I was so moved when I was reading about all the uncountable people who have worked as cleaners and rubbishmen for more than ten odds years and yet still earning as much as T$54.00 fortnightly or even less weekly. I have recently visited Tonga just to catch up with family and friends, and to my suprise the inflation is shocking. - Annette Dougal
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Results for Letters
Monday 29 August 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
A march in support of striking workers and their demands for a fair pay increase and democracy will be held this Saturday (Sept 3rd) at noon. Marchers will gather at the bottom of Queen Street. Tongan Community youth leader, Niulala Helu, said he will be marching. - Mike Treen
Saturday 27 August 2005
London, United Kingdom
His Majesty, the father of our nation, who is abroad while our household is on fire and we the people are in it, speaks volumes than his past history. To abandon your responsibility towards a nation who is currently suffering, indicates lack of conscience or moral emotion towards his subjects. -William Mariner
Friday 26 August 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
I can't sit around and ignore what I believe is unfairness toward our beloved king. The king is nothing else but a socio-cultural and political father to the nation. It surely is not fun for him to maintain the highest degree of respectability, be a model and a leader and try to make everyone of his subjects happy.-Sailosi Finau
Friday 26 August 2005
USA
Think of where will the government come up with the money for the 60, 70, 80% rise. Wake up and smell the coffee. All over the globe have you people ever heard of a country that tried to get a rise for that %, NO, only Tonga. - Angelica Lout
Friday 26 August 2005
Los Angeles, USA
Before you begin to stand for what you think is "right," take a deep breath, consider the possibilities from every corner then make your statement. Years of neglect, struggles, oppression, and WRONG MOTIVES from dictatorship are some possibilities as to why OUR fellow Tongans are taking such actions. Dear editor, I am not agreeing that acts of violence is the solution but can you blame the PEOPLE? - M. ‘Aumoeualogo
Friday 26 August 2005
London, UK
Let me refresh what was inevitable in the start of my letters. The shift now, from this strike has gone to a road where history has taught many nations, that were once ruled by powerful monarchs. Those soverign nations are now super powered nations. The lesson in the past with these nations are simple: Without the people, you do not have a government! and once you have lost the respect of the people, you do not have a nation. What you have; is a nation that wants change. - William Mariner
Friday 26 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The PSA should accept the government's current wage offer for many reasons. - Sifa Citizen
Friday 26 August 2005
Las Vegas-Nevada, USA
They throw around the name of the World Bank to add credibility to this nonsense claim.It is especially appalling that they try to pin the already rising inflation on the PSA demands, when it is caused by their own misguided policies.
The true cause of inflation according to economic principles and empirical facts show that inflation is directly proportional to money supply, which is governed by monetary policies traditionally controlled by Federal Reserve Banks, which I presume is under the Minister of Finance portfolio. - Thomas Monson Uata
Friday 26 August 2005
Sydney, Australia
Also in the event of the PSA members receive this increase will they be subject to reviews and quality assurance or will they be left to perform as they have until now? What effect will it have on inflation, and those working in the private sector? - F. Auliola
Friday 26 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
But allow me to inquire the following: Should the children go to school? What are they to learn that is more important than what is going on in their lives outside of school? What are the teachers 'teaching' by standing up for their cause? I believe the students can learn from this situation and develop character through support of a cause - whether it's for or against the strikers. Children are first taught in the home and supplemented by academics that supposedly educate a 'higher' education. The parents are not in question here. But, let me be clear - the 'higher' education appears to be occurring in Pangai Si'i. - Rick Siale
Thursday 25 August 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
In our adopted country we witnessed last night a mature Tongan male trying to head butt his way through a police barricade to seek the presence of the King. This thug who thinks himself a martyr or saviour of our Tongan brothers and sisters is nothing but a self-gratifying egotistical heat stirrer who is strangely enough the instigator for this disgraceful act of borderline tyranny of his own country. Burning our flag? Our flag that symbolises peace? My flag that was held up by Paea at the Olympics in Atlanta? - Lalo Kasia Crew
Thursday 25 August 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
I'm sorry to sound like the devil's advocate, but I'm not sympathetic with the strikers or the government. What I do agree with is the need for political reform. Personally, I'm not keen on having a King; on the other hand, I don't know enough about the leaders of this political/employment-related strike to make a sound decision. I know the need for reform is warranted; also, times have changed and the public appears to desire more representation in government. - Rick Siale
Thursday 25 August 2005
Suva, Fiji
About what I learned from this chaos in Tonga, is that the majority of the people are with the strikers. And the reaction from the government to the people seems very faraway from what we expect to happen. Meaning that this is the worst government that Tonga has ever had. Or do we say that this is the worst public servants (hundreds of them) that Tonga has ever had? - Philli Qarase
Thursday 25 August 2005
San Jose,California, USA
I remark favorably on exceptional coverage of the recent affairs and episodes happening in Tonga well elucidated by Matangi Tonga. - James Faasolo
Wednesday 24 August 2005
Queensland,Australia
I was wondering if you could tell me what the union/organisation is called that covers the government workers and maybe some contact details for them as my work colleagues and I would love to show our support to the workers of your country. - Andrea Westlake
Wednesday 24 August 2005
New Zealand
I have had a lot of emails from my youth in Tonga how schools have been on protest and I'm real disappointed to read about this. I was wondering what the cause of this is? and why is it taking so long? I'm am Tongan myself yet I would like to understand and also ask who I can email or talk to about it? and why my country is suffering yet my youth are. - Salome Fiukefu
Saturday 20 August 2005
Sydney, Australia
It is so difficult to pick a conversation with people who would prefer to hide under a pseudonym while they attack others in a public forum. That is exactly the way of the terrorist. - Rev Dr Ma‘afu‘otu‘itonga Palu
Wednesday 17 August 2005
New Zealand
Please allow me to congratulate you on such a wonderful website! It is a fantastic way of staying in touch with news from Tonga.
Tuesday 16 August 2005
UK
TCB failed and had to sell all assets and is now a back packers paradise and office of TASA. The secured lands for agricultural purposes is a question mark because we have cultivated land in Tonga, why overseas? Do local farmers have to purchase a return airline ticket to plant squash nowadays? - William Mariner
