Hearty congratulations to both Pesi Fonua and John Lamani from (despite our new anti-terrorism laws, suppression orders and contempt charges) the relative safety of Australia. You have both been brave soldiers for press freedom in the face of oppression. -Professor Mark Pearson
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Results for Opinion
Thursday 24 November 2005
Apia, Samoa
Congratulations to Pesi Fonua (editor of Matangi Tonga and chair of the Tonga Media Council) and John Lamani (publisher of the Solomon Star and trustee for Media Association of Solomon Islands). -Peter Lomas
Thursday 24 November 2005
St George, Grenada
I have not had the pleasure of meeting Pesi Fonua, but I did have the privilege of being at the Thomson Foundation together with John Lamani in 1986. I have great pleasure in sending them both by sincerest congratulations on what I am certain are richly deserved awards. Keep up the good work guys! -Leslie Pierre
Thursday 24 November 2005
Hamilton, Ontario Canada
Congratulations to Pesi Fonua and John Lamani for an honour that makes other journalism awards pale by comparison: recognition for risking their own wellbeing to defend freedom of expression.
Wednesday 23 November 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
While I appreciate the reply of Mr William Mariner (The world has moved on!) to my latest correspondence (Defining sustainable development), given that he is free to express his views, I think he went over the mark by not responding fairly to both the form and substance of my communication and by contradicting himself and his own thinking through and through. - Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina
Thursday 17 November 2005
USA
I read about other's urgency to change the kingdom before the new king is crowned. Whether it is sooner or later, it will be the day history will judge us by how well we take care of the kingdom during our watch. Long term peace is never an accident. - TamaFoa
Thursday 17 November 2005
UK
The success of the Strike will go down in History for all of Tonga to be proud of. A combined effort from all Ministries and non-civil servants was impressive. To stay focused and to halt a nation and bring the Government to their knees was decisive and clinical. - William Mariner
Tuesday 8 November 2005
UK
Dr 'Okusitino Mahina's political and economical insight seems way beyond his field of anthropology, which is basically analysing and comparing fossils and artifacts from the past Pacific history. His insight in Tongan politics today is irrelevant, he studies Past history! not present! Maybe soon, once the Monarchy will end, he can pick up the fossils and analyze them and give his students a lecture on post-Monarchy rule in the Pacific. - William Mariner
Thursday 3 November 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
Please do not get me wrong. I am all for both preservation and conservation of resources, both material and human. Not only is it a necessity that we preserve and conserve both material and human resources, it is in doing so that provides us with the very foundation of our co-existence (and of our common survival). My criticism of sustainable development is to do basically with its sense of human one-sidedness or social biasness, as it centres merely on people rather than both people and environment. The human resources, it must be pointed out, constitute but a very minute part of planet Earth. - Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina
Wednesday 2 November 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
Generally, there has been a consistent push for reforming or transforming Tongan society, taking place within and outside of the country. This is because Tonga is a country that is in a serious state of crisis. Specifically, this clear call for change is felt mostly in the economic and political arenas. - Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina
Monday 31 October 2005
Auckland, New Zealand
Always appreciate Jason Faletau's contribution on Tonga's economy and would like to seek his and other economists in our midst, their views on the following: How sustainable would Tonga's economy be if the government were to actively moderate local demand than what they're doing at present? - Sefita Hauoli
Friday 28 October 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
It is heartening to read articles that make really good sense! When I read the numerous exchanges, I wonder if we ever take time to really think about what is going on, what needs to be done, and how to go about it. This country of ours is unique in this world because of many reasons. Amongst those is the fact that we have an absolute monarchy, the only surviving one throughout the Pacific. We have an honor system that is exercised in our families, extended families, villages, islands, and collectively as a people. The ideals that Tonga was built on were the work of past kings, chiefs, of warriors, of people who were known for their courage and leadership. - M. Latu
Tuesday 25 October 2005
Tallahassee, Florida,USA
Congratulations! I may be overly optimistic, but I believe that the Constitutional reform committee will be a major success in the long journey started by the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in 1986. I have recently been spending my time studying some of the history of your Constitution, and I would like to say that as you begin this difficult process, it is important to remember all that you have achieved so far by courage, and persistence. - John Maloney
Tuesday 25 October 2005
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Speaking from the confines of a young Tongan's view, at best a blurred snap-shot of what is essentially just another politically biased perspective of a few Laki Niu supporters. We would like to point out to the small portion of the public sphere that doubt Mr Laki Niu's stance or intentions, following his recent pleas to catalyse reformation, that he has every right to be where he is today. - Ka Polu
Monday 24 October 2005
London, UK
I feel I have to write in support of Laki Niu's constitutional protest. Living in the UK where we are blessed with a centuries old democracy I feel we owe it to any nation to support their drive towards democracy. - Ruth Teasdale
Thursday 20 October 2005
Sydney, Australia
Pacific Island countries at some point in history were exploited because they own some of the most important commodities demanded by outsiders yet deemed useless to us because we didn't have the investment, resources and expertise to process them in our backyard. This is particularly true in Fiji (when companies conscripted Indians from abroad to work as slaves at sugar farms), and in PNG and the Solomons where acres and acres of forests were mowed down for export. - Jason Faletau
Thursday 20 October 2005
USA
I give credit to Mr. Laki Niu and others for their call for change in the constitution. These proposals are indeed commendable but I beg to differ from Mr. Niu's approach. I have not seen his total proposal, but based on the little information I have, I believe a monster is in the making. - Tamafoa
Wednesday 12 October 2005
3 comments
Nuku'alofa, Tonga
The decision by Government and its Civil Servants on September 4 to end the Civil Servants' strike by giving in to the strikers demands, was a huge undertaking by a government that has few sources of revenue other than taxes, foreign aid and foreign remittances. Editor's Comment
Tuesday 11 October 2005
1 comment
Auckland, New Zealand
The key rationale behind the neo-liberal reforms is for the private sector to run these activities as businesses, in great anticipation that the returns will greatly benefit the country as a whole. In addition, the whole of the community are expected to pick up some of these functions, where they are to fend for themselves with some basic help from the state. - Dr ‘Okusitino Mahina
Friday 7 October 2005
Las Vegas-Nevada, USA
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Professor Mahina for his clarification of his theoretical framework of Ta-va social theory. The basis of the approach is clearer to me and its limitless applications on social issues in general. I am particularly impressed with its originality and unique Tongan blend. I wish to briefly discuss some elements of the approach and move into small economic extension of it. - Thomas Monson Uata
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