PM says Tonga a playground for criminals [1]
Thursday, October 6, 2016 - 22:06
From the House by Pesi Fonua
This country is a playground for criminals, the Prime Minister, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva warned the Tongan Legislature yesterday, 5 September.
He was very worried and he proposed for a committee to be formed to investigate the Police.
The Prime Minister stressed for Members of Parliament to be aware that the escape of prisoners from police custody is not a new thing for Tonga.
He told of a case that took place just last year, but the two escapees turned up at the airport with passports and left the country. “We should investigate what happened last year!” demanded the Prime Minister.
Lord Fusitu’a reminded the Prime Minister that he is the one that should investigate his ministries.
“This is a problem for us all. It is our responsibility to fix it,” said the Prime Minister.
“Your government has the responsibility. Your Cabinet should figure out how to solve the problems,” Lord Tu’ivakano, the Speaker of the House and the former Prime Minister reminded the Prime Minister.
Foreign Affairs
The Legislature was dissolved into the Whole House Committee.
The chairman said that the bible reading for the day was from the Book of the Philippians.
The Whole House Committee was debating the 2015 Annual Report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Prime Minister is also the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Fresh in the memory of members was a speech by the PM at the UN General Assembly last month, and the most memorable part of his speech was his sympathy for West Papuans.
Lord Tu'i'afitu reminded the Committee that there is a Bilateral Foreign Relationship between Tonga and Indonesia. He wondered what would happen if it was reported to the UN that we had infringed our Foreign Relationship.
He was referring to how the Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly last month had expressed his concern for what he claimed to be the ill treatment of West Papuans.
West Papua is under the control of Indonesia.
Tonga and Indonesia have an established a Foreign Relationship for a number of years and Indonesia has provided aid for Tonga.
Lord Nuku pointed out that Indonesia had already responded that they don’t like Tonga’s interference in their internal affairs.
Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Siaosi Sovaleni however assured the Whole House Committee that Tonga and Indonesia's Foreign Relationship “is still warm.”
Lord Nuku said that the Cabinet was convinced that what the PM did was right, but he was convinced that it clashed with the Constitution. He proposed that they should bring in the Chief Justice to tell them who is right.
The Minister for Fisheries, Hon. Semisi Fakahau, reminded the Whole House Committee that it is normal in the UN for countries to disagree over conventions.
West Papua and Jesus
After lunch and in Whole House Committee the Prime Minister suggested that they should clarify and get over the West Papua issue.
He said that the concern of members was that he infringed the Protocol, but the infringement of protocol was a common behaviour among many great world leaders.
He likened what he did to what the infringement of protocol by King George Tupou I, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther and even Jesus Christ who came down from their high position to help the sick and poor.
“Leadership without morality is due to fail,” said the PM and stressed that he was not talking about sovereignty, he was talking about human rights.
"But you have caused a friction in our relations with Indonesia, and they have reacted," said Lord Nuku.
Russian Mafia
The PM shifted the debate to a different issue and start talking about how the Tongan government, a few years ago was supposed to have made a deal with the Russian Mafia for Tonga to pay $770,000 for two Russian helicopters that were delivered to Tonga. He said that a record of this deal was with the Palace Office.
The Speaker, Lord Tu’ivakano, reminded the PM to stay with his Annual Report.
"Sovereignty is used for criminals to hide under," said the PM "but our responsibility is to keep His Majesty safe."
However, there appeared to be a clash between the PM's personal conviction, and the national convention.
The Chairman of the Whole House Committee called for votes on the 2015 Annual reports of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade. It was carried 17-0.