Increasing number of criminal deportees arriving in Tonga [1]
Friday, March 6, 2009 - 21:05. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 09:45.
Reports from Tonga's newspapers, February 26 - March 4, 2009. An English translation summary by Tevita Fonua.
The Kalonikali on February 26 quotes Police Commander Chris Kelley as saying that 32 Tongan nationals were deported to Tonga last year, mostly from New Zealand, Australia, and the USA. Some are convicted murderers. There were 28 deportees in 2007 and 18 in 2006.
The Kele'a on March 4 quotes the Minister of Finance Afu'alo Matoto as saying that if he was facing the same predicament as the Minister of Tourism did, he would have resigned. And if he was the Prime Minister, he would have told the Minister of Tourism to go home.
The Taimi on March 4 reports that students and ex-students of Tupou College will celebrate this year the centenary of the first rugby match played by the school. In 1909 Tupou College played Tonga College in what was, arguably, the shortest rugby game ever. The two teams fought straight after kick-off and the game was stopped for good.
And a worrying development within the Tongan community in New Zealand is the rising number of youths who commit suicide. Four last year and two already this year. Of the six, four were Catholics.
The Talaki on March 4 reports that Vava'u People's Representative 'Etuate Lavulavu accuses the Kele'a newspaper of doctoring a photograph to show him standing behind prison bars.
And Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele said that reconciliation should start with the politicians who were at the forefront of the riot in 2006 confessing their involvement. But instead they continued to be obdurate. According to Dr. Sevele, he is now earning less than a third of what he was getting in the private sector.