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Gov’t criticised after celebrating new housing for Pacific Leaders while Hungas’ Tsunami survivors still waiting for new homes

By
Kalino Latu
-

The government faces criticisms after commemorating the completion of its new housing project for Pacific leaders meeting while survivors of Hungas’ tsunami were still waiting for their new homes.

Several dozen tsunami survivors on Tonga’s outer islands of Nomuka and Fonoifua are still living in temporary shelters almost three years after the devastating January 2022 tsunami washed away their homes.

Unfinished houses and building materials abandoned on the island of Nomuka. Photos/ Samuela ‘Akilisi Pōhiva Jr.

A plan to build nearly 50 permanent houses for the islands has crept behind several deadlines.

The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha’apai volcano’s catastrophic eruption triggered tsunami waves as high as 15 meters, hitting Tongatapu, Eua, and Ha’apai. Significant damage occurred in Ha’apai’s island of Tungua, and two minor injuries were reported there. Two people died from the tsunami, one on Nomuka Island and the other on Mango.

We have previously reported a number of problems with the recovery housing projects for tsunami survivors on Nomuka Island including ‘Atatā Si’i. In the Nomuka report, we said that unfinished houses and abandoned construction materials were left scattered in open areas on the island, which raised concerns about wasted, costly materials that may never be used for their intended purpose.

Our report came after the Ministry of Infrastructure announced the beginning of the building of houses for the Nomuka tsunami survivors in September 2023.

Housing project for Pacific Leaders

The government swiftly constructed about 150 prefab houses in different locations on Tonga’s Tongatapu main island to accommodate about 1000 guests who joined the meeting in Nuku’alofa this week. The construction began in May of this year and was completed last week, in just three months. The action stands in stark contrast to the delayed housing projects for the tsunami survivors.

In its report on July 26, the Ministry of Infrastructure attributed the success of the housing projects for the Pacific Forum meeting to their ability to swiftly adapt and anticipate challenges, likening it to the Tongan idiom “lele ‘i matangi” (running before the wind).

It said that it was building 16 new prefab houses at Vaha’akolo Road, 40 at Kausela Road, Kolofo’ou, 60 at Pātangata and 30 at Sopu.

The houses at Pātangata were officially launched on Saturday, 17 August by HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala who unveiled a plaque, revealing the name for the project as Niu Lodge.

The swift address of the urgent housing needs for the Pacific Leaders, while some of the housing for tsunami survivors remained unresolved for years, has raised questions about the government’s priorities.

Grassroot level needs

Samuela Akilisi Pohiva Jr, the son of former Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva, has publicly criticized the government leaders for what he described as disregard for the diligent citizens who contribute taxes to fund governmental expenses.

He said that the government’s handling of the two housing projects using different care approaches demonstrated how Tongan society is hierarchically classified.

Pōhiva said in Tongan, “The leaders were always slow to address the needs of people at the grassroots level whose duty was to pay the taxes and fund most of the government budgets.

“On the other hand, they were very quick to address any needs of the aristocracy and the rich”.

Completed housing projects

Last month, the government and residents of Tungua island celebrated the handover of keys to 17 new houses under the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai Recovery Project.

60 new prefab houses built for the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting. Photo/Tonga Government

In its update on April 30, 2024, the Ministry of Infrastructure said 17 new houses were being built at Atatā Si‘i for the tsunami survivors.

That comes on top of new houses built for twenty-two displaced families from the same island in December 2023.

A new town Hall for the village was under construction and the survivors were still using tents for their Sunday church services

In its most recent update on July 31, the Ministry reported that the 14 houses currently under construction for the Mango tsunami survivors at Tā’anga, ‘Eua, are still incomplete. Some houses have yet to have walls erected, it said.

Lack of transparency

The government’s handling of the housing project for the tsunami survivors had been marred by politics and lack of transparency.

As Kaniva News reported, the MP for Atatā, Dr ‘Aisake Eke, previously accused the Minister of Infrastructure and his staff of failing to give the public correct information about the tsunami construction works.

Dr Eke’s claim came in the wake of the relocation of the ‘Atatā tsunami victims from a hall at Kolomotu’a to the newly created village of ‘Atatā Si’i towards the end of last year, more than a year after the tsunami struck.

We reported that the survivors were told to move into tents at Atatā Si’i just as the cyclone season began.

They do not have bathrooms and toilets. They were told by the government to share the ‘Atatā Si’i’s residents’ bathrooms and toilets.

Following our report, the Ministry said on its Facebook page this week that it had shown (“fakanofonofo”) the victims who had been living in the hall at Kolomotu’a their new homes at ‘Atatā Si’i. However, it did not say that these people were living in tents, and they were told to share toilets and bathrooms with people who first settled at ‘Atatā Si’i.

It also said the Ministry of Lands and Survey, together with the estate holder’s agent, were still working on land for the recently relocated victims, implying there would be no construction on these lands until the Ministry finalised the question of ownership of the land.

Dr Eke said the tsunami reconstruction was slow because local construction contractors were disappointed with the Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. Sevenitiini Toumo’ua. 

He said the contractors were unhappy after Hon. Toumo’ua fixed the contract for each new house at what was claimed to be an undervalued price.

He said these contractors submitted a petition to the Parliament before a Parliamentary committee was selected to work on it. The Select Committee members included Dr Eke, Hon. Toumo’ua, MP Tevita Puloka and MP Lord Tu’ivakanō.

Dr Eke said Hon. Toumo’ua was uncooperative and failed to provide important information from his Ministry to the committee.  

He said the Minister refused to provide the Ministry’s bill of quantity so that the Committee could compare it with the contractors’ costs and estimate.

Dr Eke said the Ministry should have reimbursed the companies.

“The Ministry, especially the Minister, had been underperforming (“ta’efakafiemālie”) in handling the tsunami construction project”, Dr Eke said.

“The information they released to the public was not reliable.

He said the construction should have been conducted without delays.

“There was enough fund donated by from overseas donors for the construction and there is TP$95 million of government’s cash reserve funds”, he told Kaniva News.

“There are funds for other various projects that could be postponed and redirected them for the housing construction.

“There is enough money, but the construction works are slow for various reasons”.

Kaniva News contacted the Ministry of Infrastructure for comment.

Pacific leaders have ‘incredibly crowded’ agenda at Tonga summit, as locals welcome much-needed economic boost

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Lydia Lewis of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Handy craft stall owners in Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa are hoping that the economic activity generated by delegates attending the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Summit (PIFLM53) this week will boost their incomes, as ordinary Tongans continue with their daily grind to recover from the impacts of the 2022 earthquake and tsunami.

Tonga handicraft on display.

Tonga handicraft on display. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis

More than 1000 people are heading to the Kingdom for the annual event, where 18 Pacific leaders come together each year to make big decisions as a Pacific family.

Issues to be talked about a numerous, including the climate crisis, the ongoing crisis in New Caledonia, United States territories America Samoa and Guam’s bids to become associate members, the seasonal worker brain drain, freer travel around the Pacific, making it easier for Pacific island nations to access climate finance to prepare for disaster, human rights issues in Indonesia’s West Papua, deep sea mining, and an update on PIF regional architecture.

But for locals, Tonga hosting the summit means it offers a much-needed cash injection to the nation, which is still recovering from the Hunga-Tonga Hunga Ha’apai eruption and tsunami.

Linda Vahai Alatini, 49, who was taught how to make taʻovala, fine Tongan mat worn around the waste, by her great grandmother, now teaches her children and sells goods at Nuku’alofa’s Talamahu Market.

Alatini, who spoke to RNZ Pacific with Amelia Taufa, 65, said they were looking forward to sharing her art with the PIFM53 guests.

Tonga handicraft on display.

Tonga handicraft on display. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis

But Alatini said she also wanted to remind Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku Siaosi Sovaleni – incoming PIF chair – to make decisions in the interests his people.

“We want the government to help us here in the market”, she said, adding “we make our own handicraft here so [the government needs to] pick us to go and sell” the locally made products when they attend overseas expos to promote Tonga.

Another vendor, Betsy Lori – a single mum of eight works six days a week at the market to support her children in higher education.

She sells kiekie, a traditional Tongan garment worn by women made out of plant fibres from pandanus, hibiscus and coconut.

She said the busiest time for her small business to “make a big income” was December during Christmas holidays when Tongans overseas send money back home to their families, and while she did not know the nitty-gritty of what PIFL53 is about, she hopes the influx of guests will boost profits.

Tonga PM, Hu'akavameiliku, middle in red, with the FSM, left, and Nauru, right, presidents.

Bety Lori at the Talamahu Market. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis

“It’s so tough to stay here in Tonga. So, we were so happy to see [delegates] here…because when they will spend money, and you know help our economy.”

When asked what changes Pacific leaders could make to support Tongans, Lori said visa free travel would ease the burden greatly.

She said she has spent a lot of money and time applying for visas to Australia, New Zealand, and the US.

Several Pacific leaders are already in Tonga, while other will be arriving tonight in the coming days. Among the high-level attendees are also the United National secretary-general Antonio Guterres and the Commonwealth Secretariat head Patricia Scotland.

New Zealand is sending three delegates to the Pacific Island Forum Leaders’ Week.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti will attend the first half of the week, with prime minister Christopher Luxon attending the second half.

Peters said New Zealand’s high-level participation in Leaders’ Week reflects the importance the government places upon deepening its relationships in the region.

Tonga handicraft on display.

Tonga handicraft on display. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis

‘Incredibly crowded’ summit

A Pacific politics says regional leaders will have their dance cards full at the Forum.

Massey University security studies associate professor Anna Powles told RNZ Pacific this year will be the first time since the pandemic that dialogue partners, like the US and China, get to meet face to face with PIF leaders.

“It’s going to be incredibly crowded, busy meeting.” -Massey University’s Anna Powles duration8′ :24″ 

from Pacific Waves

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“It’s going to be incredibly crowded, busy meeting.” -Massey University’s Anna Powles

She said: “It’s going to be incredibly crowded, busy meeting”.

But top of the agenda will be the ongoing unrest in New Caledonia, she said.

“It will certainly be an issue that will be discussed in terms of how to plan forward and the role of the forum moving forward, with respect to New Caledonia,” she said.

“It is also an opportunity for the New Caledonian government delegation to talk about the issues with forum members without France in the room.”

Powles said other big-ticket items for the meeting will be Japan’s Fukushima treated nuclear wastewater release and climate change, with Guterres expected to make an appearance, the review of the regional architecture and the Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s ‘zone of peace’ proposal.

She said the Australia-Tuvalu Falepili Union treaty was expected to be a talking point, “but that’s likely to be low key at this stage, whilst there’s broader consultation and support being built for it”.

Griffith Asia Institute’s Pacific lead, Tess Newton Cain said it will be interesting to what the leaders decide on the Guam and American Samoa’s associated membership bid.

She said the PIF regional architecture is under review and that includes the its membership structure.

“It would be a very bad look, diplomatically, if they were to allow [Guam and American Samoa] to become associate members and then in a couple of years and say, ‘oh, we’ve changed the rules now and you no longer qualify’,” Tess Newton-Cain told RNZ Pacific.

The meeting officially starts on Monday.

‘Mistaken identity’ or ‘revenge killing’: Tongan grandfather remembered for love of music

By
Kaniva Staff
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The Tongan church community of a grandfather shot dead in Auckland’s Pakuranga Heights on Monday morning remembers him for his kindness, love of music, and for his commitment to the church.

Tu’ipulotu Kokohu Vī also known as Saia Kokohu Vi

Tu’ipulotu Vī, 59, also known as Saia Kokohu Vī, a member of Auckland’s Ellerslie Methodist Moia Mei he Eiki Church, died after police found him wounded in a car outside his Pixie Place address. He passed away at the scene shortly after.

Auckland police are still searching for suspects they believe were involved in the tragic shooting that led to his death.

While the fatal shooting remains unsolved, there are growing concerns as to why this tragic crime occurred in the first place.

Vi was a member of the church’s brass band and also participated in the Vahefonua ‘O Aotearoa Methodist band, where he played the euphonium.

“Tangata eni naʻe faʻa tokoni lahi kihe ʻeku ngaue fk-faihiva”, a Tongan Auckland music teacher, Lea’aesola Vuna, described how Vī often assisted his music teaching and performance and gave him constructive advices.

“Iʻm gonna miss your help and support my friend”.

Vi has also been described as churchgoer who often conducted church choir.

“Si’i tangata fofonga fiefia mo lototo angamalu lahi aupito”, another commenter described Vī on social media, saying he had a smiling face and a good heart.

He said Vī became a brass band player while studying at Tupou College in Tonga before relocating to New Zealand.

Vī was a courier driver and dog walker living with his wife, daughter and two grandchildren before his death.

The tragedy occurred after a Tongan mother was fatally shot in her home on Calthorp Close in Mangere, Auckland, in January 2020.

Meliame Fisi’ihoi, 57, was shot dead at point-blank range while answering a knock at her window.

The gunmen’s target was her son, Stephen Fisi’ihoi, who was not home at the time.

There is a growing consensus in the Tongan community in New Zealand, based on similar recent incidents, that such a shooting if proven to have a link to gangs, was apparently targeted for revenge.

Mistaken identity or revenge killing?

Following Vii’ death, the NZ Herald revealed Vi’s son was targeted in a drive-by-shooting just last month on the North Shore.

His son and daughter are also facing serious money laundering and drug importing charges, the Herald reported.

The 33-year-old son had been on bail, living at the North Shore home at the time, as previously revealed by the Herald.

The Beach Haven property on Rambler Cres was sprayed with bullets at around 6.30am on July 23.

The daughter’s partner also reportedly lives at the home and faces charges. He has also worked as a courier driver.

Vi’s son’s charges were laid as part of Operation Worthington, and allege he was a client of a Chinese money laundering syndicate.

His sister and her partner were also charged with drug importing and money laundering offences as co-offenders.

The couple were living with Vi at Pixie Place, according to court documents and electoral roll records.

Her partner’s occupation is listed as a courier driver.

There is no suggestion Tuipolotu Vi was involved in any crimes.

Asked whether the shootings at Beach Haven and Pakuranga were connected, or if detectives were looking into the possibility that the fatal shooting was a case of mistaken identity, the police media team did not respond to Herald questions.

Instead, they issued a general press release that confirmed the “familial link” between both addresses that were targeted.

Helaman Hansen re-sentenced for illegal citizenship scheme involving adult adoptions in the US

By
Kaniva Staff
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Helaman Hansen, a Tongan man who authorities say preyed on the desires of immigrants to become United States citizens in an illegal scheme to get their money, was re-sentenced on Thursday.

helaman hansen sentenced for fraud  SOURCE: File/KCRA

Helaman Hansen, also known as Helamani, and his wife, Viola Hansen, also known as Sela Hansen, were the couple at the centre of the FBI investigation, which led to Helaman’s conviction.

Hansen ran the “Americans Helping America Chamber of Commerce” (AHA). The Sacramento organization first came on the radar of KCRA 3 Investigates before Christmas in 2015. In December 2015, a half-dozen migrants met with KCRA to discuss an adult adoption concept that had been spreading through word of mouth at churches and throughout the Latino and Hispanic communities in Northern California.

Those people said Hansen’s system was a scam.

Hansen told people that, under international law, he and his employees could adopt these migrants — as full-grown adults — and that would automatically make them U.S. citizens.

“They would tell my parents, ‘Hey, this is something you can do for your kids. They’ll have a better future,'” said one person in 2015.

Another said they were told, “There is one option you can be legal here.”

Yet an immigration attorney KCRA 3 Investigates spoke with at the time said, “It’s a total scam.”

Hansen spoke with KCRA 3 Investigates, claiming to be “the only agents in the United States of America that are doing something like this because everybody want to make money. We want to change lives.”

When asked point-blank if he was leading a scam, he denied it.

When asked how many people had become U.S. citizens through adult adoption, he said, “Thousands, as far as I’m concerned.”

Immigration experts said that adoption can help the pathway to citizenship for those 16 and younger, but that it’s far more complicated for anyone older than that. And it has absolutely no effect at all for immigration purposes.

Just before our story aired in 2015, the FBI raided Hansen’s offices, taking all his files and computers. At the time, he claimed the feds had no constitutional right to take their equipment.

Hansen asked for a jury trial and was found guilty in 2017 on 18 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, and conspiracy to entice illegal immigration for the purposes of enrichment. The judge then sentenced Hansen to 20 years in federal prison.

But the story did not end there.

Hansen appealed his conviction. His appeals documents were sometimes filled with the same claims of knowing United Nations and international law, claiming that his conviction was unconstitutional. Eventually, his attorneys argued that the two immigration enticement charges were problematic.

In 2020, Hansen claimed very poor health. Hansen was let out of prison on supervised release, pending the result of an appeal, amid fears he could die from the COVID-19 outbreak in the Lompoc prison facility in Santa Barbara County.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Hansen, in small part, saying the immigration charges should be modified. But the court upheld the other charges. The case even made its way up to the Supreme Court, which affirmed the Ninth Circuit’s opinion.

Ultimately, the U.S. attorney in Sacramento dropped the two immigration enrichment charges, noting that the sentencing for his original fraud charges was still 20 years in jail.

That led to Aug. 22, 2024, four years after Hansen’s release and seven years after his original conviction, where Hansen, again, faced Judge Morrison England, Jr., for sentencing.

The probation department had sent recommendations, and at the beginning of the hearing, the judge seemed to want to let Hansen out with the 36 months he served in Lompoc as his time served. The prosecution vehemently disagreed, saying that Hansen was running the same health-problem scheme he’d run in the original trial and that then, the jury didn’t buy it.

The debate came down to how much time Hansen should actually spend, then, on home supervision. Hansen’s lawyer said that he has type-2 diabetes, gout, arthritis, hypertension, has been through a heart surgery, has prostate cancer, and may have a form of dementia. That’s in addition to him saying during his trial that he had a mental condition.

Prosecutors pointed out that, although the enrichment charges were dropped, there were hundreds of people whose lives were ruined by Hansen and his scheme. He had also shown no remorse for the crimes and deserved the long sentence to be served out inside a prison. But if the judge wanted to put him in home confinement, he should do it for the same period of time. “Accountability with compassion,” the prosecutor said.

Ultimately, what changed the sentence from “time served” to more were Hansen’s actions. During what is called his “right of allocution,” Hansen began to quote the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. He then began saying he knew the international laws and was a registered justice of the peace. Then Hansen claimed his innocence.

That statement seemed to strike a chord with Judge England. After a long debate where Hansen kept saying, “if I violated the law,” England stated that the case “went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, who affirmed the decision” in all but two of the counts.

Hansen’s attorney intervened to try and deflect Hansen’s statement, pointing out he was a “dreamer” and that his health issues impaired him. More importantly, she claimed Hansen, even if he wanted to, could not perpetrate another scheme because he was too frail and his standing in the community had been ruined.

Hansen, ultimately, in a meandering statement, did admit he violated U.S. law. He still claimed he did nothing in county or city laws that was illegal.

The judge sentenced Hansen to six years in home confinement.

Hansen has 14 days to appeal the sentence. He has been ordered to pay back restitution to the hundreds of people whose money he took selling his adult adoption scheme.

Residents to roll out Tongan red carpet (ngatu) on the road for Pacific Forum leaders

By
Kaniva Staff
-

The residents of Veitongo are expected to adorn Taufa’āhau main road with the traditional Tongan red carpet, referred to as fola ngatu or fola fala, in honour of the Pacific leaders.

The fola ngatu roll-out is expected to cover several hundred meters of a section of the main road between Fua’amotu International Airport and Nuku’alofa, at Veitongo village.

The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Week, taking place in Nuku’alofa from Monday 26 to Friday 30, will bring together leaders from 18 Pacific countries.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is making his first visit to the Pacific in five years. He will be joined by the US Deputy Secretary Kirk Campbell.

While in Tonga, the UN Secretary will visit sites still recovering from the 2022 tsunami, engage in a PIF dialogue with leaders, and host bilateral meetings.

A spokesman for the Secretary-General hoped the visit would “raise awareness of the importance of climate action measures including early warning systems, adaptation and mitigation”.

Some of the leaders are also expected to visit some towns and villages in Tonga.

Villagers from various settlements expressed interest in hosting any of the leaders, yet only a select few were able to secure the opportunity.

This included Tatakamotonga town, where the UN secretary is expected to welcome him as part of his planned visits around the kingdom.

Veitongo herald Fīfī told Kaniva News it was traditional practice for his residents to roll out the ngatu on occasions like this.

“’Io koe fuu mea mahino pe ia ki he kolo he gaahi katoanga peheni osi pau pe fola gatu ia nae ui pe fono tala atu kihe kakai ke teuteu kihe monite kaha’u”, Fīfī said in Tongan, meaning the residents had held a fono recently in which they were told to get prepared for the fola ngatu on Monday for the leaders.

Veitongo’s nextdoor village Vainī is expected to also perform the fola ngatu, something they often did previously.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku said this week that he wanted to highlight cultural activities during the leaders’ summit to promote Tongan traditions.

The Pacific Islands Forum brings regional leaders together annually to find solutions to common issues and work toward a secure and prosperous Pacific Region for all its people.

Fola ngatu and fola fala practice  

The fola ngatu roll-out is traditionally used to mark the route taken by the monarchs, royals and chiefs on ceremonial and formal occasions. In recent decades, it has been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.

Sometimes, the fola fala (mat-rollout) is used instead of ngatu, or a mixture of both is used for certain occasions.

In Tongan, ngatu or tapa cloths and fala hold deep traditional significance as ceremonial gifts. These beautifully crafted items are often given as souvenirs or tokens of appreciation during special occasions and events.

Tonga should take heed of its shortcomings in Covid-19 pandemic preparation in order to effectively host PIF meeting

By
Kalino Latu
-

COMMENTARY: Pacific island leaders are starting to arrive in Tonga for the 53rd regional summit, aiming to navigate rapidly rising seas, damaging great power rivalries, and violent unrest in New Caledonia.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku

The US Deputy Secretary Kurt Campbell and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are expected to join the regional meeting.

It is a once-in-a-lifetime meeting, and Tonga has been tirelessly preparing for it.

Prime Minister Hu’akavameiliku emphasised that the meeting was pivotal in the kingdom’s history.

He reportedly said Tonga was “fortunate” to host the meeting this year and “trying to actually make it quite an experience”.

“We are looking forward to actually showing people what our culture is all about, what our food is all about, and what Tonga is all about.”

Since last week, drills for civil servants and event hosts have been ongoing, including practice for motorcades and airport welcomes.

However, the crucial question at this juncture is whether Tonga is adequately prepared to host a successful meeting, particularly at the hospitality level.

We are talking about the people who oversee and manage all aspects of the meeting, including transportation, food, security and serving as the event’s representatives. They interact with leaders and their staffs, ensure smooth operations, and create a memorable experience for all attendees.

One does not need to go far to encounter a challenge that could help us assess our level of preparedness and readiness for this meeting.

Handling of Covid-19 pandemic

The government was heavily criticised for handling the kingdom’s inaugural COVID-19 case and the subsequent arrival of Tongans from overseas following the border’s reopening. This was despite extensive training and drills for staff and healthcare workers to ensure successful handling of the returnees.

The Covid-19 encounters and experiences should collectively provide a valuable learning opportunity as an integral part of the preparation to host the leaders’ forum.

As Kaniva News reported at the time, the government’s handling of the Covid case was heavily criticised as too slow and showed its preparations to handle a pandemic appeared insufficient.

At the time, the then Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’i’onetoa urged the public to get vaccinated and not panic, but the public had been waiting for a while before the government addressed their concerns.

Tongan veteran journalist Kalafi Moala said, at the time, the government appeared to have failed in meeting the level of preparedness it had promised the public if Covid had arrived in the kingdom.

“There is no sign of preparedness for this despite the number of previous statements assuring the public there was a plan already in place if the virus will arrive here,” Moala said.

Moala said the government needs to give people more certainty.

One of Tonga’s top journalists, Dr Sione Vikilani, said on Facebook, at the time, that information is essential, especially when there are significant national issues.

“The information needed to be accurate and true, and they have to be released promptly to the public so that the people receive the same information at the same time from the government. The spreading of misinformation is growing because of the slowness in releasing factual information (from authorities). What will happen is that the people could believe in whatever information they can get”, Vikilani wrote in Tongan.

Food and accommodation

Complaints were also raised regarding the accommodation and food provided to returnees residing in MIQ facilities.

A male returnee described a hotel room in which the government had arranged for him to stay while being in a 10-day Covid quarantine period as appalling.

It had been reported that the room and toilet at one hotel were dirty, and the food was bad. The sheets were unwashed or unchanged, and part-used bars of soap were left in the hotel bathrooms for clients to use.

The complainant alleged the hotel had provided expired milk for their daily meals. Other repatriates in the hotel were reported to have taken photos of the expired milk and shared them on Facebook.

There were also complaints about the long wait at the airport after the returnees’ arrival, and people found it difficult to breathe because they were wearing masks in hot weather.

While the leaders’ meeting doesn’t pertain to another Covid-19 pandemic, the government should review the Covid-19 handling procedures to prevent a recurrence. This is essential as in both cases, they equally involve dealing with individuals who require special attention and care.

It is said that the success of any business meeting is determined before it begins. If each participant fails to adequately prepare, there is little chance that the meeting will be a success—and even if it is, it will be suboptimal.

US Deputy Secretary Campbell set to arrive in Tonga with a US delegation for the Pacific Leaders meeting

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell is expected to arrive in Tonga next week to join the Pacific Island Forum leaders’ meeting.

Mr Campbell will join United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is making his first visit to the Pacific in five years, visiting Samoa, New Zealand, Tonga, and East Timor.

Deputy Secretary Campbell will lead the U.S. delegation to the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, which will be chaired by the Prime Minister of Tonga, the Hon. Hu’akavemeiliku Siaosi Sovaleni. 

He will also engage Pacific Island leaders on the margins to promote the goals and achievements of the U.S. Pacific Partnership Strategy.

Mr. Campbell’s visit was part of his tour, which included Vanuatu and New Zealand, from August 28 to 31.

The Deputy Secretary will then visit Vanuatu to dedicate Embassy Port Vila, the United States’ newest overseas mission. 

His visit will also highlight a Peace Corps contribution to Port Vila Central Hospital and a repatriation of Vanuatu cultural artifacts made possible by interagency coordination between the State Department, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard and FedEx.

Finally, on August 30 in Auckland, the Deputy Secretary will co-chair the U.S.-New Zealand Strategic Dialogue, meet with senior government officials, and launch the inaugural High-Level Technology Dialogue.

These engagements in Tonga, Vanuatu, and New Zealand represent the latest in a series of high-level visits to the region by senior U.S. officials. 

These visits have deepened U.S. engagement with the Pacific Islands, building on the momentum and goodwill established during the September 2023 U.S.-Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Summit in Washington, D.C, as well as the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) hosted by Hawai‘i in June 2024.

New Zealand heads to Tonga to talk Pacific

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Tonga next week to meet with Pacific leaders on priority regional issues, including climate change, security and development.

The 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Week brings together leaders from 18 Pacific countries, including New Zealand.

“This meeting is our region’s opportunity to come together and help chart our collective future,” Mr Luxon says.

“As a region, we are working towards a peaceful, secure and prosperous Pacific. New Zealand stands ready to advance this agenda with our partners this week, through dialogue, respect and goodwill.

“Since taking office nine months ago, the Government has been demonstrating New Zealand is an active, engaged and interested partner to every country in the Pacific Islands region,” Mr Luxon says.

Mr Peters says New Zealand’s high-level participation in Leaders’ Week reflects the importance the Government places upon deepening its relationships in the region.

“We will be listening and engaging frankly next week on the issues that matter to each Forum member,” Mr Peters says.

“Our collective unity is critical to the region’s efforts to tackle the challenges that confront us, such as climate change mitigation, development needs and regional security.

“We look forward to discussing these issues with our neighbours, as well as the constructive role the Forum can play supporting ongoing peaceful efforts towards a mutually agreeable way forward in New Caledonia.”

Mr Peters will be accompanied by Minister for Pacific Peoples, Dr Shane Reti who commended Tonga, in its capacity as this year’s host, for making regional resilience a key theme, including in relation to improving health outcomes.

“We want to continue to contribute actively to initiatives that foster long-term resilience and enhance the health and well-being of Pacific communities,” Dr Reti says.

Ministers Peters and Reti will attend the first half of Leaders’ Week, departing New Zealand on 24 August and returning 27 August. The Prime Minister will attend the second half, departing New Zealand on 27 August and returning on 30 August.

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Return of death penalty not solution to Fiji’s fight against drugs, human rights chair and home affairs minister say

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

The chairperson of the Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission (FHRADC) shot down suggestion by a senior government minister to bring back the death penalty to deter international drug traffickers.

The Fiji Human Rights Office is calling for stronger policies, laws, and judicial processes to tackle the issue.

The Fiji Human Rights Office is calling for stronger policies, laws, and judicial processes to tackle the issue. Photo: 123RF

This week, Women and Children’s Minister, Lynda Tabuya, told local media that she wants “see the death penalty brought to Fiji for those who traffic large quantities of drugs”.

The minister said Fiji continues to be used as a transit point for drug traffickers.

“We are vulnerable, our borders are vulnerable, we need to explore the possibility of the death penalty to protect our people,” she said.

However, the FHARDC is calling for stronger policies, laws, and judicial processes to tackle the issue.

Fiji abolished the death penalty in 1979 and the country’s constitution ensure that every person has a right to life.

“The Commission is of the view that the death penalty is not the solution to the rising drugs problem,” FHARDC chairperson Pravesh Sharma said in statement on Thursday.

Sharma said capital punishment “is a serious violation of human rights”.

“Rather, the government should conduct baseline research to determine why our people are engaging in drugs, and then put in place measures to better address the issue,” he said.

Lynda Tabuya

Lynda Tabuya said Fiji needs “to explore the possibility of the death penalty to protect our people”. Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government

Sharma called for “rehabilitation of addicted people; to prevent drugs from entering Fiji”.

“We need to strengthen out border security, raise awareness, and educate our people about the impacts of drugs.”

He added severe prison sentences for convicted drug offenders “will continue to have a deterrent effect”.

This follows Minister of Social Protection Lynda Tabuya’s suggestion of capital punishment for those who traffic large quantities of drugs.

Tabuya’s comments were met with mixed reactions from the Fijian public on social media, with comments including “this is a really dangerous rhetoric” to “a death penalty sentence will save our country”.

At least two MPs have voiced opposition to the suggestion.

Pio Tikoduadua

Pio Tikoduadua Photo: Facebook / Fiji Government

Minister emphasises ‘humane strategies’

Home Affairs Minister, Pio Tikoduadua, who has been at the forefront of the fight against drugs, said the death penalty was not something that is part of their strategy.

He said the key to tackling the country’s drugs crisis “lies in comprehensive and humane strategies that address the underlying issues, while ensuring justice is served”.

Tikoduadua said the Fijian government’s recent initiatives, such as the National Countering Illicit Narcotics Strategy 2023-2028 and the ongoing Police Reset, were designed to tackle these complex issues more effectively.”

The Narcotics Strategy, launched in June, focuses on comprehensive measures, including demand and supply reduction, alternative development, and harm reduction strategies.

It also involves the establishment of a Counter Narcotics Bureau with a budget allocation of $2.5 million, tasked with leading enforcement operations and enhancing border control measures.

“In parallel, the Police Reset aims to modernise the police force through capacity building and cultural shifts, backed by partnerships like the MOU with the Australian Federal Police.” Tikoduadua said.

“These strategies represent a holistic approach to addressing drug trafficking and related crimes through stronger institutions, better resources, and international collaboration, which are likely to yield more sustainable results.

He added these were “crucial steps” taken by the government to address the problem.

“These efforts prioritise building a secure environment through robust law enforcement and community-based prevention strategies, avoiding the irreversible consequences associated with the death penalty.”

All Australian tomato imports temporarily suspended

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Biosecurity New Zealand has temporarily suspended all Australian tomato imports, to be reviewed in seven days, after the detection of tomato brown rugose fruit virus.

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus. Photo: Tomatoes NZ

The Ministry for Primary Industries had previously paused some Australian exports on Wednesday but was still allowing tomatoes in from Queensland, where the virus is not present, and was testing seeds which can also contain the virus.

Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus (ToBRFV) which effects affects tomatoes, capsicums, and chillies, has been found in two properties in South Australia.

The virus causes spotting, discolouration and deformities, impacting the fruits market value – it has no impact on human health.

Biosecurity New Zealand said it was being especially cautious.

New Zealand’s imported tomatoes come from Queensland where there has been no sign of the virus.

Deputy director-general of Biosecurity New Zealand Stuart Anderson told Checkpoint there was still quite a lot of work for the Australia to do to trace the virus around the two properties in South Australia.

Anderson said no tomatoes from across the Tasman will be imported until that work is completed.

“That will be in place from today and we’ll review it in seven days time to hopefully have a more complete picture out of Australia as to the situation with those two properties.”

He added there was nothing to suggest the virus had reached New Zealand.

“We have pretty routine, robust checks around that.”

He had confidence that there was no connection between South Australia and Queensland in terms of the plants out of those two facilities, Anderson said.

And while the virus can also affect capsicums and chillies, he said there was no evidence of any connection to those at the moment, especially from Queensland where our tomatoes, capsicums and chillies are imported from.

“But obviously these are evolving situations and we’re monitoring them really closely – with Australia, with industry – and should anything change we’re prepared to act.”

Tomatoes NZ chairperson Barry O’Neil told RNZ on Wednesday that greenhouse tomato growers were really concerned about the discovery.

“If ToBRFV was to get to New Zealand, it could have dire consequences for our greenhouse tomato and capsicum industry because the virus spreads extremely easily and has such a major impact on production, with reported crop losses of up to 80 percent.

“The best line of defence is to keep the virus out of New Zealand. We are in discussions with government officials and the industry about how to achieve this.”

O’Neil said the second-best defense was for growers to follow strict hygiene measures to try and stop ToBRFV from entering a particular property, if it did arrive in the country.

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