Results for Opinion

Many of your readers will, I know, share the sorrow and regret at the news of the passing of Emeritus Professor Ronald Gordon Crocombe on Friday, 19 June 2009 in Auckland en-route to Rarotonga from Nuku'alofa. He will be remembered most of all by the thousands of people whose lives he touched through his teaching and writing on the Pacific and through the person he was. -Morgan and Eileen Tuimaleali'ifano

As one of the first generation Tongan living here in America, and witnessing this momentous day of celebration, of the inauguration of the first African American President of the United State of America, I never believed it in my wildest dream, that this day could ever happened in my life time.

The forced resignation of the Minister of Finance on Monday, February 25 may well be seen as a major step taken by the Tongan government in its pursuit of an economic and a political reform program for Tonga. Editor's Comment, By Pesi Fonua.

As Government strengthens its control over the flow of information from its ministries to the public and exerts more influence on the editorial content of its two national media organisations, the Tonga Broadcasting Commission and the Ko e Kalonikali Tonga newspaper, it unwittingly creates confusion. Editor's Comment, by Pesi Fonua.

Malo mu'a e tau mo e ngaue lahi hono fakakakato mai e ngaahi ongoongo' ke 'inasi ai e Tonga kotoa pe 'i he fo'i kolope. Ne u fakatumutumu he lahi 'eku tangi he lau e tohi 'a Mr C Harder mo e ngaahi akonaki na'a ne vahevahe mai kihe kakai 'o e fonua'. Ko e me'a malie ko e 'ikai ke u kau 'i he komiti Lao 'a Tonga 'oku nau vakai'i e kole laiseni 'a e motu'a ni he ne u mei foaki ange ai pe 'ene laiseni Lao' 'ana pea liliu tangata'i Tonga ai pe he 'osi 'eku lau 'ene tohi. - S. Moimoiangaha

Tonga's 16/11 has been labelled as a 'Day of Shame' by the new Ministry of Information. But now, one year on, there has been no enthusiasm by anyone to remember what happened in Nuku'alofa on that day. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.

I trust your professional journalism can let me offer a dissenting view to yours. For the sake of creating an open discussion and God willing give us all a road for reconciling to the tragic event of 16/11, for at the end, we are all victims. From the teenage boy who picked up the rock that will undoubtedly spend time in jail; the person who sparked the match that will not see him families while in jail; those families who lost loved ones; those families who lost everything and their livelihood; government officials and PR's that were caught up in the cross-fire and indeed the King himself. When all is said and done, we have all lost a part of Tonga and indeed a part of us that we have now to turned on each other. -Thomas Monson Uata

Many thanks to David Tapiaka for his letter on 27/04 "A call for Overseas Tongans to invest in Tonga" publicly supporting my letter published last month calling for Tongans abroad to invest in Tonga and help re-build our little Kingdom. I am pleased to report that the feedback from Tongans at home and abroad has been overall amazingly positive. - Senolita Swan

You got it right Mr. Sanft, the Tonga's budget is pretty much dry. What you and your Demo friends do not seems to see is that regardless of the form of government you insisted of installing in Tonga, it will have to deal with a budget that is pretty much dry. I am not too sure because you and your friends have never been definitive on the type of system you insist on Tonga. But the early indication your Demo system is not going to solve Tonga's problem either. As a matter of fact, the Demo System created Tonga's current problem by forcing the 60%, 70%, and 80% pay raise. And then apply the last straw to break the camel's back when turn around and burn down the businesses that were going to finance this pay raise. -Sione Lousiale Kava