Results for News Media

The Minister of Justice, 'Aisea Taumoepeau, on Monday May 10 tried to reassure Tongan journalists that they should not feel threatened or be afraid of government following the amendment to Clause 7 of the Tongan Constitution relating to Freedom of Speech.

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.

On February 6 Tonga set its clock back 20 years to the early 1980s, when the only newspapers available were the government newspaper, the Tonga Chronicle, and church newspapers.

The Tongan people, for the last three weeks have been deprived of reading newspapers, including the Tongan government's own newspaper.

The USA government does not like the move by the Tongan government to regulate Press Freedom, according to the USA Ambassador to Tonga, David Laurence Lyon, who visited Tonga January 14-16.

There was no Christmas cheer for the Tongan media from the Tonga Government this year. In the Christmas Eve mail postmarked "Nuku'alofa December 24, 2003" were the Gazetted copies of the government's new Media Legislation, which had been withheld from the eyes of the local press after being signed by the King in November this year.

The Tonga office of the Taimi ‘o Tonga Newspaper has been told by the Business Licence Sector of the Ministry of Labour and Commerce it will not extend its business licence to operate in Tonga when the weekly newspaper’s quarterly business licence expires on December 31. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 3, December 2003.

Disregarding strong public protests and the opposition of People's Representatives, the Tongan Government pushed through a bill for Constitutional change on October 16. - Matangi Tonga, Vol. 18, No. 3

The amendment to Clause 7 'Freedom of Speech' of the Tongan Constitution, was passed by the Tongan Legislative Assembly with a vote16-11 on October 16, along with a new Newspaper Act 2003, which was passed 14-8.