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Kaniva mediawatch September 18, 2020

By
Kaniva Staff
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Chinese database

An Australian cyber security expert has described Zhenhua, the Chinese  company whose  database contains the names of 74 Tongans, as doing the same as many western corporations.

“Zhenhua looks like a company that has done what countless other Western companies have done in the age in which data is the new oil: Collect it and sell it,” Sydney-based Jeremy Kirk said.

The Tongans are among 804 Pacific Islanders whose names and details were compiled by the company, which is alleged to have links with Chinese military and intelligence.

News of the database have raised alarm, with the names of politicians, officials, ordinary citizens and military figures from around the world.

However, Kirby said the material appears to have come largely from public sources.

“Anyone who posts material to social media sites or the internet in general should expect to see that data get scraped by marketing agencies and others,” the analyst said.

Rugby hearing

The Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland will hear the case between Tonga National Rugby League Inc and the International Rugby League next Tuesday.

The Tongan National Rugby League claims its expulsion from the International Rugby League was illegal.

Tonga was suspended from the IRL after a long running dispute  that began in September last year.

The TRNL was expelled in February this year.

The Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation recommended that Tonga Ma’a Tonga Rugby League be considered for full membership of the International Rugby League.

The TNRL appeal is separate from any approval of Tonga Ma’a Tonga as a member of the IRL.

Covid spike in US

Pacific Island communities continue to battle a surge in Covid-19 cases in Utah.

Utah has strong connections with the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, through the LDS.

According to recent data, 2364 Pacific Islanders have been infected with Covid-19, a rate 2.7 times higher than the state average.

There have been 23 Pacific Islander deaths to date, a rate 1.3 times higher than other ethnic groups, and 273 people who have been hospitalised.

Jacob Fitisemanu, co-founder for Utah Pacific Islander Health Coalition told Tagata Pasifika that Pacific Islanders had been the most affected group in the US.

Fitisemanu described the infection and hospitalization rates as alarming.

Petrol price up

The Tongan government has blamed the Covid-29 pandemic for fluctuations in petrol prices in Tonga.

The wholesale price for petrol has gone up by 2.91 seniti per y, while kerosene has decreased to .98 seniti and diesel is down to 1.09 seniti per litre.

The main companies importing petroleum products to the kingdom are  Pacific Energy, which has links with Shell and Total, which brings in its supplies from Singapore via South Korea.

According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, oil prices  crashed earlier this year.

Neither Singapore nor South Korea are listed as oil exporters.

Tuna

At a time when tuna fishing has  been identified as vital to Tonga’s economy, a new report says climate change could severely affect tuna stocks.

A report from the SPC said Pacific nations could lose up to $60 million a year in revenue from tuna fishing as climate change drove tuna stocks east.

Pacific Community scientists are tagging thousands of tuna in an effort to track their movements, environmental conditions and size.

The forecast adds to concerns about the way Tonga’s fishing resources are being handled.

Earlier this year MEIDEC CEO Paula Ma’u said many people thought overseas companies and operators were taking advantage of the lack of monitoring and policing – making money and taking that away overseas, without any contribution to the local economy.

 

PM denies reports new airline lost its CEO, says Lulutai will start flying on Thursday

By
Kalino Latu
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Prime Minister Pōhiva Tu’ionetoa has denied that Maikolo Fa’asolo had been appointed CEO of the kingdom’s new airline, Lulutai.

The Prime Minister’s statement was supported  by Secretary to Cabinet Edgar Cocker, who is acting CEO of the carrier.

Earlier this week Kaniva News reported that Fa’asolo was believed to have stood down from the position only days before Luluitai was due to start flying.

Fa’asolo was formerly Flight Operating Manager of Real Tonga Airlines.

Kaniva News contacted Fa’asolo and the Minister of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which is in charge of the airline, for comment.

Hon. Tu’ionetoa and Cocker also denied claims by an anti-corruption group Komiti Fakafepaki’i e Faihala that Fa’asolo was stood down after claims his CV was inflated.

“Nothing like that happened,” the Prime Minister told Kaniva News.

The Prime Minister said the position of CEO would be advertised soon.

Asked if the Civil Aviation authority and the Pacific Aviation Safety Office could issue an Air Operating Certificate AOC to an airline without a CEO, the Prime Minister said: “Yes it can, because a CV must be submitted and PASO would interview and consider how competent an applicant is to run a company as CEO.”

“Edgar has a wealth of experience to run a private company and as CEO of Government ministries, not to mention his prior experience in regional organisations,” Hon. Tu’ionetoa said.

The Prime Minister clarified confusion over Lulutai’s starting date.

In August the Tonga Broadcasting Commission said the airline’s flights were set to begin on September 21.

Matangi Tonga has been carrying advertising saying that Lulutai was going to start flying yesterday September, 19.

However, the Prime Minister said Lulutai was expected to start flying commercially on Thursday, September 24.

Meanwhile, Acting CEO Edgar said there were some fake Lulutai Facebook pages. He said the only real Facebook pages were the ones which  featured the Lulutai’s logo.

One page which claimed it was an official site and displayed the Tongan flag was fake.

Advertising that has been carried on Matangi Tonga has been hyperlinked to a Facebook page which says customers of  Lulutai can book appointment from 8.45am to 4.45pm  on September 19.

Lulutai Airlines

According to European airlines database ch-aviation, Lulutai Airlines plans to operate domestic routes within Tonga with one Saab 340B and one Harbin Y12.

The aircraft will be transferred from Real Tonga Airlines, its defunct privately-owned predecessor. The Y12 is owned by the Government, while the 340B is dry-leased from Montrose Global.

Real Tonga’s Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) was suspended indefinitely by the Tongan Director for Civil Aviation on June 15 due to the carrier’s financial problems.

The Government of Tonga also owns a MA-60 which is not airworthy. It will undergo maintenance once borders reopen and foreign specialists can visit Tonga, ch-aviation reported.

Real Tonga CEO Tevita Palu told Kaniva News Real Tonga could do all the technical work including maintenance of the government’s aircraft.

Unconfirmed reports say Lulutai’s  boss has stood down; first flights planned for  Saturday

By
Kalino Latu
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The CEO of the government’s new airline, Lulutai, is understood to have stood down only days before it is due to start flying.

Reliable sources told Kaniva News Maikolo Fa’asolo stood down following claims by an anti-corruption group that he had inflated his CV.

Fa’asolo was formerly Flight Operating Manager of Real Tonga Airlines.

Kaniva News has contacted Fa’asolo and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which is in charge of the airline, for comment and is awaiting a response.

The claims were posted to Facebook by the Tongan Anti Corruption Committee known as Komiti Fakafepaki’i e Faihala. The group’s three Facebook moderators included lawyer Dr Viliami Lātū who is a former MP and Cabinet Minister.

Lulutai Airline has advertised in local media that it will start domestic flights on Saturday, September 19.

CEO of Real Tonga Tevita Palu told Kaniva News in an interview last week his Real Tonga company could do all the technical work including maintenance of the government’s aircraft, but the government was working to establish its own engineering branch to look after the services.

Palu said his Real Tonga airline’s license has been suspended by the government based on what he said was the Civil Aviation’s Director’s interpretation of the law.

He said work was underway to renew the Real Tonga’s Air Operating Certificate, which was suspended on June 15 because of the carrier’s financial problems. Palu said the future of the airline would depend on talks with the government.

He said he had repeatedly asked the government to work with him.

Palu said he was happy as all the staff  at the Lulutai including the pilots, engineers, sales and marketing, commercial, check in staff, drivers, accountant and human resources represented an investment made by the  Palu Aviation over the past 20 years.

Details of citizens from Pacific island nations harvested by Chinese technology firm

By
Kaniva Staff
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This story originally appeared on TVNZ and is republished with permission

People across the Pacific Islands, including some who don’t even have a presence on the internet, are among those whose personal information has been targeted and linked to China’s military and intelligence networks.

1 NEWS has obtained the full list of people from across the Pacific Islands whose personal information has been targeted. Source: 1 NEWS

Six years ago, 1 NEWS revealed how dozens of diplomatic and ordinary passports were illegally issued to Chinese nationals, with one couple receiving 22 between them.

Grant O’Fee, once Tonga’s police commissioner, led a major investigation into the illegal innocent.

Now retired, O’Fee isn’t on the list of China’s Tongan targets – but two family members are, including one who has never been to Tonga.

“I can’t understand for a minute why he would be there, he lives in North America [and] to my knowledge [hasn’t] been to any South Pacific nation,” he told 1 NEWS.

“It doesn’t worry me but it’s certainly worrying for my family. They are not used to that sort of thing.”

1 NEWS can reveal how many people’s details have been harvested from each Pacific nation by Chinese tech firm Zhenhua Data.

In total, 804 individuals are listed, many from bigger countries like Fiji and Papua New Guinea. However even tiny islands like Niue have also been targeted.

But it’s who’s in the database that’s raising concern.

Colin Tukuitonga, associate Pacific dean at the University of Auckland, says there are some families with several politicians who aren’t on the list, but their nieces, nephews and other relatives are.

“The networks and intelligence on the ground, even in various small islands, is very sophisticated,” he says.

“You have to know that so and so is connected to [someone].”

All New Zealand realm countries are included.

Even isolated Tokelau, which only has 1600 residents and no air service, has six people listed.

“I don’t think it’s random,” Chinese politics expert Anne-Marie Brady says.

“You don’t spend the time and energy to put people on the list. There is a purpose and a reason for it.”

She says it’s all about the relationships between people.

“Where you are not going to scrape a lot of information out of the internet, from Tokelau for example, on individual people, it’s all about the relationships,” Brady says.

“It’s all about who’s who. Who’s important, who’s related to who. If you wanted to potentially co-opt them, persuade them of a particular policy.”

Fiji’s database consists of big businessmen, senior military and several criminals and many people linked to key figures.

Prime Minister Voreque Bainimarama’s nephew is on it, and it’s a pattern repeated throughout the Pacific.

University of Canterbury Pacific studies director Steven Ratuva says it’s going to change the political dynamics in a significant way.

“As leaders begin to realise that family members and close friends are being watched as part of the list as well,” he says.

“So the way they will approach China will be quite different now, and China too will quickly have to respond to that.”

China’s influence has been growing in the Pacific, but clear questions now emerging as to what their interests are.

Tribunal confirms deportation, citing history of violence and attempt to conceal  his convictions

By
Philip Cass
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The New Zealand Immigration and Protection Tribunal has refused an appeal against deportation by a Tongan  man.

The man had appealed his deportation on humanitarian grounds that there were exceptional circumstances that should be weighed in his favour.

The Tribunal was told the man had lived in New Zealand as a resident for the past nine years.  He had lived here for most of this time with his wife, a New Zealand resident; their son, a New Zealand citizen aged nearly 10; and three of his wife’s children from a previous relationship, New Zealand residents now aged 21, 19 and

The man’s 21-year-old New Zealand-resident daughter from his previous marriage also lived with him.  He had worked as a casual fruit picker and then as a welder and more recently as a support health worker.

The Tribunal was told that the man had a history of domestic violence against his wife and children.

On one occasion he threatened to kill his wife.

He was convicted and sentenced to three months’ community detention, 80 hours’ community work and 12 months’ supervision.  The supervision involved the completion of a four-month anger management course.

On March 11, 2015, the appellant applied for a permanent resident visa.  In his application he said  he had not been convicted of any offences.  On March 19, 2015, Immigration New Zealand approved the application.

In the years that followed he continued to assault his wife and children and he was again convicted. Included in the sentence conditions was a requirement not to associate with or contact the victims without the prior written approval of a probation office, and the completion of a family violence programme.

On  November 27, 2019, the appellant was issued with a Deportation Liability Notice based on his convictions in 2012 and 2018 and his concealment of relevant information in relation to his application for a permanent resident visa.

His wife told the Tribunal that if he was deported she and the children would not go back to Tonga with him.

Her parents and all her children live in New Zealand.

In a report from a psychologist two of her children said they did not want the man to live in New Zealand or to remain with their mother.

The psychologist said the man attributed his offending mostly to alcohol use, cultural factors, and circumstances.  He reoffended despite having done an anger management/violence prevention programme,

He said he could not say that the man would not re-offend.

“It would not be unjust or unduly harsh for the appellant to be deported from New Zealand,” the Tribunal said.

“His offending is very serious in nature, as indicated by the maximum sentences available, the number of offences involved, the physical violence involved, the fact that it was directed against his wife and her children in their care, and the significant sentence imposed.”

Weighing the appellant’s concealment of information and his offending against his humanitarian circumstances, the Tribunal said it was not satisfied that it would be unjust or unduly harsh for him to be deported.

The Tribunal ordered that the period of prohibition on the man returning to New Zealand be removed so he could see his 21-year old daughter and 10-year-old son in the future.

Any application to re-enter New Zealand would be decided by the  Immigration Department.

Three men convicted of killing Sione Feimoefiafi

By
Kalino Latu
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Three men have been convicted today at Tonga’s Supreme Court of killing Sione Feimoefiafi in February last year.

The trio were standing trial for murder, but the Supreme Court judge found them guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

A fourth man was convicted of common assault on the murder charge after pleading guilty and was released on bail.

The fifth accused Sione Bloomfield had also pleaded guilty to one count of common assault.

All five will appear in court next month for sentencing.

Siafa Nai ,39,  was found not guilty of Feimoefiafi’s murder but guilty of manslaughter and was remanded in custody for sentencing.

Kona’i Bloomfield ,43, was acquitted on the murder charge but was found guilty of manslaughter.

Justice Charles Cato found Vilaketi Bloomfield not guilty on the murder charge but found him guilty of manslaughter.

Tangi Tiufulusi was guilty of common assault of Feimoefiafi and he was bailed out to be sentenced later.

Feimoefiafi, 49, arrived in Tonga in early January 2019 to attend his father’s funeral. He was beaten during a brawl inside Tali’eva bar in capital Nuku’alofa.

He died in hospital later that evening. Police arrested the accused the following day.

….More to come

Tongan backpacker and fruit picker fined, warned for fighting in Queensland court

By
Kaniva Staff
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By Louise Starkey For Every day Mail Australia 

A fruit-picking backpacker who punched another tourist while drinking with friends has been fined and warned to behave if he wants to stay in Australia. 

Maka Leohiva Taliauli, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday.

The Tongan farm worker was fined $650 for fighting outside Childers’ Federal Hotel after drinking with friends on July 11, News Mail reported.

Maka Leohiva Taliauli (pictured), 26, appeared before Bundaberg Magistrates Court when he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm on Monday
Maka Leohiva Taliauli (pictured), 26, appeared before Bundaberg Magistrates Court when he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm on Monday

The court heard the man, who has picked fruit in Australia for four years, punched a backpacker from Vanuatu in a ‘consensual’ fight after being separated.

Taliauli knew the victim, who sustained a cut on his cheek and bruise below the eye from the blow to the right side of his face.

They were living in the same accommodation, which is no longer the case.

Taliauli’s visa was set to expire this month, but border closures mean he cannot return to Tonga until they reopen.

The court heard the 26-year-old hoped to come back to Australia again after returning home. 

Taliauli (pictured) and the victim, who sustained a cut on his cheek and bruise below the eye from the blow to the right side of his face, were known to each other at the time of the attack
Taliauli (pictured) and the victim, who sustained a cut on his cheek and bruise below the eye from the blow to the right side of his face, were known to each other at the time of the attack. 

In order for him to do that, Bundaberg Magistrate Andrew Moloney told Taliauli he must ‘behave’ himself.

‘We need as many backpackers and workers who are going to pick the fruit as possible (because) we can’t find enough, but to stay here and get that good work, you’re going to have to behave yourself,’ he said.

Mr Moloney added Taliauli was not going to jail but needed to understand his behaviour was serious misconduct.

‘What makes it serious is you restarted it after it had ended and there are examples in our courts of people being in prison for this kind of stuff because people have come in for a second go,’ he said.

Mr Moloney’s comments followed Taliauli’s employer appearing before the court and speaking highly of the defendant. 

A conviction was not recorded but Taliauli was fined $650 for the incident. 

Mr Moloney added Taliauli (pictured) was not going to jail but needed to understand his behaviour was serious misconduct
Mr Moloney added Taliauli (pictured) was not going to jail but needed to understand his behaviour was serious misconduct

 

Former Wallaby Lopeti Timani fined $17,000 after bottle struck a French bouncer

By
Kalino Latu
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Lopeti Timani bottled a man in France and a court in that country has ordered him to pay NZ$17,650.

The former Wallaby player hurled a bottle which struck a French nightclub bouncer in the face.

The court fine for Timani comes after a brawl in The White Rabbit nightclub in La Rochelle in south-west France in May last year.

The 29-year-old back row, who won the last of his twelve Wallabies caps in November 2017, was then attacked by the victim and one of his colleagues, one of the two guards hitting him with a security barrier as well as punching and kicking.

At a hearing following the incident, Timani apologised, saying he was sorry for throwing the bottle. “I didn’t want to hurt someone. I threw it without looking over my shoulder,” he said, adding that he had deliberately not reacted when he was then attacked. “If I had fought, it would have been the end of my career” at La Rochelle, Timani explained, Rugby Pass reported.

It was last December when Timami revealed he had been struggling with his mental health since being the victim of an attack by former Rebels teammate Amanaki Mafi in New Zealand.

In a statement released after he was awarded $50,000 reparation following an incident that took place in July 2018 following a defeat to the Highlanders in Dunedin, Timani said: “I have been battling issues of PTSD, depression and anxiety following the incident which has taken its toll on me personally and professionally.

Royal New Zealand navy delivers medical supplies to Tonga

By
Kalino Latu
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The Royal New Zealand Navy dive hydrographic vessel HMNZS Manawanui will make a contactless port visit to Tonga next week to deliver medical supplies on behalf of a New Zealand charity.

Manawanui, returning to New Zealand from the two-week Exercise RIMPAC near Hawaii, will arrive at Nuku’alofa on 15 September. The visit required diplomatic clearances from the Government of Tonga and coordination between the New Zealand High Commission and Tongan authorities to meet strict COVID-19 regulations. It is a logistical stop with no personnel allowed ashore. An offshore crane will lift the container of medical supplies onto the wharf.

Maritime Component Commander Commodore Mat Williams said Navy ships and crew were regularly in the Pacific carrying out maritime surveillance patrols in cooperation with Pacific partners and other agencies.

“We always look for opportunities to support our Pacific neighbours. In this case it’s been rewarding to work with the charity, Tongan authorities and other agencies so that one of our ships can berth and deliver charitable medical supplies which we hope will be of real benefit to people in Tonga.”

Auckland charity Take My Hands collects usable medical equipment and resources that are no longer being used in New Zealand and redistributes them to organisations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The container for Tonga carries medical trollies, paediatric cots, hospital beds, baby warmers, mattresses, a wheelchair, bed linen, scrubs and gloves, and a specialised stand for an ultra-sound machine.

It would be the first time a Navy ship had assisted the charity, Take My Hands founder and trustee Janette Searle said.

They usually work with commercial companies with spare space and capacity, or utilise containers at a discounted rate – anything to keep the costs down.

“The equipment is going to Vaiola Hospital. The obstetrics department has an ultra-sound machine but needed a stand. The cots and baby warmers are for the paediatrics department. We’ve packed that container like Tetris, fitting in the scrubs, gloves and linen.”

To date, the charity has distributed more than 114 tonnes of equipment to nine countries.

A container usually stays with a ship, but Dr Siale ‘Akau’ola, Chief Executive of the Tongan Ministry of Health said the hospital purchased this one to convert into a medical workshop.

“We are very pleased to receive this consignment from Take My Hands and we are grateful for the support from the New Zealand Navy.”

Lieutenant Commander Andy Mahoney, Manawanui’ s Commanding Officer, said he was “beyond pleased” it all came together, after becoming aware of the charity last year.

“I saw what they strived to support and I couldn’t help thinking about NZDF’s commitment to the Pacific Reset and delivering on our South West Pacific campaign plan with Manawanui’ s planned deployment for Exercise RIMPAC.”

He stayed in touch with the charity, resulting in the ship loading the 20-foot container before departing Devonport Naval Base.

“This was the result of great interaction and engagement with the charity, Tongan authorities and Joint Forces New Zealand, which supports NZDF operations and overseas deployments.”

Manawanui carried the container throughout RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, where a lot of ships were photographed.

As it was bright blue, LTCDR Mahoney decided to paint it grey before they arrived in Hawaii.

“I thought a grey container would be much more appropriate on the back of a grey ship.”

He also wanted the container, which looked a bit “tired”, to look nicer for Vaiola Hospital.

Ms Searle said she would love to work with the Navy again.

“I’m a big fan of cross-sector collaboration, all working together, doing what they are expert at. When that happens, amazing things happen.”

Man freed on drug charge after doubts whether substance seized was the same material tested

By
Kaniva Staff
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A man has been found not guilty of possession of cocaine in the Supreme Court.

Talikivaha Palei Posoni was charged with possessing the drug at Te’ekiu on March 22, 2019.

Police raided Posoni’s house after being told by an informer that he was dealing drugs.

The search was carried out without a search warrant.

A bag containing a white substance and a pipe were found hidden in a hole in the wall.

Officer Taufa who took part in the raid described the substance as 24.54 grams of methamphetamine.

The substance was later sent to New Zealand for testing.

Argument was presented that the search was unlawful. Judge Niu, presiding, said he believed the search was reasonable because police thought a serious offence was being committed.

The judge dismissed suggestions that the drugs could have been planted.

The defence argued that the substance analysed in New Zealand was not the same material found in the house.

Counsel for Posoni, Miss A Kafoa, argued that the police described and recorded the drugs found at the house as methamphetamine, while the New Zealand test described it as cocaine.

There were also discrepancies in the colour of the two substances.

Arguments were also heard about discrepancies in the weight of the drug given in Tonga and New Zealand and whether these were due to the drugs in Tonga being weighed inside a plastic bag, which added to the weight.

Judge Niu said there was concern that the substances seized were photographed and looked granular or “momo’i methamphetamine.”

However, he said the New Zealand analyst had described it as a powder and there were differences in the description of the colour of the substance.

“There are therefore two distinct and crucial features in the analyst’s report about the substance she received, which do not match the substance which was found at the accused’s house,” the judge said.

“It is unfortunate that the analyst was not present to give evidence and in particular to bring with her the substance (and plastic bag) she received and tested.

“However, I have to decide this case on the evidence which is before me, and I find that the evidence does not satisfy me beyond reasonable doubt that the substance which was tested and found to be cocaine in New Zealand was the same substance that was found at the accused’s residence at Te’ekiu.

“Accordingly, I find the accused not guilty.”

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