Editor,
I wish to thank Tavake Tohi for a positive comment made that we Tongans overseas are patriotic that I agree with and commend as a proud Australian-Tongan a brief reminder of whom we are and where we are going as Tongans.
As Tongans we are all responsible for the Kingdom of Tonga...s future United we stand but divided we shall all fall ...
those whom ignore history will always be doomed to repeat it again, Tonga...s existence was build on sacrifice, blood, sweat and sometimes tears and vision without sacrifice we become our only worst enemy as was shown on the 16 November 2006. I remind you that Tonga belongs to the lord and it is he whom reigns over the crown, the flag, the land her seas and the sky over the kingdom.
Tonga is already a free and democratic nation it...s constitution was created on those fundamental foundations which Tonga...s history can only testify as a kingdom we are the leader of all nations in the pacific if we loose our Kingship we loose our identity without the monarchy there is no identity without the people there is no country.
Learn from History
In June 1942 Her Majesty the late Queen Salote III introduced Tonga...s first Expeditionary force under Captain Taliai with the help of the United States of America and Pacific allies defended Tonga against a imminent Japanese invasion of Tonga and the Western Pacific in WWII this was our finest hour. Today in the 21st Century we can be so proud of our men & women in uniform of the Tonga Defense Forces whom are now serving abroad in many theatres for peace as an example of what we should be patriotic about just being Tongan.
The late King Taufa...ahau Tupou IV (1918-2006) throughout his reign educated and brought has much prosperity to Tonga thus allowing the Kingdom of become the nation we have all come to know and love around the world, we have seen some dramatic changes improvements in communications, qualifications of the average Tongan increased dramatically it seems 3 out of 5 people now has a degree from University our literacy rate is that of the developed world not bad for little island state like Tonga.
Since 1965 many Tongans began to prosper through education, migration was increased and many Tongans moved overseas to bring prosperity and remittances home as it was in our parents generation today this generation continues to prosper as well. Those Tongans born after 1991 seem to have not realized the sacrifices already made by both the monarchy and those Tongans whom traveled abroad to represent Tonga in the arenas of Sport, Academic achievement, Arts, Music, Sciences, Aviation, Industry and Business it seems we became the email, Ipod, DVD and mobile phone generation ahead of most Pacific nations and doing so well at it thanks to the remittances of not only our families but those contributing nations through foreign aid and capital resources Tonga would never be the same again.
Unfortunately some have changed, we have seen a steady return of expatriate Tongans ex-convicted subjects from United States, New Zealand, Australia and UK returning home in disgrace denied by their parents, families and not wanted by society for their crimes overseas, our Parliament became the quarreling ground for the grievances of many subjects whom disagreed with the order of the day thinking democracy was the answer to their problems yet the issue was not spiritual it was material. The burning of shops, homes and cars was the answer the minority thought would bring us democracy how awfully wrong, we heard no solutions and heard no compromise yet today these people now answer to the very same constitutional laws they quarreled about, how ironic.
Tonga had become a country of the Have and Have Not we had forgotten to share our resources and care for those whom could not care for themselves it was the fundamental principle of love and respect for our fellow Tongans we have known from the very beginning.
We have seen how greed and self ambition without sacrifice brought home the realities that a minority could do leading to destruction, anarchy, lawlessness witnessed by the whole world on the internet and news coverage around the world we were no longer the loving caring Friendly Islands. If we are to learn from these mistakes and move the nation forward it is the responsibility of all of us Tongans both the monarchy and the people to ensure we preserve what we have left in our homeland. The world is changing food, water, mineral resources are now under threat, the global environment and rising sea levels now threatens the Pacific region.
If we wish to be democratic about our nations future prospects it is important we provide constructive solutions to our Monarchy, our Government, our Nobles, our representatives together and only together will we be able to move the nation forward, I remind our younger generation that the Kingdom is in your hands, I encourage our young Tongan people to put forward constructive solutions that will help make Tonga a better Kingdom and a better nation healed from the problems of yesterday to a brighter tomorrow.
My sincere commiserations to the victims that suffered, their families and let us hope for better improvements and that peace and justice will prevail in our homeland because for us overseas Tongans we are all responsible for the kingdom of Toga's future it is in our hands and only together as a unified people can we all prevail as there is always two sides to every story, but for most of us abroad we still remain patriotic and uphold in our hearts and minds which no one can take away from us.
...Ko e ...Otua mo Tonga ko hoku Tofi...a....
God Bless us all
The Kingdom of Tonga its King and its People
Andrew Fifita J.P (NSW) APM, KTSM, ACSC
princeleilanialoha [at] unwired [dot] com [dot] au
