Former Tongan nationals may now apply for dual citizenship

Dual citizenship applications - Polikalepo Tuaileva: I have been looking out for further information regarding the dual-citizenship legislation since its acceptance in 2006, and the procedures in place for it to work. Your report on this matter today is very informative however the procedure that the Crown Law office has put in place does not appear to be easily accessible to us who live outside of Tonga, whose very interest to be re-instated with our Tongan citizenship was supposed to have been served by this legislation. I am seriously concerned for the lodgment procedure, and the need to be present in Tonga for the interview.
a) The Tongans in the US and the United Kingdom can lodge their applications at the Tongan Consulate General's Offices.
b) Those in New Zealand and Australia and the rest of the world can only lodge theirs at the Crown Law Office in Tonga.
c) Everyone is then required to attend the interview in Tonga.

In our day and age of modern technology the Crown Law Office will benefit immensely from making the forms available “ONLINE” via the Prime Minister's Office's website or the www.matangitonga.to website to host the forms, thus making it readily available to all of us globally. Everyone can then download the forms, have it completed together with relevant documentations ready for lodgment. I would imagine that some kind of a fee will be involved. Perhaps TOP$80/ per person. This payment can be made online to a Crown Law Office Trust account with the Westpac Bank of Tonga. Most people who live overseas can bank-online. With a payment of the exact amount to the account, print off the receipt, attached to the forms and lodged with the Consulate General, or registered post to a P O Box number in Tonga, will certainly simplify the process for people overseas whose very interest is served by this legislation. The interviewing process can also be arranged in the similar manner that renewal/extension of passports are being carried out now, where officers from the relevant departments set up the appointments prior to their arrival in Sydney, Auckland etc.

Once a collective number of applicants have been approved, for example - from Sydney, Australia, a ceremony of taking “the oath of allegiance” can then be organised with officers from the Tonga Crown Law Office, Foreign Affairs and Immigration to be present and officiate at the ceremony. Unless the above procedure can be looked at, or adopt one that's closely related to it, the practicality of having family members in Tonga too involved in the recommended procedure is a recipe for delay and uncertainties. The associated costs of travelling together to Tonga for a family of at least three to attend interviews and oath of allegiance, can take a heavy toll on the family budgets, given that pocket money and accommodation arrangements will have to be taken into consideration as well. People will have to take time off work, at a time to coincide with the Crown Law Office time of appointment, and there's no guarantee that their employers would relieve them from their duty anyway, and that's another obstacle to overcome. At the end of the day, a reasonable person who carries an Australian/ New Zealand Passport will calculate the costs and benefits of going through the Crown Law Office's procedure. On its face value, it can prove to be most costly - and as a result it will be pushed to the backburner, waiting for another opportunity when the budget is a little healthier. It is not a matter of urgency! I believe that many people will only apply to regain their Tongan citizenship because of its sentimental value, that one is a true blue Tongan again.

The Tongan government will stand to lose thousands of dollars in revenue, when people realize that the procedure is too costly - delaying it to another day, and the benefits will not have a major input to their immediate wellbeing and state of affairs, except for their emotions and sense of identity. I hope that the staff of special department for Overseas Tongan Residents at the PM office, the staff of the Minister for Information, staff of Crown Law Office, staff of Department of Foreign Affairs and Immigration will find an opportunity to consider this letter and the constructive suggestions I have put forward. If you can find the merits in this letter - please consider, or otherwise, take the best and leave the rest! I also hope that more Tongans overseas will speak up on this matter, as it will affect our hip-pockets, and ultimately affect our decisions whether to regain our Tongan-ness or not. Faka'apa'apa atu mo e Hufaki - Polikalepo Tuaileva

Procedure to regain Tongan nationality - Linda Folaumoetu‘i, Solicitor General: The procedure is prescribed in the Nationality (Re-Admission) Regulations 2008. Regulation 2(1) provides that every application shall be filed with the Minister for Foreign Affairs or any Tonga Diplomatic or Consular office. The intention was to allow Tongans resident overseas to lodge their application at one of the said offices that is nearest to their place of residence.

I do realise that a large number of Tongans are domicile in New Zealand and Australia and there are no Tonga Diplomatic or Consular offices in these countries. Accordingly, those living in these countries and desirous of being re-admitted to Tongan nationality must lodge their application with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tonga. We acknowledge the writer's suggestions that would simplify the procedure for Tongan residents in New Zealand and Australia. We will take that into consideration in the implementation of the above-mentioned regulations. We are in the process of uploading the application forms on our website that publishes all the laws of Tonga so that any person may download the form from the internet. The address is www.legislation.to. - Linda Folaumoetu‘i, Solicitor General

Tongan citizenship, too expensive - TamaFoa: I have lost a lot of sleep over the Solicitor General's (Linda Folaumoetu'I) kindness to clarify the procedure for re-admission for our Tongan citizenship. To me, at the village idiot level, it is clear as mud. The one-brain cell I have left was very busy wondering about the thinking (tefito'i fakakaukau) and the thought process (fakakaukau'i) behind this new gesture of kindness from the government. As I pulled my last hair trying to understand this process, I said to myself, “Self, does the government in Tonga have a horse farm? Self being the wiser half suspected I am lost again. Self said, “Why?” I said, “It seems every time one of us in the kingdom gets a job with the government, he or she is riding that high and mighty horse, looking down on the rest of us, peasants at serfdom. There is a huge disconnection between them and us.” Self is now beginning to get confused. Self said, “What is your point?” I said, “Do you really expect Polikalepo Tuaileva of Australia and idiots like me in the world will pay thousands of dollars to go back to Tonga just to regain their citizenship?” Self then wisely said, “I don't know. Write to the editor and hopefully, another idiot out there will listen to you.”

At the policy-making level, Cabinet and Parliament, ideas are debated and finalised to become Acts or laws. These Acts or laws then go through the procedural phase at whichever applicable ministry to map out how it will be implemented. For the Re-Admission Regulation, it seems to me those at the staff or procedural design levels or the solicitor general's office are too busy enjoying their horses. For example, the government knows everyone who gave up their Tongan citizenship to become citizens of another country. They should have a database for these people. They know everything about them from their birth certificates. In my case, my information is: TamaFoa, born in Foa, in 1805. In this day and age of broadband internet and information superhighway, regaining one's citizenship can be managed as a one-man job using the mentioned database. This can be done by creating a logon ID and a password for all those who have relinquished his/her citizenship and assumed another country's. Those who want to regain their citizenship can log on to the government website and complete the application electronically and the process will be painless.

For myself to regain my citizenship, I can logon as TamaFoa and Village Idiot as my password and WALLAH! Done! I am a citizen again. For others, their full name and their mothers' maiden name can be used. I am not that smart to think this whole thing through, but a simple process like this will make idiots like me want to grow up and ride those horses. At this point, no thanks. Give the horse to Ha'akame. They sure know what to do with it. Hmmm … oooohh! Yum!! But for the sake of discussion regarding the Re-Admission Regulation, if I work for the government, I will post these questions to my boss before he or she goes to the Cabinet or Parliament to initiate such initiative: Why would anyone wants to regain his or her Tongan citizenship? What good or how beneficial will this be, to the peasant who found a better life abroad? What good will do us? And so on and so on. As these simple questions are asked, a clearer picture of the idea is formed. Then one will wonder if this law or Act will accomplish what was intended in the first place or necessary?

The staff's job is to protect their boss, Cabinet members. The Cabinet members' job is protecting the kingdom to include preventing embarrassing policies. When the staff fails to do their job, the kingdom becomes the laughing stock. The procedure for this re-admission regulation is not only archaic but expensive. The intended audience of this Act may find it too costly to go through the established procedure, therefore making the regulation a public relation gimmick. And we hired all those professionals for this? I am thinking long and hard about this one. Isn't this strange? Those of us who gave up our Tongan citizenship but still loyal from the heart to the kingdom are sending remittance which in turn keeps the economy afloat. And those citizens who burned the country down are sending their money out of the kingdom in the event Tonga becomes part of China. But, someday! When the government is serious by making it convenient for me to apply, when that day comes, I will be a Tongan citizen again by choice, and not by accident or convenience. - TamaFoa

Fihi e loto mo e ‘atamai - Siosiua Moimoiangaha: ‘Oku ou kau he talanoa mo fehu’ia ‘o hange koia ‘oku fai ki ai ‘a e lave kihe “tangata’i fonua ua”, ko e laui ta’u eni ‘a hono fakamafola he ngaahi ongoongo ‘o e mo’ui tokua e Pule’anga Tonga he ngaahi tokoni ‘a e kakai Tonga kuo hevaha he ngaahi fonua muli’. ‘I he taimi tatau pe kuo toe tautea’i kinautolu ‘o ka nau fie tangata’i fonua pe i honau tupu’anga’, toki me’a fakaoli eni. Te tau pehe nai ko e me’a ‘eni na’e totonu ke tu’u e kau fakafofonga ‘o e kakai pe kaila ‘aki e le’o lahi taha ‘o hange koia na’a nau fai he 1611? Kuo fu’u lahi ‘a e heka hoosi ‘a e kau fie’ilo’ilo mo kaaimu’a hange ko e lave ‘a Tama Foa’ kae ‘ikai ke nau ta’utu hifo ‘o sio ki he me’a fakamamahi mo faka’ofa ‘oku nau fetakai ai.

Koeha nai hano faingata’a kapau ‘e pehe ko e kakai Tonga kotoa pe kuo nau liliu muli te nau kei Tonga pe? ‘Oku mahino nai ki he kau fa’u lao he’ikai toe liliu ‘e ha taha ha taha neongo ‘etau takitaha fili ke tau ohi ha ngaahi fonua fo’ou ke tau fokoutua ai. ‘Oku totonu ke fu’u mahino ‘aupito ‘a e fakakaukau ko ‘eni’ he kuo pikoua e tu’a si’i kakai Tonga nofo muli he tanaki pa’anga ke tokoni ki he ngaahi Siasi, ‘apiako/kolisi tutuku, kautaha, kolo, kalapu mo e famali ‘oku nau folaua e ngaahi fonua muli ko e kole pa’anga ki he kakai tatau pe ‘oku nau fie hoko pe ko e tangata’i Tonga. Ko e fo’i palopalema ‘oku tau fehangahangai mo ia ‘oku hange ha hala “Oneway.” Ko e founga ‘oku fai ‘e he pule’anga mo e kau fakafofonga ko e tanaki (fa’o) pe ‘ikai ha toe manatu na’e fai ha pupuha’ia mo feilaulau. Me’a fakaninimo mo’oni ko e fa’ahinga fakakaukau kuo vahevahe mai pea kuo ‘ai ai ‘ene ta’emahino’ mo ‘ene ta’e ‘uhinga. Ta’eoli pea toe faka’ofa. - Siosiua Moimoiangaha

Tangata‘ifonua ua - Rev Ma‘afu Palu: 'Oku ou fie kau fakataha mo e ngaahi le'o kuo 'osi fakaha atu 'enau ta'efiemalie ki he fokotu'utu'ufo'ou ko eni kuo fai 'e he Pule'anga, ki ha founga ke toe fakafoki'aki 'a e tangata'ifonua Tonga kiate kinautolu kuo nau 'osi hoko ko ha tangata'ifonua 'o ha fonua muli. 'Oku taau ke toe fakakaukau'i lelei ange mu'a 'a e me'a ni, he 'oku mo'oni 'a e ngaahi laaulea kuo fakahoko: Ko e ha 'a e toe fiema'u ke fakafuakava'i kinautolu kuo tangata'ifonua/fefine'ifonua muli ka nau toki hoko ko ha tangata'ifonua Tonga? Neongo 'e nofo ha Tonga 'i ha feitu'u pe 'o mamani 'o lea 'i ha fa'ahinga lea pe te ne fili ki ai pea ne hoko ko ha tangata'ifonua 'o ha fa'ahinga fonua pe, 'e 'ikai lava 'e ha me'a ke ne to'o hotau Tonga. He ko hoto Tonga, 'oku 'ikai tu'unga 'i ha'ate fuakava ki ha me'a ke tauhi ki ai, ka 'oku makatu'unga ia 'i hoto tupu'anga …– 'a e fanau'i kita mei ha matu'a Tonga, neongo nai kuo nau nofo 'i muli. Hili ha ngaahi senituli lahi 'o e nofomuli 'a e kau Siu 'o fakamamahia ai kinautolu, ne toki fokotu'u honau fonua 'i he 1948, 'o nau foki hake ki ai. 'Oku 'ikai lava 'e he hoko ko e tangata'ifonua/fefine'ifonua muli 'o to'o ha tupu'anga 'o ha taha.

Ko si'i kakai kuo nau hoko 'o tangata'ifonua muli; 'ikai ko kinautolu ia 'oku nau fakapa'anga 'a 'etau 'ekonomika, 'o tokoni ki hono pukepuke ke 'oua na'a fu'u to lalo 'o hange ko e ngaahi fonua tu'umalie kae masiva 'o 'Afilika? 'Amusiaange 'e au na'e nofo 'etau Potungaue Lao mo e Potungaue ki Muli 'o feinga'i ha fa'ahinga founga ke fakafaingofua'i 'aki 'a e folau mai hotau kakai ki muli ni 'o kumi ngaue ki ai mo nofofonua 'i ai. He ko hono mo'oni, ko 'etau “koloa hu atu” kinautolu (tapu mo kinautolu). Molekemama'o ha'aku tukuhifo 'a e mahu'inga 'o e folau ki muli mo e hoko ko e tangata'ifonua/fefine'ifonua muli. Ka ko 'eku 'uhinga, ka 'oka folau atu ha taha ki muli, pea 'oku hoko 'e ia, ko e ma'u'anga pa'anga hu mai 'a hotau Pule'anga, 'o founga 'i he ngaahi tokoni 'oku fai kiate ia 'e hotau kainga Tonga 'oku nofo 'i muli.

'Ikai foki ia ko ia pe, ka ko e ma'olunga 'a e tu'unga 'o e ta'ema'ungaue 'i hotau fonua, 'o kau ai si'i fa'ahinga kuo ma'u mata'itohi mei he ngaahi ako'anga, 'oku taau ke nofo hifo ai 'etau Potungaue 'i Muli mo e Potungaue Lao 'o kumi ki ha fa'ahinga founga 'e lava ai 'o fakafaingofua'i 'a e hiki atu ki muli, ha fa'ahinga pehe, 'o ma'u ha'anau ngaue ai, ke hoko ko hanau tu'umalie'anga mo fakatafe mai ai ha pa'anga ki he'etau 'ekonomika. He tala'ehai 'oku ai ha 'amanaki ke toe fakalahi e ngaahi ngaue'anga 'i hotau fonua 'i ha taimi vave mai. 'I he tu'u ko ia, 'ikai 'oku lahi e ngaahi ngaue lelei kehekehe 'oku taau ke tokanga ki ai 'etau Potungaue Lao mo e Potungaue ki Muli, kae tukuange ke 'ata'ataa si'otau kainga nofomuli? Tala'ehai 'e lava 'e he'enau tangata'ifonua mo fefine'ifonua muli 'o to'o faka'aufuli honau Tonga. Pea kiate kimoutolu 'oku nofofonua 'i muli, mou tu'u hake 'o ngaue'i 'a e tu'umalie 'a e ngaahi fonua kuo tuku kimoutolu ki ai 'e he 'Otua, 'o 'oua te mou nofo pe 'o fakafalala he ngaahi monu'ia 'oku ma'u mei he ngaahi Pule'anga 'oku mou nofomuli ai. He ko e tu'umalie 'a e ngaahi fonua na, ko ho'omou tu'umalie aipe foki, pea ko e fakatu'umalie aipe foki ia ki hotau ki'i fonua masiva. Faka'apa'apa atu. - Rev Ma‘afu Palu