Police minister concerned that NZ Aid interferes with politics [1]
Monday, March 20, 2000 - 11:00. Updated on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 12:19.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 1, March 2000.
Minister of Police, Clive Edwards said he was concerned about reports that New Zealand was going to fund Tonga’s Pro Democracy and Human Rights Movement, and he believed that it would interfere with Tonga’s political stability.
“It has got to the stage now, when I saw the Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs for New Zealand saying that they had to review the aid for Tonga and look at the aid question very closely on whether to increase it or reduce it, and that would depend on how quickly we changed to a democratic system. It was also in the paper, they say that they will provide aid for the Pro Democracy and Human Rights Movement in Tonga. They will give direct aid to help them hurry up the process. That, I regard as an interference in the politics and the system of another country. They think that because they aid this country therefore they have the right to have a say in the determination of the affairs of this country. It is unfortunate, that there is a desire to interfere with local politics, it is very unfortunate,” said Clive. ▲