Results for Tonga

The first serious documentary to focus on traditional Tongan dances was shown for the first time at the National Cultural Centre, Nuku‘alofa, on December 2. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

Dr Tupeni Baba, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Fiji’s deposed government of Mahendra Chaudrey, and a man who has been held hostage twice—first by Steven Rabuka in 1987 and again by George Speight in 1999, visited Tonga at the end of 2000. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

At last, Cabinet has decided to declare war on the pigs, which have been ravaging Tonga’s environment unchecked for the last 30 years. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

FROM OUR ARCHIVES 2001: Name two institutions where Tongan households invest most of their money, and the answer, without a doubt, is the church and the schools. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

The Tonga Sumo Federation is starting off the 21st Century with a big bang. Two young Tongan wrestlers Tevita Taufa of Nomuka and Minaminoshima Falevai of Ha‘ateiho in early January joined professional Sumo wrestling stables in Japan, and at the same time a Japanese Sumo coach, Mr Miyazaki started coaching future Tongan Sumo wrestlers in Tonga. From Matangi Tonga Magazine, Vol. 15, no. 4, January 2001.

While Tonga’s economy is under pressure from the Reserve Bank, because of a steep dive in the Foreign Reserve; and while the Private Sector and the government are preoccupied with far-sighted new projects in telecommunications, power generation and the marketing of Tongan produce overseas—projects that could secure a place for Tonga in the global economy of the 21st century—Parliament, somehow, has been looking inwards, and preoccupying itself with its internal affairs. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 3, September 2000.

An Airport Authority to manage the running of the Fua‘amotu International Airport, is expected to be in operation by 2002, according to the Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr Langi Hu’akavameiliku. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 3, September 2000.

Hon. Veikune, the Speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly, first entered Parliament in 1975 as one of two Noble’s representatives for Vava‘u. During his 22 years in the House, Hon. Veikune has served as Chairman of the Whole House Committee, and last year was appointed by the King as the new Speaker. Recently he has taken part in a regional seminar on Parliamentary democracy, and here comments on the stability of the Tongan parliamentary system, as seen from the nobility’s viewpoint. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 3, September 2000.

So far no licence has been issued for the two companies that are proposing to run Tonga’s telecommunications services, Shoreline Communication, and a yet to be established, Tonga Telecommunications Corporation. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 3, September 2000.