Anyone who has any doubt over the intention of the Tongan government to use its Newspaper Licensing powers to bully the local press must take note of what took place on Monday, March 28, when the editors of three licensed newspapers, the Taumu'alelei, the Talaki and the Tonga Star, were called to the Prime Minister's office to be told off by 'Eseta Fusitu'a, the Registrar of Newspapers.

Sister Sinai Vaka'uta, the editor of the Catholic newspaper, Taumu'alelei, said that the Registrar was not happy with their recently published interview with the 'Eua island People's Representative to the Tongan parliament, Sunia Fili, who talked about the application by seven People's Representatives and other members of the public for a Judicial Review of the Amendment to Clause 7 of the Constitution, which came into effect in November last year.

Sinai said that the Registrar claimed that the article was critical of government, and that government should be given an opportunity to comment on the issue. When Sinai queried if there was something wrong with the article, 'Eseta said no, but insisted that the government should have been given the opportunity to make a comment.

Sinai said that she excused herself and left. With regards to Filokalafi 'Akau'ola, acting editor, of the Talaki, she believed the Registrar complained over a Letter to the Editor written by a person who works for the Kele'a newsletter, querying who was the real editor of the government paper Kalonikali.

Sinai, one of Tonga's senior journalists, said she was very upset with the threatening approach that was taken by the Registrar of Newspapers, and that if the Registrar was not happy with the article she should complain to the Complaints Committee of the Media Council Inc.