The Tonga government's official response to the public uproar over the high cost of electricity and salaries of the top executives of Shoreline Power appears to be insincere and doubtful. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.
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Tuesday 31 May 2005
Texas, USA
I am deeply concerned over what I read and what I see on the internet. I am in a wheel chair due to my health. I am only thirty nine years old and at one time in my life I had no hope. I was angry at the world and at people, my story may sound familiar too you, and you may have grown tried of hearing it. But three wonderful Tongan men taught me to have hope, they reached out to a stranger and showed that true friendship knows no color, it knows no religion, it can be between the young and the old, the sick and those who have health. It is one of our world's greatest gifts and it is the one of the base ingredients for hope. - Larry Norton
Monday 30 May 2005
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California, USA
Malo ‘aupito ho‘o mou ngaue lahi lava ke mau sio atu he internet he ngaahi ongoongo fekau‘aki mo hotau ki‘i motu. - Tangikina ‘Uhila
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Wednesday 25 May 2005
Suva, Fiji
So where is Tonga heading? In fact Tonga is quite a unique case. The country has very little natural resources to speak of, except its people whose remittances sustain the economy.
Because the Tongans are very attached to their homeland and are proud of their heritage and identity, so in some sense they are being held economic hostage by the rulers, as the only tangible influence they can exert is to withhold sending money home. But that only punishes their loved ones.
Tuesday 24 May 2005
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Ko e FAIHALA (injustice) ko e taha ia ha kaveinga malie mo fihi hono talanoa ‘i, he ko e angamaheni hono talanoa ‘i ‘ona ‘e nofo ia ‘i he FAITOTONU (justice). ‘Oku pehe leva ko e Faihala ko e nunu ‘a ia ‘o e mo ‘ui TA ‘E-FAITOTONU. Pea ko e ‘Ngaue hala ‘aki ‘o e Mafai ‘ (Corruption) ko e taha pe ia ‘o e ngaahi fotunga mahino pe nunu ‘a ‘o e mo ‘ui ta ‘e-faitotonu. ‘A ia ko e kupu si ‘i pe ia ‘o e to ‘onga mo ‘ui FAIHALA. Ke fakava ‘e ha sosaieti, ‘oku vakili leva ‘e he tangata hono ngaahi tefito ‘i ‘ulungaanga ‘o to ‘o uho mai ‘a ia tene lava ‘o fataki e kaveinga fakama ‘uma ‘uluta ‘e ne mo ‘ui fakasosiale, pea ‘oku nofo loto ai ‘ene fakamaau ki he lelei mo e kovi (molale) kae ‘uma ‘a e totonu mo e hala (...efika) ‘o ‘e ne mo ‘ui. Ka ‘oku mahu ‘inga ke mahino he ‘ikai te tau talanoa ki he faihala ‘o hange ‘e lava ‘o to ‘o faka ‘aufuli mei he ‘etau mo ‘ui. - ‘Inoke Fotu Hu‘akau
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Monday 23 May 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
I must thank Sailosi Finau for his letter of 20 May about this issue of Shoreline that has been around in Tonga for so long! Let me join the good questions that you raised Sailosi and I think some of these questions remain answerable for the officials of the TEPB and the Government of Tonga (GoT) including members of Parliament. This is one of the obvious mistakes that the GoT always learns from and that is part of the unfortunate practices that Tonga needs to be awaken and start exploring remedial solutions for.- Henry Alexanda Tonga
Monday 23 May 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
Shall we say that, at this point in time, the call for political reform in Tonga has reached an extremely low point? There was a time in which the only voice that propagated political reform was the Temo (Tonga Pro-Democracy and Human Rights) movement. But what of the revelation of divisions amongst its ranks (I refer here to the media coverage of unstable relations between 'Isi Pulu and some of the party members)? -Rev. Dr. Ma'afu'atu'itonga Palu
Friday 20 May 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
I must thank 'Inoke Fotu Huakau for his letter of 2 May about this planned march. As you have put it Editor, this is a Shoreline protest march. From what I have gathered, this is largely because the power tariff is unjustifiably too high and part of this is because the Shoreline Executives are getting hefty remuneration packages. -Sailosi Finau
Thursday 19 May 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
What's on TV? Politics, politics and politics. Both Tonga's local TV stations, TV Tonga (TBC) and OBN TV7 via their evening main shows are either about Democratic Parties or the Consumption Tax Cry.
Wednesday 18 May 2005
USA
Before and during the election, proposals and counter proposals were offered to solve our problems within the kingdom. It seemed everyone was optimistic about the future as they used the Crown Prince and the Shoreline as their whipping boy. Then, the Professor split with his entourage to form the People's Democratic Party. I wonder what was so hard and unpalatable at the Temo's Camp that broke Yoda's last nerve?
Saturday 14 May 2005
1 comment
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Sydney, Australia
Ko e to’onga mo’ui pule’ia, ko e imisi ofi ia e tukunga mo’ui ‘oku ‘I ai e tangata he ‘e to loto ai ‘e ne mo’ui fakalaumalie ‘i hono va mo e ‘Otua, ‘e ne mo’ui fakamatelie ‘i hono va mo Natula pea pehe ki he fakasosiale ‘i he fakafa’ahinga. Ko e to’onga mo’ui eni ‘oku uho ‘aki e me’a k oe PULE’IA mo e PULEKEHEA. Ko e ngaahi fehu’i ‘oku tau fehangahangai mo ia ‘i he politiki hange ko e foungapule (‘aitolosia); mafai (authority) mo e ha fua, ko e tepu ia ‘o e to’onga mo’ui koeni. He ko e Politiki ko e saianisi ‘ia ‘o hono PULE’I ‘o e sosaieti, pea ko e taha ‘o hono ngaahi me’angaue tefito ko e MAFAI. - ‘Inoke Fotu Hu‘akau
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Saturday 14 May 2005
3 comments
Auckland, New Zealand
I have noted that in the last 10 years or so the term 'corruption' has been widely used in Tonga and in most cases, it is levelled against those in authority, particularly against the Royal family and the government. And of course, the term is mostly used in the political arena and by the media for various agendas and in most of the cases they have been right in its application.
Thursday 12 May 2005
California, USA
I have so much concern with companies that market a traditional Pacific Islands product claiming to be theirs. Firstly, I am a Pacific Islander who has been conducting proper scientific research on Noni for a very long time. - Edgar Cocker
Thursday 5 May 2005
Kyoto, Japan
According to the APALC report, 6% of Tongans in California have a Bachelor Degree. My interest is the comparison between the Tongans in New Zealand (National level) and California (one State). The latest 2001 New Zealand population census recorded 40,716 Tongans of which 23,334 are aged 15 and above. Thus the figure in the quote above, implies 9,771 (24% of Total Tongan), or 5,600 (24% of age 15 and above) Tongans in New Zealand have a Bachelor Degree. -Raelyn L. 'Esau.
Monday 2 May 2005
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Sydney, Australia
Ko e lea tau e mala’e ‘o e politiki ‘i he fonua mo e kuonga kotoa pe ko e fo’ilea koia ko e .”KAKAI” (people). Ka ko e lea’ni ‘oku mafulifuli hono ‘uhinga, ‘a ia ko hono kakano ia, ‘o makatu’unga ‘i he va (relation) ‘o e “founga fakahoko ngaue’ mo e “kaveinga’ ‘a ia ‘i he faka-politikale ‘oku nofo kainga ai e ongo fakakaukau ‘e ua: -'Inoke Fotu Hu'akau
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Monday 2 May 2005
2 comments
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
When Professor Futa Helu withdrew his support from 'Akilisi Pohiva and Dr Feleti Sevele, and endorsed Clive Edwards as the Number One candidate for Tongatapu in the recent March parliamentary election, he initiated a split in Tonga's Pro-democracy Movement. Tonga now has two Demo camps, the Tonga Human Rights and Democracy Movement and the People's Democratic Party, which have begun to be critical of each other. - Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua
Thursday 28 April 2005
Suva, Fiji
The amount of drama and diplomacy played by greedy politicians and certain members of the royal family is quite appalling. Shoreline Company is for one. I think that it is about time that the people run their own electricity company. It is evident that in the hands of the wrong people, the Shoreline Company has become a disaster to the people as well as a liability to the kingdom itself. feleti s.
Friday 22 April 2005
1 comment
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Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The sudden rise of Dr Feleti Sevele to a prominent position in Cabinet, as Acting Prime Minister, this week is food for thought, taking into consideration that he is a full-blooded Demo who has been pushing for political changes in Tonga for years. Editor's Comment by Pesi Fonua.
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Thursday 21 April 2005
1 comment
Australia
I was a government employee in Tonga for almost 10 years. I am now residing in Australia as an Australian citizen. Are they distributing any Superannuation Fund statements to it's members? I have not received a single statement since I left the Tongan public service in 2001.
Thursday 21 April 2005
USA
Leaving the comfort of my poor upbringing at Foa for a new land, I am still amazed at many things that have not changed. Juan de Mariana once said, - "Taxes are commonly a calamity for the people and a nightmare for the government. For the former they are always excessive; for the latter they are never enough, never too much." Tama Foa
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