Dear Editor

Thank you for the excellent coverage and the various fora for views and opinions.

Now that the strikers are back at work, can I throw this into the mix. Bringing about the socio-political change in Tonga calls for a parallel sea-change in our attitude to the deep-seated issues of rank, class, power and status. Conversely it will be more difficult if we do not address how Tongans regard each other across and within the "class" lines. In the very existence of class may well be part of the new frontier.

I have read enough correspondence in these columns to be convinced that as long as you consider yourself a commoner, you will think, act and behave like a commoner. That is that you will accept your lot as being at the bottom of society, to be trampled on and to bear the brunt of whatever the consequences are - and you're to do this without quibbling. In fact this is being held up as a Tongan virtue - fa'akataki or to bear beyond expectations.

At the other end of the hierarchy this attitude will only encourage them to continue to think, act and behave like the nobles and royalty. It would appear, however, that this exists only if both parties are mutually agreeable. The seachange requires debate and discussion especially amongst the ranks of those who're seeking a more just society.

By the way, how does the word commoner resonate with any of you? And why is it that commoners of high socio-economic status are now referred to as though they're of the nobility or better? And shouldn't the People's Representatives in Parliament more properly be called Commoners' representatives in the House? Why the 'elevation' of rank on this occasion only? I'm sure that we can think of more examples and its inevitable that current attitudes have crept into the language and none more so than "insulting" a commoner by attributing to him or her in language more fitting of a noble or royalty.

I won't go into the dress-code because that's another issue as it's enough of a start that we look at how language has helped to reinforce Tongan attitudes to hierarchy as well as to the aspirations of the commoners in Tongan society. I think it has also cemented at least psychologically, the place of those who are less common!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see "being Tongan" or fakaTonga being described here by some of your correspondents in a way that is more to do with what is expected of a commoner to behave. Implicit in that definition is the expectation that a commoner will be ostracised if he/she is seen to step out of line - and more often than not, the pointing fingers are usually those of fellow commoners.

There's whole raft of abusive terms prefixed with "fie" (wannabes in today's lexicon) such as fieme'a, fie'eiki, fiema'olunga, fieha to rein in anyone who may stray into the upper classes! Yes, what a powerful set of tools that we've inherited and adopted to keep one in one's place. One can only imagine what this does to one's self-image.

I'm raising the issue because along with the changes to come will be the new language that will help to define more clearly - and I hope more elegantly - who we are and what we are about.

Sef Hao'uli

Auckland

New Zealand

Sefita Hao'uli sefita [at] paradise [dot] net [dot] nz