From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 1, March 2003.

The Auckland-based Taimi ‘o Tonga newspaper was declared by the Tonga government to be a prohibited publication on February 26.

The bi-weekly Tongan-language newspaper, which is published and printed in Auckland and has a Tongan circulation of over 2,000 copies, was declared a prohibited import by Tonga’s Chief Commissioner of Revenue under Section 34 of Tonga’s Customs and Excise Act.

The Tongan Prime Minister’s Office, in a press release following the ban, claimed that the paper had, “ruthlessly campaigned for the overthrow of Tonga’s Constitutional Government and…incited disaffection among the people of Tonga”.

But the move left the Tongan government in a vulnerable position for fierce criticism from abroad for its heavy-handed action on the media.

There was no specific reason given for why it was important to suddenly put a ban on the Taimi at that time.

The explanation that the Taimi was a foreign paper, owned and published by a foreigner with a political agenda; and that the Taimi’s standard of journalism was unacceptable; was taken by most people to mean that the paper was being banned for political reasons.

However, the author of the press statement, ‘Eseta Fusitu‘a, the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Cabinet, later argued against this, saying, “the claim that criticism of government is basis for prohibiting importation of Taimi ‘o Tonga is false.”

The statement also asserted, “Any useful discussion of the journalistic performance of the Taimi ‘o Tonga can only be done by those who read Tongan and are regular readers of the paper. This unprofessionalism has long robbed the people of Tonga of their right to correct, unbiased and balanced information about the work of their parliament… Those who are opposed to the Taimi ‘o Tonga’s political views are the focus of scrutiny, [while] others with criminal and dubious financial records, who are allied to the Taimi  ‘o Tonga are not exposed to similar scrutiny…and ridicule.”

Sued

The Taimi ‘o Tonga was first established in Tonga in 1989 by Kalafi Moala a Tongan national, but a naturalised American citizen.

After a few years in Tonga, Kalafi wound up his original publishing house, moved his operation to Auckland, New Zealand, and formed a new company. He continued to have an office and reporting staff in Nuku‘alofa.

Since the Taimi ‘o Tonga moved its base from Nuku‘alofa to Auckland it began to have a number of run-ins with the Tongan government. Operating from a long range its writers in Auckland felt free to irritate not only the Tongan government but other individuals in Tonga as well. Kalafi’s proxy editor in Tonga was sued for defamation and libel on many occasions by government, while Kalafi roamed free in Auckland.

It is time out now for the Taimi ‘o Tonga but Kalafi was reported to vow that he would fight the ban.