Editor,
On 9 December 2007 I posted a Christmas message peace plan on the Internet for the King and the people of Tonga to think about over the festive season. In a very short period of time I have received much feed back. Some of the response was positive, some negative but most was in the middle with comments similar to "Christopher, you have held up an interesting idea, now let it go and set it free."
In those circumstances and because I am the defence lawyer for several of the accused I withdraw my name from the Peace Plan so that others, if they wish to, may take up the concept and shape it in Tongan terms, not those of an outsider whose motives could be misconstrued.
My gift came from my heart but in the end I cannot tell the King, Government or people of Tonga what to do. What I do know however, is that there is nothing stronger than an idea whose time has come. In all of the above circumstances I do the 'opposite of what people expected me to do', I withdraw my name from the Peace plan in the sincere hope that its wings will be strong enough for it to fly on its own.
Christopher Harder
equalizer [at] xtra [dot] co [dot] nz
