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Dozens fined for operating vehicles with puzzling number plates

By
Kalino Latu
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Tongan Police have issued 30 fines for illegible number plates over the weekend as part of a crackdown to deter crimes committed with the help of vehicles, TBC Television service has reported.

Motorists in Tongatapu have been warned to ensure that their vehicle’s registration plates are legal, or face a fine of TP$50.

The Television said Police were enforcing the law about illegal plates.

It said motorists with plates displaying numbers and letters that have been altered, re-arranged, obscured or are difficult to read, were issued with on-the-spot fines.

Police said there were fancy number plates with different colour backgrounds and letters apparently designed to confuse, or which cannot be easily identified if they were involved in a traffic accident.

Vehicles are allowed to have personalised number plates but they must not be offensive or diminished Police ability to record numbers if they do anything illegal.

Vehicle owners must apply to the Ministry of Transport to have their number plates personalised if needed.

Tongan companies investigated over importing goods under false name

By
Kalino Latu
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Companies which trick the Ministry of Customs by importing goods into the country using fake names have been targeted by customs officers in the biggest ever crackdown on the fraud.

The Ministry said it has treated the “matter very seriously” and it continued to closely monitor similar illegal activities.

The Ministry’s CEO Kulufeinga Anisi Bloomfield said this evening he would not go into details as the investigation “is still in progress”.

“Will advise you as soon as everything is finalised”, he said.

The investigation comes after customs officers uncovered incidents of companies importing goods under what it described as “alternate” or “incorrect company names”.

It said this was in direct violation of the Customs & Excise Management Act 2007.

The Ministry has reminded the business community that any companies or entities found to be carrying out similar illegal activities will be subjected to severe sanctions, including substantial financial penalties.

“The revenue that Customs collects belongs to the people of Tonga and businesses that profit here must contribute their fair share to our development, any businesses that try to avoid payment will be identified and punished’.

The Ministry has called on businesses that involved in the illegal activities to come forward before they are identified by the investigators.

Tongans have no idea how bad “hardcore” Crips are, says American gang expert

By
Philip Cass
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Tongans who spray paint walls in the islands with the initials of an American gang have no idea how bad the criminal groups are, an American gang expert said this week.

US Police Captain Joe Duffy told the Nevada Record-Courier he had seen local graffiti in Tonga  with the tag “TCG.”

Nevada is home to the sixth largest population of Tongans in the United States.

TGC stands for Tonga Crip Gangster, a street gang.

“They didn’t know what it stood for,” he said.

“They just don’t have any experience with this.”

“These are not nice people. These are hardcore bad guys,”

Duffy was  in Tonga to assist in its rehabilitation programme for the Tonga-US deportees to the kingdom.

He said about 30 Tongan nationals were deported from the United States each year. Between 2004-2012 between 22 to 38 people were deported annually according to Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics.

With an average age of 25, many of those deported have been engaged in gang activity since childhood. They are unfamiliar with their own culture.

The Tongan Crip Gang is active in California and Utah as well as New Zealand, Australia and Canada. Tongan Crip Gang members are primarily of Pacific Islander descent, mainly Tongan.

During the 1970s and 1980s, many Pacific Islanders moved into the high crime-rate areas in Los Angeles. Samoans and Tongans formed their own gangs during the 1970s.

Many of the TCG members moved from California to the Salt Lake City, Utah in the 1980s.

In Utah the gang members have a reputation for violence and vicious gang warfare.

Utah is home to the largest Tongan, Samoan and other Pacific Islander communities in the United States outside of Hawaii and California, with many drawn to Salt Lake area because of their Mormon connections.

According to a US report, while Islanders make up only about one percent of the Salt Lake Valley’s population, they comprise 13 percent of the documented gang members.

“Detectives say that Polynesian gangs stand out due to their violence,” the report in the High Country News said.

“Because of their intimidating physical size, their members often serve as enforcers for other gangs that traffic in drugs. They’re known for their brutal fistfights, and for shooting at their rivals and at law enforcement officials.”

Tongan Crips gang crimes range from robbery to car theft and rugs to murder.

In New Zealand three Tongan Crips gang members were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 for the murder of a rival Samoan Bloods gang member two years before.

The main points

  • Tongans who spray paint walls in the islands with the initials of an American gang have no idea how bad the criminal groups are, an American gang expert said this week.
  • “They just don’t have any experience with this,” US Police Captain Joe Duffy said.
  • “These are not nice people. These are hardcore bad guys.”
  • The Tongan Crip Gang is active in California and Utah as well as New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

For more information

Douglas County gang expert shares knowledge with Tonga

The Gangs of Zion

DCSO Captain Joe Duffy Assists Tongan Parliament Officials

US and Tongan authorities join forces to deal effectively with returning deportees

Chinese Uni offers courses in Tongan language

By
Kalino Latu
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A Bejing university will introduce courses in Tongan language according to China’s Shanghai Daily.

It said the Tongan languages class was among 11 language courses which included African and Oceanianic tongues, to boost support for the country’s ties with the regions.

Beijing Foreign Studies University is to offer Kurdish, Maori, Tongan, Samoan, Comorian, Tswana, Ndebele, Creole, Shona, Tigrinya and Belarusian courses to undergraduates, the paper has reported.

The languages are used in west Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, Africa, and eastern Europe, regions sharing closer ties with China under the Belt and Road initiative aimed at bringing investment, infrastructure and interconnectivity to ancient trade routes.

On Monday, New Zealand, where Maori is an official language, signed a memorandum of understanding with China on the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Chinese proficient in local languages and cultures are lacking in some participating countries of the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Guo Wei, an official in the university’s publicity department. “The university is helping to equip more students with language skills and knowledge of regional affairs to meet the demand.”

The university will be setting up more language majors, especially those used by countries along the Belt and Road, Guo said.

The university now has 84 language majors and plans to increase it to more than 100 in 2020, covering all countries that have diplomatic relations with China.

China, Tonga sign TOP$55 million South Pacific games contract

By
Kalino Latu
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[Kiliki heni ki he lea faka-Tonga] Tonga and China have signed the contract of TOP$55 million Tonga High School new sports complex for 2019 Pacific Games.

Chinese Ambassador to Tonga H.E. Mr. Huang Huaguang said this had been the largest Tongan project the Chinese Government has funded.

Tongan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for MEIDECC and Foreign Affairs Hon Siaosi Sovaleni joined H.E. Huang and officials from their respective governments in a behind-closed-doors ceremony to confirm the grant at the Ministry of MEIDECC’s conference room in Nuku’alofa on Thursday.

The complex contains one indoor stadium, one outdoor rugby field, four outdoor netball courts, aquatics centre, one lawn bowling field and supporting facilities surrounding the sporting venues with total area of 9,180 square meters.

Hon Sovaleni said: “This is a very important project towards the  Pacific Games 2019, we would like to thank your delegation and also our senior officials for their efforts in the last month also in progressing this agreement.”

A team of 15 Chinese architectural designers were also in Nuku’alofa to inspect the site.

The construction is due to commence in October this year and is expected to be completed by May 2019.

Health appalled by reports people falsified typhoid test samples as outbreak announced

By
Kalino Latu
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The Ministry of Health says it is appalled by revelations that people who were asked to provide samples of their stool or urine for typhoid disease lab tests had falsified them.

The Ministry said these people used only one or two persons in the household to provide the samples for the rest of them.

“It has been proved at the labs that people are abusing the samples,” Chief Health Inspector Sela Faʻu of the Ministry told the Tonga Broadcasting Commission television service.

Faʻu has pleaded for the public to stop deceiving the Ministry and help them in trying to cure the fever.

She said the Ministry provided household members with small empty bottles for their samples and each one had her or his name labelled on it.

“It was unfortunate these people could not help,”  Faʻu said.

She said this was the reason why typhoid could not be eliminated because the potential typhoid candidates could not be identified at the lab through their samples.

Faʻu said it was easy to cure the disease if the candidate was identified through lab tests.

Faʻu said out of 11 typhoid patients identified in Tongtapu, five had been at the village of Veitongo.

She said the number meant the Ministry had to declare there was a typhoid outbreak in Tongatapu.

As a matter of routine, it was followed by a public educational health programme on radio and television and health officers visited the villages.

This included spraying of chlorine in the areas where typhoid candidates were staying.

As we reported last week, Radio New Zealand said Tonga had temporarily banned kava drinking in public halls to control an outbreak of typhoid.

The Ministry of Health has also imposed a month long ban on making food for public gatherings such as funerals.

The main points

  • The Ministry of Health says it is appalled by revelations that people who were asked to provide samples of their blood, stool, or urine for typhoid disease lab tests had falsified them.
  • The Ministry said these people used only one or two persons in the household to provide the samples for the rest of them.
  • Chief Health Inspector Sela Faʻu of the Ministry said the Ministry provided household members with small bottles for their samples and each one had her or his name labelled on it.
  • Faʻu said it was easy to cure the disease if the candidate was identified through lab tests.

For more information

Villagers in typhoid hotspot banned from sharing food until end of month

 

New clock at Fuaʻamotu international airport donated by Rotary Club Nukuʻalofa

By
Kaniva Staff
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Rotary Club Nuku’alofa donates a Rotary Clock to the arrival hall at Fua’amotu Airport.

The sign says “Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa Welcomes visitors to the Kingdom”, with a contact number for those interested.

The Clock was presented to Siena Taumoepeau, Chief Corporate Services, Tonga Airport Ltd (TAL), by RCN Director for Club Services, Masha, RCN President, Peter, and RCN President Elect ‘Amanaki.

Also attending where Sione Takapuatolo, Chief Technical and Support  Services, Salote Fuka and Mavae Fuapau.

Siena thanked the Rotary Club on behalf of the Manager of TAL for the clock which helps travelers as well as raising awareness of Rotary in the country.

She noted it would encourage them to put up more clocks representing the time in other major cities.

Pres Peter thanked Siena and TAL for this opportunity to welcome visitors and Rotarians who come from more than 160 countries around the world.

Boy ,14, and woman among five arrested with marijuana

By
Kalino Latu
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A 14-year-old boy from Vaotu’u was among five people who were arrested last week with marijuana, police have said.

A 31-year-old woman from Tokomololo was also arrested and charged for possession of cannabis for supply.

Two 17-year-old teens from Kolonga and a 36-year-old man from Houmakelikao were also arrested and charged in connection with a number of drug-related offences.

Police confiscated amounts of marijuana which ranges from 11 – 96 grams during the arrest.

Police have pleaded for the public and community leaders to help them in trying to stop the crimes.

Tonga Broadcasting Commission television said the number of young youth who were associated with marijuana dealing had been soared recently but it did not provide any statistics.

Renewal of TBC boss’s contract disappoints PM Pōhiva; considers firing chairman

By
Kalino Latu
-

The renewal of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission CEO Nanise Fifita’s contract has upset Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva so much he is considering sacking the chair of the board Tapu Panuve.

He said he was also considering sacking board member Aloma Johansson.

This is the latest twist in the Prime Minister’s feud with the Tongan national broadcaster, which he has accused of reporting unfairly on his government.

Media watch groups and journalists have accused him of threatening to undermine freedom of the media in the kingdom because of his comments about the TBC and his clashes with individual members of staff.

The Prime Minister said Panuve and Johannsson had completed their one year probationary period with the TBC, at which stage the government could decide whether it wanted them to continue in their posts or not.

Hon. Pōhiva said  the board had not shown it cared enough to do something in response to his claims that Radio and Television Tonga’s reports on him and his government were malicious,  unprofessional and unethical.

The Prime Minister made the comments after Kaniva News asked him in Auckland last week about the status of a review of the TBC he made public last week.

Hon Pōhiva said he had talked to the Minister of Public Enterprise as he was the one who was responsible for the government’s board.

He said the government was investigating  the legal implications of the review.

As Kaniva News reported last month, Hon. Pōhiva said the government was in the process of reassessing the state broadcaster’s “function and roles” and would meet to pass a resolution on the review soon.

The Prime Minister claimed Radio A3Z and Television Tonga had a poor record of performance.

He said there was proof the A3Z ran at a loss and there was a huge debt it might not be able to pay it back.

He said the way they reported and broadcast showed they were not independent or impartial and there was evidence of malice and hatred.

Last year the Prime Minister advised the Minister of Pubic Enterprise Hon Poasi Tei to suspend TBC news manager Viola Ulakai with pay pending an investigation into her conduct.

The Prime Minister believed Ulakai’s style of interview and requests for press conferences were aimed at discrediting the government and not producing fair and impartial news reports.

Kaniva News has asked TBC board chair Tapu Panuve for comment.

The main points

  • The renewal of the Tonga Broadcasting Commission CEO Nanise Fifita’s contract has upset Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pōhiva so much he is considering sacking the chair of the board Tapu Panuve.
  • This is the latest twist in the Prime Minister’s feud with the Tongan national broadcaster, which he has accused of reporting unfairly on his government.
  • Pōhiva said the board had not shown it cared enough to do something in response to his claims that Radio and Television Tonga’s reports on him and his government were malicious,  unprofessional and unethical.
  • Media watch groups and journalists have accused him of threatening to undermine freedom of the media in the kingdom because of his comments about the TBC and his clashes with individual members of staff.

For more information

Pohiva declares war on TBC, declares it an obstacle and constraint on gov’t

 

Tongan tourism CEO selected for UN job

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Tongan Chief Executive Officer for Tourism has been selected as new United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States (UN-OHRLLS).

UN Secretary-General has selected Fekitamoeloa Katoa ‘Utoikamanu of Tonga, who since January 2017 is the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Tourism, Tonga.

“For the position of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States, Ms. ‘Utoikamanu brings with her a wealth of national, regional and international experience at various senior leadership levels, with a strategic perspective for the mandate of the OHRLLS and on building consensus among key stakeholders.

“She was previously Acting Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2015), Deputy Pro-Chancellor and Deputy Chair of the Council of the University of the South Pacific (2009-2016), Deputy Director General and Director of Education, Training and Human Development of the Secretariat of Pacific Community (2009-2015), Permanent Representative and Ambassador of the Government of Tonga to the United Nations, United States of America, Cuba and Venezuela and High Commissioner to Canada (2005-2009), and Secretary for Foreign Affairs and European Commission’s National Authorizing Officer for Tonga (2002-2005).

“The Secretary-General is grateful to the outgoing senior leaders who have served with distinction and true commitment to the ideals of the United Nations.

We will continue to make additional announcements in the coming weeks on other senior positions as the relevant selection processes are completed”.

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