Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has declared war on the Tongan Broadcasting Corporation.
He has declared the TBC to be “an enemy of the government” and said its job was to support the administration.
Once regarded as a champion of media freedom, the Prime Minister told Radio New Zealand he was not happy with the TBC.
He described the state broadcaster as an obstacle and a constraint on the work of the government.
“They claim the freedom of media should be allowed, should be the same with any other media in Tonga, but they should understand there is a basic difference between a private media and also government media,” he said.
Hon. Pohiva said the TBC’s operations would be reviewed next month.
He claimed it had been losing money for the past decade and its services might be better provided by another broadcaster.
However, Lord Fusitu’a said any move to shut down the TBC would be in breach of the constitution.
“The very basis of any Westminster democracy is the rule of law and once you chip away at freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, you are chipping away at the rule of law which ends up, in most cases, disregard to the rule of law,” he said.
The Prime Minister has accused the TBC in the past of aiding his political opponents and had Viola Ulakai journalist suspended after she claimed to be calling for a press conference on behalf of the Tonga Media Council.
As Kaniva News reported in May, the President of the Pacific Islands News Association, Moses Stevens, criticised Hon. Pohiva over Ulakai’s suspension.
In a statement issued to mark World Press Freedom Day, Stevens accused the Tongan government of censoring the media.
“The Tongan case is interesting because it involved a Prime Minister who was a respected champion for democracy, free speech, freedom of expression and free media,” Stevens said.
The main points
- Tongan Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva has declared war on the Tongan Broadcasting Corporation.
- He has declared the TBC to be “an enemy of the government” and said its job was to support the administration.
- Once regarded as a champion of media freedom, the Prime Minister told Radio New Zealand he was not happy with the TBC.
- He described the state broadcaster as an obstacle and a constraint on the work of the government.
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