Ta’ofi ‘e Tupou VI a Tonga mei he CEDAW

‘Etita,

‘Oku fakafeta’i mo fakamalo ‘a e Tonga kotoa pee ki he ‘Otua ‘i he lava lelei mo faka’ofo’ofa ‘a e hilifaki kalauni ‘o e Tama Tu’i ko Tupou VI ‘i he ngaahi uike ni. Na’a ku tokanga mo mahu’inga’ia ‘aupito ‘i he taimi na’a ne fuakava ai ke tauhi ‘a e Konisitutone mo e Lao ‘o Tonga ke ma’oni’oni. ‘Alu ‘a ‘eku manatuu ki he uike atuu ‘i he ‘ene tu’utu’uni ki he Kapineti ke holomui meihe teu fakamo’oni ‘a Tonga he CEDAW, he ko e toko tahamano tupu ‘o e kakai ‘o Tonga ni na’a nau tohi tangi ange ke ‘oua ‘e kau ‘a Tonga ni ‘i he CEDAW, pea koia pe foki ‘oku ‘i ai ‘a e mafai fakalao ke fakahoko ha talite, fakatatau ki he Kupu 39 ‘o e Konisitutone ‘o Tonga ni.

‘E ‘i ai pe foki ‘a e ta’efiemalie pe loto mamahi lahi ia ‘a e kau poupou ‘o e CEDAW ‘i ha ngaahi ‘uhinga kehekehe pee, kau ai koe konivesio ‘a e CEDAW kae ‘ikai koha talite. ‘Oku mahu’inga ‘aupito ke tau toe fekumi lahi mo lelei ange ki hono ‘uhinga ‘o e konivesio mo e talite, he ko e ongo lea ni ‘oku na ‘uhinga tatau pee. Totonu foki ke ‘oua ‘e fai ha holomui ‘a Tonga ni ia ‘i hono fokotu’u ‘a e ngaahi lao ke a’usia ‘a e taumu’a fungani ke ‘oua ‘e fai ha filifilimanako fekau’aki mo e totonu ‘a e kakai fefinee, hangee ko e ‘property/land rights’, ka ko e ngaahi totonuu kuopau ke fakatatau pee mo e lau ‘ae Folofola.

‘I he uike faka’osi ‘o Sune ‘o e ta’u ni, na’e hanga ai ‘e                                                                                                                      he Fakamaau’anga Lahi (Supreme Court) a’e US ‘o faka’ataa ke mali pe ha fefine moha fefine, pehee kiha tangata moha tangata, neongo ‘oku te’eki tali ‘e ‘Amelika ‘a e CEDAW, hangee ko Tonga ni, pea te’eki tali ia ko e lao ‘e he Fale Alea ‘o e US, ka ko e faka’uhinga’i fakalao ia ‘o’enau Konisitutonee. Ko e lesoni lelei ‘aupito ‘eni ke tau tokanga lelei kiai na’a huu mai ha lao pehee (hangee ko e US) ‘o tali ‘i Tonga ni. Ko e me’a malie ‘eni pe ‘e veteki fakalao feefee’i he kuo ‘osi kamata ke fai ‘a e ‘eke fakalao ia ‘a e kakai US ‘e ni’ihi ke fakangofua ke mali ha fefine ‘e ua moha tangata pee ‘e tokotaha, he koe totonu ia ‘a e ongo fafinee kena mali pee, pea na toe mali moha tangata. Toe ‘i ai foki mo e onoongo ia ‘e a’u ki he mali tokolahi (polygamy) ‘a e ‘eke fakalaoo, koe’uhii ko e kumi ‘a e ngaahi totonuu takitaha (equality mo e human rights). To e fakaloloma tahaa ko e ma’olunga ange ‘a e totonu ‘a e tangataa ia (hangee ko e same sex marriage) ‘I he ‘ete totonu ki he ‘ete tui faka-lotuu (religious belief rights). Ko e fee leva ‘a e tatau (equality) ‘oku taukave’ii pea mo e totonu ‘a ’ete tui faka-lotuu, ngali ‘oku fai pee ki he lau ‘a e ma’u mafaii.

Kapau ’e fakamo’oni ‘a Tonga ni ‘i he CEDAW, fakataha mo e ngaahi ‘reservations’, he ’ikai lava ‘e Tonga ni ia (neongo ko e fonua tau’ataina kakato – ‘sovereign state’) ‘o matu’uaki ‘a e teke faka-mamani-lahi/UN mo e ngaahi faka’uhinga’i fakalao, ke tau to’o ‘a ‘etau ‘reservations’, neongo ‘a e lotolahi mo poletaki malohi ‘eha ni’ihi ‘e ‘ikai teitei tukulolo ‘a Tonga ni ia kiha fonua pe, UN, he ‘oku tau fu’u si’isi’i. Ko e fonua malohi taha ‘i mamanii ‘a e US, kuo ‘ikai tene lava ‘eia ‘a e ngaahi teke malohi ko’eni mo hono ngaahi faka’uhinga’i fakalao fakaeonopooni (post-modernism/contemporary) ‘o e ‘equality mo e ‘human rights’,  he kuo mu’omu’a ‘a e faka’uhinga’i fakaetangataa ia (humanism) ‘i he lau ‘a e Folofolaa.

‘I ‘Amelika, ‘oku fiefia lahi ‘a e ngaahi kautaha lalahi ‘oku fakatupu mo fale’i hono ngaue’aki ‘o e pa’anga pea mo e laoo, he ‘oku toe ‘i ai ‘a e ngaahi halanga pa’anga fo’ou ‘e ma’u mei hono fakalao’i ko’eni ‘o e ‘same sex marriage’. Ko e pa’anga foki ia ko e sevaniti lelei ka ko e pule fakatu’utamaki, pea ke tau lotu mo hufia lahi ‘a e kakai Tonga kotoa pee ke ‘oua ‘e fakamu’omu’a ‘a e pa’angaa ha taimi ‘i ha ‘ate me’a pee, na’a tau hangee ko Siutasi.  

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