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Inquiry into Australian bus company after Tongan woman left stranded, Ministry says

By
Kalino Latu
-

Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says it is concerned about the bus company in Australia that took 39 Tongan fruit pickers from Bowen in North Queensland to Brisbane airport.

The Ministry told Kaniva News an inquiry was underway after the bus broke down in Miriam Vale 464 kilometres north of Brisbane and its replacement left without Tongan worker Sofia Filo, 30, of Ma’ufanga.

Internal Affairs CEO ʻAna Bing Fonua, said they had a meeting with the group leader on Wednesday last week in Tonga and some of the group members on Thursday.

Fonua said she met with Filo on Friday as part of their inquiry after Kaniva News reported that Filo was left stranded.

Internal Affairs CEO ‘Ana Bing Fonua

When the group found out Filo had  been left behind after about two hours they left Miriam Vale, they considered the consequences if they returned to pick her up, Fonua said.

They believed they would be late for their flights, causing  them to overstay their visas.

Fonua said their visas were due to expire two days after they arrived in Tonga.

The group feared that if they overstayed their visa they could not have another chance to return to Australia on the fruit picking programme, Fonua said in Tongan.

The CEO said some of the group had considered fleeing in Australia if their visas expired while they were there.

Sofia Filo. Photo/Supplied

Fonua said the group made contact with Filo after they found out she had been left behind and made sure she was safe.

As Kaniva reported, the bus broke down in Miriam Vale at about 11.30pm after it left Bowen at 5am on Wednesday 23.

Fonua said two men took a break with Sofia on the chairs in a nearby park after the bus broke down. In our report we quoted Filo as saying they were two women.

Fonua said the men left the park early while Filo was still there and when the replacement bus arrived they boarded it without knowing Filo was sleeping in the park.

The CEO said if the bus had returned to pick up Filo it would have taken two hours to reach her, which meant the group would have missed their flight to Sydney to return to Tonga.

She said attempts to contact Police over the cellphone were unsuccessful because Filo did not have any credit on her phone.

The main points

  • Tonga’s Ministry of Internal Affairs says it is concerned about the bus company in Australia that took 39 Tongan fruit pickers from Bowen in North Queensland to Brisbane airport.
  • The Ministry told Kaniva News an inquiry was underway after the bus broke down in Miriam Vale 467 kilometres north of Brisbane and its replacement left without Tongan worker Sofia Filo, 30, of Ma’ufanga.
  • Internal Affairs CEO ʻAna Bing Fonua, said they had a meeting with the group leader on Wednesday last week in Tonga and some of the group members on Thursday.
  • Fonua said she met with Filo on Friday as part of their inquiry after Kaniva News reported that Filo was left stranded.

READ MORE

Tongan female fruit picker shares worst nightmare after being left stranded in Queensland

 

Government shuts down Tokomololo and Ngeleʻia Side Schools

By
Kalino Latu
-

Two government funded schools in Tonga were told to shut down next year as part of the Ministry of Education’s  move to make sure it provides proper education for foreigners’ children.

Ngeleʻia and Tokomololo Side Schools were told to merge with Tonga Side School in Nukuʻalofa.

The closings were expected to save the government’s budget and resources so it can improve running the school.

The Tonga Side School was established decades ago in a bit to teach foreign children in English on Tongan curriculum with a palangi perspective.

The only Tongan children allowed to enrol were those of the royals and the nobility.

But the policy was apparently loosen recently allowing the public to enrol their children and this was why Tokomololo and Ngeleʻia schools were opened in early 2000s.

The Ministry however faced criticisms after allowing Tongan students to enrol while there were schools for them available throughout the kingdom.

Tongan parents vied to send their children to the Side School in the hope they could get better education because of the English teaching and curriculum.

But internal reports by the Ministry found most of these Tongan children  suffered academically and were unsuccessful when they enrolled at secondary schools because they did not understand English well while they were taught at the side school.

Tonga Broadcasting Commission report says the closing was made because the Ministry also wanted to “downsize” the number of students taught at these levels.

Missing ‘Eua father and son found alive north of Nukuʻalofa

By
Kalino Latu
-

Two days after being reported missing at sea, the 40-year-old father and his 14-year old son were found alive on their fishing boat north of Nuku’alofa.

Siosifa Pepa and Tevita Pepa were spotted waving their t-shirts from Hunga Tonga island an hour after the Royal New Zealand Airforce P-3K2 Orion began scouring Tonga’s seas.

The aircraft left New Zealand this morning at 8.45am.

The men were dropped water, food and a radio by the Airforce and the Tongan Police have contacted their family.

Reports from the aircraft crew said the men appear to be well, and their blue wooden boat was intact.

Tongan Police Commissioner Steve Caldwell said: “I am happy that we can return Sifa and his son Tevita to their loved ones for Christmas.”

The P3K2 Orion arrived and conducted the aerial search at around 1:00pm this afternoon Tuesday 13 December. he said.

They located the missing boat at approximately 2:00pm at Hunga Tonga and HMAF Voea Pangai was deployed at 2:30pm with 2 Police Officers on board to pick them up.

The VOEA Pangai was on its way back to Nuku’alofa with Sifa and Tevita, the Commissioner said.

The P3K2 Orion has returned to New Zealand and Commissioner of Police Steve Caldwell wishes to acknowledge the RCCNZ and RNZAF for their assistance in making sure that Sifa and Tevita will be returned home safely to their family.

“Their quick and professional response was overwhelming, and I pass on my heartfelt thanks, as well as the families,” Caldwell said.

“We also want to thank HMAF for their valuable assistance, and local fishermen who assisted in the initial sea search. We also appreciate the great work of the MET Office and Coastal Radio.”

Since the launch of the 3 new police SAR boats in December 2015, police have saved 67 lives, from 20 Police SAR operations.

READ MORE:

Father and son missing off ʻEua since Saturday

NZ aircraft joins search for ʻEua fishermen

By
Kalino Latu
-

The New Zealand Defence Force is helping search for two fishermen who have been missing at sea off the island of Faiʻana in Eua islands on Saturday.

Tonga’s Police Commissioner Steve Caldwell said this afternoon he has requested assistance from the RCCNZ (Rescue Co-Ordination Centre New Zealand) for consideration of an RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) Orion for an aerial search of the predicted search area.

Tonga Police are searching  for the missing father and son from ‘Eua, who left their home for a fishing trip.

They last made contact by mobile phone on Saturday evening, advising of engine problems.

A Marine Search and Rescue was launched last Saturday with the use of police Rescue boat the MV ‘ALOTOLU and has so far been unsuccessful. Local boats and flights have also been alerted.

Police have now requested assistance from the RCCNZ (Rescue Co-Ordination Centre New Zealand) for consideration of an RNZAF (Royal New Zealand Air Force) Orion for an aerial search of the predicted search area.

The P3K2 Orion left New Zealand at 9:00 this morning and is due over Tonga waters at 1:00 pm today.

The 40-year-old father and his 14-year-old son left ‘Ohonua on Saturday 10 December 2016 at around 5:30 am in a 14ft boat was heading north of ‘Eua to Fai’ana, a shoal use by local fisherman for long line fishing.

His Majesty’s Armed Forces have been requested to assist, in event of the missing boat being located.

READ MORE

Father and son missing off ʻEua since Saturday

Church leaders call for openess, dialogue, with Tonga’s LGBTI community

By
Philip Cass
-

Tongan Christians have been asked to be more open to LGBTI people.

Speaking after a recent national consultation with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community, the President of the Tonga National Council of Churches said Christians needed to be ready to engage in open discussion.

The initiative for the consultation came from the LGBTI community which want the government to change the law which penalises cross-dressing and sodomy.

Members of the LGBTI community met with church leaders and Parliamentarians

The leader of the Catholic Church in Tonga, Cardinal Soane Patita Mafi said more open discussion would improve understanding.

Radio New Zealand reported the cardinal as saying it was time to “talk these things out with some encouraging words with one another.”

“But the basic essential thing is to make them feel accepted. They’re valued in their dignity. They are persons created by God.”

Tonga’s Leiti Association planned the national consultation to petition for changes to the Criminal Offences Act, which criminalises cross-dressing and sodomy and can be punished with up to ten years in prison.

In 2015, a human rights conference in Tonga organised by the Pacific Sexuality Diversity Network was targeted  by several church groups,

Project officer for the Tongan Leiti association, Henry Aho, said in October that some conservative Christians thought that having reinforced the Sunday trading laws which shut down the kingdom’s bakeries, it was time to strengthen anti-gay legislation.

The LGBTI community in Tonga was given a boost at this year’s Olympics when openly gay athlete Amini Fonua publicly attacked a reporter for what he saw as an anti-gay story.

“We are a very Christian country but we can hold onto that without being intolerant. It’s possible,” Fonua said at the time.

The main points

  • Tongan Christians have been asked to be more open to LGBTI people.
  • Speaking after a recent national consultation with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex community, the President of the Tonga National Council of Churches said Christians needed to be ready to engage in open discussion.
  • The initiative for the consultation came from the LGBTI community which want the government to change the law which penalises cross-dressing and sodomy.
  • Radio New Zealand reported the leader of the Catholic Church in Tonga, Cardinal Soane Patita Mafi, as saying it was time to “talk these things out with some encouraging words with one another.”

For more information

Tonga church to seek dialogue with LGBTI

LGBT community calls for change in conservative Tonga

Tonga’s out gay Olympian hints at which sports have the most queer athletes on Grindr at Rio

Father and son missing off ʻEua since Saturday

By
Kalino Latu
-

Two men who were aboard a fishing boat which went missing in ʻEua islands have been identified as a local 40-year-old father and his 14-year-old son.

It was believed the duo were heading towards Faiʻana island near ʻOhonua when their boat suffered a mechanical failure on Saturday, December 10.

Police said the father contacted his family on his phone saying their boat engine could not be started and called for help.

Police search and rescue boat ʻAlotolu was sent to the area.

The men were not found and according to Police the rough seas hindered the search.

Search operation continued yesterday but still no sight of the missing men.

Bill English New Zealand’s new Prime Minister

By
Kalino Latu
-

Bill English is now New Zealand’s new Prime Minister after John Key formally resigned this morning.

Paula Bennett became his deputy, it has been announced today.

For more information:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/87454136/live-bill-english-to-become-new-pm-today

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11765148

 

Car left wrapped around pole in Vavaʻu crash

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A car crashed into a pole after it collided with another car in Vavaʻu.

No injuries reported and the details of the incident were not immediately available.

Early last month a car smashed into a power pole at Tuʻi Road in Neiafu near the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

A photo showed that  car also wrapped around the pole.

Vavaʻu Police have been contacted.

Indonesian body found at Fāua harbour returned home as death is ruled not suspicious

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Police said the body of the Indonesian man which was found dead in late September at the Fāua water has been recently flown home to Indonesia.

His death has been ruled not suspicious.

He has been identified as Roys Gita, 30, an employee of the Chinese’s fishing boat, Yushun.

As Kaniva News reported previously Tongan Police were investigating the death and were awaiting autopsy results to confirm its cause.

His body was recovered by a Police diver on October 1.

Police said the  fisherman was having a party with his co-workers before the incident happened.

READ MORE

Indonesian man drowns; Tongan Police awaiting autopsy report

Children refuse to bail out father accused of sexually abusing 5 and 10 yo

By
Kaniva Staff
-

The children of an old man from Kolomotuʻa have refused to sign his bail after he appeared in court on charges of sexually abusing a five and a 10-year-old child.

Koniseti ‘Akau’ola who is apparently in his 70s told Magistrate Folau Lokotui on November 21 he could not afford to hire a lawyer to represent him in court.

Lokotui said the offence he committed against the children was extremely bad.

He said ‘Akau’ola should ask his children to hire him a lawyer.

Tonga has no legal aid system  for those who were unable to afford legal representation and access to the court system.

The widower said he has four children and they had visited him regularly while he was in jail.

He said none of them wanted to guarantee and bail him out.

‘Akau’ola was remanded in Police custody until his next trial date will be set.

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