it started with "drifters" then" those dear ones with sleep in their eyes" then it is "like they say in America 'thankfully they have got a miko'." Miko is a term that Tongans in the US use in reference to Hispanics, principally Mexicans; it is probably an abbreviation of amigo. It went on, "clearly the drifters are truly mikos of the nobles; whenever they want cool refreshments then the mikos are summoned; if they want to be comforted, again the mikos are summoned." Miko is mentioned one more time in paragraph 2; three times in paragraph 3, and twice more in paragraph 4; all in the context of being stupid and servile. The FIHRDM is funded from New Zealand by the Christian World Service to promote, believe it or not, human rights in Tonga. The owner of the Kele'a newspaper is Mr. Po'oi Pohiva who is also the director of the FIHRDM.
The office-holders of the FIHRDM are as follows:
Chairman : Rev. Simote Vea [an ordained minister of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga]
Secretary : Mr. 'Akilisi Pohiva [a populist politician]
Director : Mr. Po'oi Pohiva [son of 'Akilisi Pohiva]  

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!

Tongan government acts funny

With democratic election in November this year the Tongan has acted strangely in the past few months. According to newspaper reports it has suspended the issuing of licenses for opening new retail shops to foreigners The retail industry is thriving and right now dominated by the Asian community, mostly Chinese. They open early and close very late at night. On the other hand the buses which are all owned and operated by Tongans stop by late afternoon. On Saturday nights it is not easy to get a taxi. They too are operated by Tongans. The squash industry, where the growers were Tongans and the exporters also Tongans, is now almost non-existent. Most of the small squash farmers still owe lots of money to the Tonga Development Bank. They blame the exporters. No Asians there unless you count the Japanese market. One hundred meters from the Tongan prime minister's residence is a clinic for sick vehicles that is managed by a "motor mechanic" cum magician. I complained to the Ministry of Commerce after this Tongan thoroughly messed up my van. I am still waiting for them to act. Last week I met someone who is also looking for the same guy and is owed more than $1,000. And I have heard of other horror stories about the same magician but he has fled to Vava'u where apparently he continues to practise his craft. The moral to the story is if you are Tongan and cheat but you stay near the PM's house you will get away with it. Lately the Ministry of Revenue has seized, according to a spokeswoman, DVDs from China because of among other things copyright infringements. That has to be the worst joke of the year.

Human rights fraud in Tonga

The Friendly Islands Human Rights and Democracy Movement (FIHRDM), of Tonga, and is generously funded by the Christian World Service from New Zealand is not a genuine human rights organization. Take for instance the riot in November 2006, that evening as Asian owned businesses counted their losses the secretary and deputy chairperson of the FIHRDM declared victory on radio. In 2000 following the George Speight coup in Fiji, the FIHRDM launched its own media campaign against the Asians here which led to verbal abuse and damage to property in that community. The FIHRDM members of parliament once backed a proposal in the House to restrict the awarding of medical scholarships to meritorious women candidates. Lately only one FIHRDM MP voted in favour of ratifying CEDAW. If the FIHRDM is fighting for human rights here in Tonga then Adolf Hitler must have been a champion of the rights of Jews. One job that this organization does every year is write a report on the state of human rights in Tonga to be read by some useless idiots in NZ. I challenge the FIHRDM to contradict this.