We Say

ŒThe new law is madness and will damage the reputation of this country beyond our wildest nightmares. It goes against the principles of the civilised world'

The good news from Tonga is of a slight upturn for its heavily remittance-dependent (money sent home by Tongans working overseas) economy due to a slight improvement in agricultural production. Was there any other goods news? By the end of October the looming national catastrophe was the government-owned airline, Royal Tongan Airlines, now losing money at the rate of 2 million Pa'anga (about US$920,00) a month by operating viably impossible flights to Australia, the Cook Islands and New Zealand with a jet, a leased Boeing 757, too large and costly for the purpose.

Now the government has been told by its financial adviser, an accountancy firm, that US$10 million is needed to keep the airline going. That is more than 10 percent of Tonga's present annual budget.

The real unpublished advice is that the Boeing 757 adventure should be terminated at once. Why was it ever embarked upon? Tonga bureaucrats, recalling a costly disaster with a previous jet service ended barely two years before, were privately appalled by the ministerial decision for it; an idea sold by a smooth-talking salesman and accepted as being a desirable symbol for the form of government Tonga has.

More bad news was the enacting in October of an amendment to Tonga's constitution so as to effectively empower the government to shut down local newspapers and ban from the country foreign newspapers and magazines it does not approve of.

The legislation is undoubtedly aimed at the anti-government Taimi Œo Tonga (Times of Tonga), published in New Zealand for distribution in Tonga by a former Tongan citizen, Kalafi Moala, who is now a United States passport holder.

Government statements claimed that media freedom in Tonga would not be endangered.

The amendment enables the government to ban newspapers, fine offending editors and publishers up to T$10,000 or jail them for up to ten years, and fine and jail for up to ten years people found in possession of more than 12 copies of banned publications.

The amendment appears to be intended primarily to shield Tonga's monarchy from attack. It has been heavily attacked and embarrassed by the Times of Tonga.

The government will tolerate what it regards as tolerable criticism but woe betide editors and publishers who venture beyond the limits of toleration as they are hinted at in the amending parliamentary act.

The legislation was heavily criticised abroad and domestically by Tonga's democracy movement and some churches and other appalled commentators.

It was opposed by the eight "commoner" MPs (there are nine) present for the vote and, more interestingly, three of the nine MPS chosen by Tonga's nobility, a group normally united in defending the monarchy.

A public demonstration against the amendment by about 8000 protesters was dismissed by the government as being just a bunch of Catholics not represented by the other 95 percent of the population.

Was it really that meaningless? The size of the protest made it one without a precedent.

Pesi Fonua, publisher of Matangi Tonga, a news magazine that consistently presents a balanced and accurate account of Tonga's affairs, in an editorial summed up the situation succinctly.

The new law is "madness and will damage the reputation of this country beyond our wildest nightmares. It goes against the principles of the civilised world."