Matangi Tonga, Vol. 18, No. 3

An eight-member team from the Pacific Conference of Churches was in Tonga from December 4 to 8.

The team is an advisory committee to the World Council of Churches on issues in the Pacific islands who were in Tonga on a fact finding mission.Rev. Simote Vea, the General Secretary of the Tonga National Council of Churches, is a member.

While in Tonga they were particularly interested to find out how the Media legislation, which had been passed by the House, and rumoured to have been enacted by King, would hamper the work of the media in Tonga.

The group wanted to find out to find out if the government would monitor the sermons that are preached by church ministers in public places and in the pulpit.

Rev. Simote Vea said that sermons tend to be prophetical and they are worried that with the new draconian law restricting free speech, if government will try to prosecute church ministers who are prophesying things which may sound anti-government.