Attorney General Linda Folaumoetu’i and two senior government officers are in Australia to meet with Facebook representatives, reliable sources have told Kaniva news.

The sources said the meeting would discuss the government’s concerns over what have been described as “violent attacks” on the royal family that were carried on Facebook last month.

The government set up a panel to investigate the attacks which were believed to have been made  by Tongans living in Australia.

It was originally understood the government would make a decision by the end of last month.

The Attorney General said last month police were considering laying treason charges against the people responsible.

“There’s a couple of accounts with Tongan names that have actually shown pictures and comments which may amount to defamation or sedition or treason,” she said, adding that the prime minister and government had also been targeted by some Facebook pages.

The government announced it was considering banning Facebook in the kingdom.

Tonga Cable director Paula Piukala said the move was because of the complexity of the legal situation.

“We cannot hold fake identity responsible,” Piukala said.

“There’s no law applied to this kind of platform.”

Piukala said the government had also considered asking Facebook to install backdoors on local servers so the government could monitor accounts.

“People will be free to write whatever they think and want, but be responsible,” Mr Piukala said.

USP academic Jope Tarai said banning Facebook would be an over-reaction.

He said ordinary Facebook users would pay the price for what he called a “heavy handed” response.

No solution

Kaniva news has argued against shutting down Facebook.

In an editorial last month we said that while it was understandable that the government had been outraged by the attacks on the royal family.

However, shutting down Facebook in Tonga would not solve the problem.

People with the right software would be able to circumvent the ban and continue to post whatever they wanted on Facebook.

The main points

• Attorney General Linda Folaumoetu’i and two senior government officers are in Australia to meet with Facebook representatives, reliable sources have told Kaniva news.
• The sources said the meeting would discuss the government’s concerns over the attacks on the royal family that were carried on Facebook last month.

Waitakere library hosted a celebration of Tongan dance this afternoon when a small,  but enthusiastic group was led through the  basic  movements of the Tau’olunga.

Participants danced to Sei o Fafine, which was composed by Queen Salote III.

Library assistant Monty Lakatani, who is of Tongan descent, said he was passionate about Tongan dance and culture, but said he wasn’t a punake (instructor).

However, he did admit to watching his three sisters, who teach dancing, very closely.

People from New Zealand, Tonga, Romania and New Guinea attended.

Among those attending was  Seini Rea and her grand-daughter Isabelle.

Mrs Rea is originally from Ma’ufanga and has been in New Zealand for 44 years. She regularly returns to the kingdom and is looking forward to returning in December.

She said she had brought her granddaughter Isabelle to introduce her to the dance.

Other participants included Devah Hill-Tupou from Auckland Girls Grammar.

Kathleen Reihana said she attended on the spur of the moment after hearing an announcement.

This afternoon’s event as part of Tongan Language Week, which is being celebrated at libraries across Auckland.

Other events today included food demonstrations, traditional dance and fun family activities at Mangere and Otahuhu local libraries will host.

Te Matariki Clendon Library demonstrated how to make Otai at the Tutubugs children’s club.

Tomorrow, September 6, there will be a special Tongan story time at Manurewa Library from 10.30-11am, along with simple yoga and stretches for children.

Glen Innes Library will hold a bilingual story time with stories, songs and rhymes from 10-10.30am.

The main points

• Waitakere library hosted a celebration of Tongan dance this afternoon when a small,  but enthusiastic group was led through the  basic  movements of the Tau’olungao.
• Participants danced to Sei o Fafine, which was composed by Queen Salote III.

For more information

Big range of free events at Auckland libraries to celebrate Tongan language week

Photos: Monty Lakatani leads the dance group at Waitakere library.

Interim Mate Ma’a board chair George Koloamatangi seems resigned to losing at least some of the current team.

“We will be contacting the players this afternoon,” Koloamatangi told a press conference yesterday.

“We still want them to play for Tonga. But it’s their choice.”

Andrew Fifita has gone on line to threaten that the current players will refuse to play if Koloamatangi and Clive Edwards are not removed from the board.

“We need friends, family and fans get behind the players of MMT and help bring our coaching staff back…As players we will not take part in the world 9s and the  test matches at the end of the year,“  Fifita wrote.

As Kaniva news reported earlier this week, the Mate Ma’a players threatened to pull out of any further involvement with Mate Ma’a Tonga if their complaints against the interim board were not resolved.

The team players claimed the interim board had breached agreements they made in their first meeting.

Tongan Broadcasting Commission quoted from a letter allegedly sent by the players which said:  “…we will be withdrawing from the World Nines to be played in October 2019 and considering a position for the upcoming Tests against Great Britain and Australia.”

Koloamatangi said he would be flying to Australia next week to meet with the players.

Sacked

The interim board confirmed it sacked Woolf at a press conference yesterday.

Interim board chair George Koloamatangi said it was not an easy decision but it was done because there were a number of issues the board and Woolf could not agree on.

“Things like looking for sponsorship and managing the team, negotiating with sponsors,” he said.

“But that is the responsibility of the home federation [TNRLB].”

He said these responsibilities were handled previously by Woolf before the new board was selected

Woolf was sacked by e-mail.

Koloamatangi e-mailed Woolf saying he had tried calling him and had left a message on his phone.

“We held a board meeting yesterday and the board resolved to remove you from the head coach of the Tonga National Rugby League team (MMT) it was unanimous,” the e-mail said.

“We also met with all the clubs today and they have endorsed the decision therefore since there were no objections I am conveying the decision of the board.”

Koloamatangi  said the board had not heard back from Woolf after his dismissal although they said they had been trying to contact him.

The main points

• Interim Mate Ma’a board chair George Koloamatangi seems to be resigned to losing at least some of the current team.
• “We will be contacting the players this afternoon,” Koloamatangi told a press conference yesterday.
• “We still want them to play for Tonga. But it’s their choice.”

For more information

Andrew Fifita lodges complaints against interim National League board; players threatened to pull out of Mate Ma’a Tonga

Jason Taumalolo’s father wants to “leave son alone;” complaint letter was unsigned, says Television Tonga

Tonga players threaten strike action over coaches sacking, offer ultimatum

Mate Ma’a Tonga centre Solomone Kata has quit the national team and expressed his disappointment after reports the interim league board has fired head coach Kristian Woolf.

 “We have heard that the head coach would be changed but we did not believe it,” Kata said.

“But I have just spoken with the coach and he told me he had received an e-mail from the Tonga National League Board today saying he was sacked,” Kata said in Tongan.

Kata asked the Board on Facebook whether they had dismissed the coach ”because of his honesty”

Kata said Woolf had worked hard since 2013 and when the MMT was not widely popular and now “you sacked him.”

He then said in Tongan: “Kae kehe kou tatau atu au ki he Lanu hinehina moe kulokula ! Ofa lahi atu ki he Tonga kotoa pe !”

This translates into English as: “However, I am saying good bye to the white and red colour. Lot of love to all Tongans.”

Kaniva news has been reliably informed this evening the interim board announced it had sacked Woolf.

Former professional rugby league footballer John Hopoate, whose son Will Hopoate was Mate Ma’as’s fullback, lashed out at the interim board on Facebook, saying he had just spoken with the players who had written a letter to the board.

“If this interim board think they can come in and do this after all the hard work we have done to get the players to play for Tonga and to stay loyal to us they got another thing coming,” John Hopoate wrote on his Facebook page.

He did not give the details of the letter, but various sources claimed the players gave the interim board 10 days to come up with a solution before they all pulled out.

He accused the board of wanting to take control of the team’s money and finances for their own benefit.

“They have sacked the coach and will try get rid of the staff too,” John wrote on his Facebook page.

It is understood Andrew Fifita and Jason Taumalolo were working hand in hand on another move to address the issue after Fifita complained to Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva that he and the players were dissatisfied with the board.

The interim board could not be reached for comment. However, reliable sources said the board believed that if the current Mate Ma’a players pulled out there were other players who were willing to represent Tonga.

The report of Woolf’s dismissal has been met with outrage online, with many people calling on the interim board members to leave the organisation and demanding that the new board member election to be called immediately.

As Kaniva news reported this week, the players threatened to pull out of any further involvement with Mate Ma’a Tonga if their complaints were not resolved.

The board was accused of breaching agreement with the players in their first meeting.

The reported sacking of the head coach came after prop Fifita warned last month that the board appeared to have plans to change him for the World Cup Nines 2019 next month, something the board denied.

The players were unhappy with the interim general secretary, lawyer Williams Clive Edwards Jnr, and interim Chair Siaosi Koloamatangi and Fifita has told the Prime Minister they wanted these two members removed from the interim board.

Fifita said they were disappointed after they had found out that $55,000 had been withdrawn from a Tonga rugby league bank account in Australia by the board members and they were dissatisfied with how the money was used.

It has been claimed that the  money was actually part of a gift from the World Cup for the Mate Ma’a Tonga and was supposed to be paid out to players. The players wanted to keep the money in the bank as security for future games.

The main points

• Mate Ma’a Tonga centre Solomone Kata has quit the national team and expressed his disappointment after reports the interim league board has fired head coach Kristian Woolf.
• “We have heard that the head coach would be changed but we did not believe it,” Kata said.
• “But I have just spoken with the coach and he told me he had received an e-mail from the Tonga National League Board today saying he was sacked,” Kata said in Tongan.

For more information

Videos recorded while prop Andrew Fifita complaint to PM Pōhiva against interim board members released to Kaniva news

By Anan Zaki , RNZ

A Tongan student has described the racial abuse she has faced since moving to New Zealand.

Maryanne Tupou, who is a law student at the University of Canterbury is one of four tertiary students and staff that spoke to RNZ News about racism they have experienced in New Zealand.

Ms Tupou, who moved to Christchurch in 2014, says she has been called the n-word on the streets of Christchurch and other derogatory remarks about her race.

She said she also experienced racism for being a Polynesian at a private all girls school.

Ms Tupou said during her time at the private school, people often questioned her belonging at the school because of her darker skin.

“This couple was walking in [to the school] … and I could hear the woman say ‘I didn’t know black people could go here’,” she said.

Outside of her school life, the racism continued.

“One night, we were just in some club and on the dance floor … and there was this guy standing there and he just looked at me and was like ‘n*gger b*tch!'”

Ms Tupou said she has also been yelled at by cars driving past her on the streets of Christchurch.

“They just drove past, put their head out the window and they’re like ‘get back to your f*cking boat!’

“I mean I came here on a plane, but okay,” Ms Tupou said.

But the racism doesn’t stop there.

“And I’ve had so many people that go, ‘oh you’re pretty hot for a black girl’ or ‘oh I’ve never f*cked a black girl before’, and I’m just like okay, cool very dehumanising but cool,” Ms Tupou said.

Ms Tupou believes New Zealand needs more education on other cultures and faiths for it to become more tolerant.

“I think just teaching people to be more open minded, you don’t have to be like ‘oh my god I’m so sorry for all the things that has happened to you’ … you don’t have to walk in their shoes, just try and understand what it must be like for them to be in their shoes.”