Government speaks up [1]
Wednesday, February 7, 2007 - 19:55. Updated on Tuesday, April 29, 2014 - 21:01.
Editor,
People tend to identify with certain activities in time with more encouragement. People believe certain things especially in the absence of counter claims. The Demo Movement has been running it's mouth and has been winning supporters with half truths and exaggeration. But as human, we tend to hold on to some kind or type of faith, even if it is the wrong one.
With the lack of and no explanation from the government, there is no other course but to believe the Demos.
The Government of Tonga is blind and deaf if they cannot see or hear what is already taking place in the Kingdom. There has to be a competent government press officer appearing in a regular government TV and Radio program to explain to the people their side of the story.
Without this, the big screen will be occupied by innuantos and half truths that people will believe and based their action on.
The public has just been told in the paper that it's government is going to have to come up with $60 million to buy back Shoreline. More and more of the public no longer push that aside to the "not our concern" file. The educated inquisitive mind will like to know among other things whether their has been an evaluation of Shoreline by an independent and competent firm to determine if it is really worth $60 million. Without an answer from the appropriate authority, it can be very well concluded and justifiably so that this is just another one of those questionable deal to make sure that the owners of Shoreline gets as much as it can from the government.
When the Demos were doing their village hopping campaign, there was no counter from the government. I suggested a forum on TV that would include responders from the government. The Demo was not against the idea. But that was not done. Pangai Si'i went on for more than a year without any effective counter from the government. I recommended to the commanding officers of the Tonga Defence Force several weeks before 16/11 that the government set up tents at Pangai Si'i for its supporters. I heard that was done but too slow and it was late. At the end of the day, as the saying goes, what monkeys hear and see, is exactly what monkeys listen to and did.
I am pleading with the current powers at hand not to relax and fall asleep. 16/11 gave the government another lease in its political life. I hope you will take this time to do the right thing.
The Government can start by explaining to the now more educated, politically active and motivated common people of the Kingdom of Tonga the reasons behind some of it's decisions. Let's start with the Shoreline.
Faka'apa'apa Atu.
Mafi 'o Amerika Samoa
Sione Lousiale Kava