Prince Mired seeks Tonga's support to ban land-mines [1]
Saturday, October 8, 2011 - 09:35. Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2013 - 09:54.
HRH Prince Mired Bin Raad Al-Hussein of Jordan, during a welcome from the Tonga Red Cross in Nuku'alofa yesterday, said that he looked forward to Tonga supporting a humanitarian cause that aims at saving lives and bettering the lives of people who have been injured and suffered from a terrible weapon - land mines.
Visiting Tonga from October 5-8 the prince also met with Tonga's Prime Minister Lord Tu'ivakano to seek Tonga's support for the Anti Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which Tonga is not a signatory to.
Prince Mired, the Special Envoy for the Anti Personnel Mine Ban Convention, also met with Cabinet Ministers and the Tonga Defence Service Acting Commander Capt Toni Fonokalafi.
The 1997 Convention prohibits of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines.
Tonga's Acting Solicitor General Sione Sisifa said on October 7, that Tonga is not a signatory to this convention and for Tonga to become a signatory it is totally up to the Government, he said.
Red Cross
On October 7, Prince Mired made a special visit to the Tonga Red Cross Head Office in Nuku'alofa. He told the gathering that he had committed his life to working on humanitarian issues and he commended the work carried out by the Tonga Red Cross Society in helping those with disability. He brought his greetings from the Holy Land, Jordan.
He said the core of his work is fighting against land-mining and said that Tonga was very fortunate not to have this problem. In contrast, a lot of people around the world are dealing with this terrible weapon on a daily basis with children loosing their legs, arms or being injured by landmines in countries like Afghanistan, Mozambique, Columbia, he added.
Prince Mired said he wanted to start deliberation with the Tongan Government in its accession to the Anti Mine Convention. Over 157 countries promised never to use, buy or manufacture landmines and he welcomed Tonga joining.
"I look forward to Tonga being with us and supporting this human cause that essentially aims at saving lives and bettering the lives of people who have been injured and suffered from this terrible weapon. And the only way to alleviate this problem is if we support each other and we want Tonga in our conferences and in our meetings so I am here to engage with Tonga and provide information on how you could support this."
At the Tonga Red Cross a special program held in honour of the Prince was attended by Tonga Red Cross Chairperson Hon Alaileula Tuku'aho, board members Drew Havea, Aloma Johansson, Semisi Sika and Tonga Red Cross Secretary General Sione Taumoefolau.
Children with disabilities performed songs and traditional dancing for the Prince.
The Prince was accompanied to Tonga by Kerry Brinkert, Director of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Prohibition on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti Personnel Mines and his ADC Capt Khalaf Al Ja'arat. They departed Tonga early on October 8.