‘Oku taupotu ‘i lalo ha fakamatala fakaTonga
Finding out what to do during a crisis, such as the Covid-19 epidemic, is extremely important. That means being able to identify reliable sources, knowing who to trust and who to ignore.
This is a problem faced by our Tongan kāinga from time to time, something we can see when they make comments about vaccinations and Covid 19 on Kaniva News’ social media accounts.
When they claimed that vaccines were not good or that the Covid was not real we asked them to provide their sources of information. Most of them identified their sources as Tongan social media group accounts.
Some said their sources were people who are well known conspiracy theorists and anti vaxxers such as Indian-born American entrepreneur Dr Shiva Ayyadurai, whose work we have exposed in Kaniva News before.
In November last year we reported that Tongan anti-vaxxers were still circulating a two-years old video featuring Ayyadurai, whose claims have long since been debunked.
Ayyadurai, who is not a medical doctor, is known for spreading conspiracy theories about the cause of COVID-19 and promoting unfounded COVID-19 treatments. His claims about how Covid-19 can be treated have been shown to be wrong by senior medical specialists and researchers.
Why would people believe these sources? Often it is simply because people are naive and do not know how to judge important information about issues like Covid. As a result, they choose unreliable sources of information to support their stance against the vaccine.
The problem is often made worse because people only talk to people or use sources that reinforce what they already think.
Some people we have spoken to said they got their information from listening to a local radio talk back show on which people were complaining about the side effects of the vaccines and saying this was why they thought the anti-Covid vaccines were bad.
The people who were complaining on the radio were expressing their views about their bodies’ reactions to the Covid. They have the right to express their opinions on the show, but in a case like this the host should make clear that the callers were just expressing their opinions. The host should also have invited a health practitioner or a virologist to join the programme to help clarify people’s queries.
Many people rely on the media for their information, but they need to think carefully about whether the media has acted professionally and given all the information required.
So how do people identify reliable sources?
Firstly, they should ask whether the people giving an opinion actually have the experience or the qualifications to be believed.
Secondly, they should make sure that the source can provide proof and evidence to support whatever they are saying.
And finally, if their source starts making wild claims about how Covid-19 doesn’t exist or that it is all a government plot or that vaccinations put microchips in your brain, then they ask how likely or logical it seems. If it sounds crazy, it probably is and should be ignored.
FAKAMATALA FAKATONGA
Oku fuu mahuinga fau ke ‘ilo ‘a e me’a kef ai lolotonga ha faingata’a, hange ko e to’umahaki Koviti 19. Oku uhinga ia ko e lava ke tala ‘a e ma’u’anga tala falala’anga, ‘ilo ko hai ke falala ki ai mo hai ke ‘oua ‘e fakatokanga’i.
Ko e palopalema ‘eni ‘oku fehangahangai mo hotau kainga Tonga mei he taimi ki he taimi, ko e me’a ‘eni oku mau fakatokanga’i he taimi ‘oku nau komeni ai kau ki he huhu malu’i mo e Koviti 19 he ngaahi peesi ‘a e Kaniva ‘i he mitia fakasosiale.
Taimi pe ne nau taukave ai ‘oku kovi ‘a e huhu malu’i Koviti’ pe ikai mooni ‘a e Koviti ne mau ‘eke ange pe ‘omai ange ‘enau ma’u’anga fakamatala. Ko e lahi taha ‘o kinautolu ne nau tala mai ko e ma’u ‘enau fakamatala mei he ngaahi peesi ‘a e kakai Tonga he mitia fakasosiale’.
Ko e ni’ihi ne nau pehe ko ‘enau ma’u’anga tala ko e kau teolisi konispiulasī ‘ilo hange ko e ‘enitīvekisā ‘Initia fanau’i ‘Amelika ko Dr Shiva Ayyadurai, ne ‘osi lele’i atu ‘e he Kaniva ‘a hono fakahalaki ‘ene tukuaki’i hala ‘o e faito’o Koviti’.
I he ta’u kuo ‘osi ne nau lipooti ai ‘a hono kei tufaki holo ‘e he kau ‘enitivekisā Tonga e ngaahi fakamatala hala ‘a Ayyadurai.
‘Oku ‘ikai foki ko ha toketa metikolo ‘a Ayyadurai pea ko ‘ene ngaahi taukave hala kau ki he faito’o ‘oku kau ia ‘i he ngaahi ma’uhala ‘oku ‘asi ha vitoo. ‘Oku pehe ‘e Dr Ayyadurai he vitioo’ kuo ‘i ai ha fa’ufa’u kovi ke ma’u ‘e he taha kotoa ha ki’i chip fakakomipiuta, faka’auha ‘a e ‘ekonomika ‘a ‘Amelika, pea ke ngāue pōpula ‘a e taha kotoa ki he kakai mālohi fau kau ai ‘a e Paati Kominiusi ‘a e Pule’anga Siaina, Bill Gates, Clintons mo e Pule’anga Fakatahataha.
Ne lave foki ‘a Ayyadurai ki he palesiteni kuo tō ‘a ‘Amelika ko President Donald Trump toe feinga ke tuli ‘a r Anthony Faucci mei he’ene poupou’i ‘a e tauhi e va mama’o, huhu malu’i mo e tui ‘a e masks.
Ko e ha nai ‘a e uhinga ‘oku tui ai ‘a e kakai ki he ngaahi ma’u’anga tala ko eni? Taimi ni’ihi ‘oku tupu pe koe’uhi ko e tōngofua ‘a e kakai pea ‘ikai ke nau ilo e anga hano fakamaau’i ‘o ha fakamatala mahu’inga kau ki he ngaahi ‘isiu hangē ko e Koviti’. Pea ko hono ola, ko ‘enau fili ke ‘a e ngaahi fakamatala ta’efalala’anga ke poupou’i ‘aki ‘a e ‘ikai ke nau tui ki he vekisini’.
‘Oku fa’a toe kovi ange ‘a e palopalema koe’uhi ko e kakai ‘oku talanoa ki ai ‘a e kakai ko eni pe ngaahi ma’u’anga tala ok unau faka’ilonga’i, ‘oku ne fakafefeka’i ‘e ia ‘a e me’a ‘oku nau ‘osi fakakaukau’i.
Kakai ‘e ni’ihi ne u mau talanoa mo kinautolu ne nau pehe ko e ma’u ‘enau fakamatala mei he fanongo letio he felaafoaki’ pea ne ‘asi ai ‘a e launga ‘a e kakai ki he saiti’ifeki ‘o e huhu malu’i mo nau pehe koeuhinga ia ‘enau tui ‘oku kovi ‘a e huhu malu’i.
Ko e kakai ko ee ne launga ‘i he letioo ko ‘enau fakahā pe ‘enau a’usia pe fakakaukau ki he tafuhi ‘a honau sino ki he huhu malu’. ‘Oku ‘i ai ‘enau totonu ke fakahā ‘enau fakakaukau ka i he ngaahi keisi peheni ne tonu foki ke ‘omai ‘e he letioo ha mataotao he mahaki mo e faito’o ke ne fakama’ala’ala ‘a e ngaahi taukave ‘oku fai ‘e he kakai mo fakatonutonu e fakamatala hala’.
Lahi e kakai ‘oku nau fakafalala ‘i he mitia ki he fakamatala ka ‘oku totonu ke nau fakakaukau lelei mo tokanga pe ko ha mitia fakapolofesinale ia mo falala’anga pea nau tuku mai ‘a e ngaahi fakamatala ‘oku fiema’u kakato.
Ko ia ai, ‘oku anga fefe ke tala ‘e he kakai ‘a e ma’u’anga tala ‘oku falala’anga?
‘Uluaki, oku totonu ke nau ‘eke pe ko e kakai ‘oku tuku mai ‘enau fakakaukau ‘oku nau ma’u ‘a e taukei mooni mo e tuunga fakaako kef ai ha tui kia kinautolu.
Ua, oku totonu ke nau fakapapau’i ko e ma’u’anga tala’ ‘e lava ke tuku mai ha fakamooni ke ne poupou’i ‘a e me’a ‘oku nau lea ‘aki.
Pea faka’osi, kapau ‘e kamata ke fakavalevale ‘a e taukave ‘a e ngaahi ma’u’anga tala ‘o pehe ‘oku ‘ikai mo’oni ‘a e Koviti 19 pea ko e fa’ufa’u pe ‘a e pule’anga pe ko e huhu malu’i ‘eni ke fakahu ‘a e microchips ki he ‘uto ‘o e tangata, pea ‘oku totonu ke ‘eke’i pe ‘oku ala hoko ‘a e me’a ko ia pe ‘ikai. Kapau ‘oku ongo ngali sesele pea ‘oku totonu ke tukunoa’i.
