Campaigners in Tonga who wanted to end child marriage said they want the kingdom’s taboo on speaking freely about sex to be eased.

Tonga’s Ministry of Justice and the Talitha Project launched a campaign to end child marriage last month.

The ‘Let Girls be Girls!’ campaign calls for repealing sections of the law that permit children to marry before the age of 18 – as early as age 15 – if they have parental permission.

The call comes as the Ministry of Justice is consulting on amendments to marriage laws, including raising the marriage age.

Amelia Kinahoi Siamomua of Talitha project referred to the Tongan cultural respect known as faka’apa’apa implying it has restricted children from talking openly to their parents when they were sexually abused. She said this is one of the things that leads parents to support childhood marriages.

She said some child marriages in Tonga had occurred after under age girls had been abused.

Siamomua told Tonga Broadcasting News services embarrassment over such cases meant they were not reported.

She said they wanted girls to grow up and get the education that would give them more opportunities in life.

There had been more than 100 marriages of children in Tonga in the past two years.

“Girls have often been compelled by parents to marry, sometimes because of teenage pregnancy, or simply because they were seen with boy,” Human Rights Watch online reported.

“Locals have also documented cases where girls were forced to marry their rapists”.

Ending child marriage was the right thing to do.

“Research consistently shows that child marriage is deeply harmful to children,” the website said.

“When girls marry young, they often have early pregnancies which put them and their babies at risk of serious health consequences, including death.”

Married girls had a heightened risk of violence, including marital rape, domestic violence, and emotional abuse.

They often left school permanently, denying them the right to education and increasing chances that they and their children would live in poverty.

She said there was a global movement to end child marriage.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals adopted in 2015 includes a commitment for all countries to end child marriage by 2030.

Countries such as Malawi and Nepal were moving ahead with anti-child marriage legislative efforts and many other countries were developing, national action plans to achieve the goal.

According to the United Nations Population Fund Child marriage is a human rights violation.

In developing countries, one in every three girls is married before reaching 18. One in nine is married under age 15.

The main points

• Campaigners in Tonga who wanted to end child marriage said they want the kingdom’s taboo on speaking freely about sex to be eased.
• Tonga’s Ministry of Justice and the Talitha Project launched a campaign to end child marriage last month.
• The ‘Let Girls be Girls!’ campaign calls for repealing sections of the law that permit children to marry before the age of 18 – as early as age 15 – if they have parental permission.
• The call comes as the Ministry of Justice is consulting on amendments to marriage laws, including raising the marriage age.

For more information

Child marriage in Tonga “shocking,” Lord Tuʻiʻāfitu says, questions power of Tongan law

“I won’t support any law to allow child marriage”, says PM Pōhiva

The driver of a bus which crashed near Gisborne on Christmas Eve last year has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing three people and injuring 27 others.

Talakai Aholelei, 65, appeared in the Manukau District Court today.

He was charged with three counts of careless driving causing death and 27 charges of careless driving causing injury.

Aholelei, who was represented  by Nalesoni Tupou,  was remanded to appear in the Waitakere District Court on July 25.

A large contingent of the Tongan community were at court today.

Aholelei was driving a bus carrying members of the Mailefihi Siu’ilikutapu College brass, which was raising money for the Tongan school’s 70th anniversary.

The bus was carrying 53 members and supporters.

The group had been heading to Gisborne’s Wesleyan Methodist Church for a performance.

The bus went off the road about 30km south of Gisborne and plunged down an embankment.

Those killed in the crash, or who died from their injuries later, were school teacher Leotisia Malakai, 33 years-old Talita Fifita and 11 years-old Sione Taumalolo.

The survivors were later flown to Auckland. Memorial services were held in Gisborne and Auckland.

Following the crash, about NZ$70,000 was raised for the survivors from a Givealittle page and a concert.

The main points

• The driver of a bus which crashed near Gisbourne on Christmas Eve last year has pleaded not guilty to charges of killing three people and injuring 27 others.
• Talakai Aholelei, 65, appeared in the Manukau District Court today.
• A large contingent of the Tongan community were at court today.
• Those killed in the crash, or who died from their injuries later, were school teacher Leotisia Malakai, 33 years-old Talita Fifita and 11 year-old Sione Taumalolo.

For more information 

Gisborne bus crash driver Talakai Aholelei pleads not guilty 

Gisborne bus crash – Tongan school group leader dies

The 100-day-taboo imposed after the death of late Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho was lifted tonight.

Kava club and band members of the Fōfōʻanga gathered at Māhinafekite royal residence this evening performing Tongan hiva kakala (songs) as part of the lifting ceremony.

There were noises and an air of joy at royal residences tonight as they marked 100 days since the matriarch’s death.

Known as fakamalele, the practice means people, especially the immediate family of the late Queen Mother, are allowed to enjoy whatever entertainment they wanted to the full.

As it was traditionally exercised after the death of monarchs, the 100-day-taboo meant everybody in Tonga had to follow certain restrictions until the days were over.

People had to wear black clothes, businesses were closed down, performing hiva kakala was prohibited and public entertainments were not allowed.

His Majesty King Tupou VI reformed the traditional taboo after His late brother King George V died in 2012.

He announced that the public was exempted from the 100-days-taboo and said it was restricted to the royal family, the nobility and their immediate families only.

The late Queen Mother died in Auckland on February 19 aged 90 after a short illness.

She had two sons who became kings, George Tupou V and Tupou VI.

She married late King Tupou IV and they had four children.

Born on 29 May 1926, she was the daughter of Heuifanga Veikune and Noble ‘Ahome’e Manuopangai.

The  main points

• The 100-day-taboo imposed after the death of late Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho was lifted tonight.
• Kava club and band members of the Fofo’anga gathered at Mahina Fekite royal residence this evening performing Tongan hiva kakala (songs) as part of the lifting ceremony.
• The late Queen Mother died in Auckland in February after a short illness.

For more information

Tauanga’a: Foreigners clothe their respect for Queen Mother in Tongan culture

It is just under a year since the Tongan Government assured the Pacific Games Council that it was fully committed to hosting the 2019 Games.

But yesterday the Tongan government said it would stand by its decision to not host the regional sporting event.

Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva made the announcement during a meeting with Pacific Games Council president Vidhya Lakhan.

Mr Lakhan asked for a meeting with the government to see whether it would change its mind about withdrawing from the Games.

Hon. Pohiva asked the PGC to endorse the Government’s decision and to consider having another country host the 2019 Games.

Samoa has already lodged a submission to host the Games in place of Tonga.

In reiterating the government’s decision, the Prime Minister once again cited economic reasons as the basis for withdrawing.

He based his original shock decision on a 2013 report on the consequences of holding the Games.

During the meeting with Mr Lakhan Hon. Pohiva said there were more important matters in Tonga which  needed the government’s attention.

In late June 2016, Mr Lakhan and PGC executive director Andrew Minogue flew to Nuku’alofa to assess the state of preparations for Tonga’s hosting of the 2019 Pacific Games.

During the visit the Tongan Government expressed its full support for hosting the 2019 Pacific Games.

Lakhan also received extensive briefings from the staff of the Tongan Pacific Games Organising Committee on the development of the sports and marketing programmes.

“The Pacific Games Council is pleased the Prime Minister is now involved in overseeing the Tongan Government’s commitment to hosting the 2019 Pacific Games and providing the necessary facilities and funding support to stage a successful Games,” Lakhan said after the PGC visit  in 2016.

The main points

• It is just under a year since the Tongan Government assured the Pacific Games Council that it was fully committed to hosting the 2019 Games.
• But yesterday the Tongan government said it would stand by its decision to not host the 2019 Pacific Games.
• Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva made the announcement during a meeting with Pacific Games Council president Vidhya Lakhan.
• Samoa has already lodged a submission to host the Games in place of Tonga.

For more information

Lakhan visit Tonga on update for 2019 Pacific Games

Samoa bids for Pacific Games

The prisoner who escaped from the Magistrate Court while he was in Police custody, was arrested by Police at around 4:00pm yesterday Monday 5 June 2017.

Amoni Fifita was captured from an area near the village of Fatai and is remanded in custody to appear at the Magistrate Court later this week, Acting Chief Superintendent Tevita Vailea said.

In January Police searched for Fifita after he and another prisoner escaped custody before allegedly robbing a shop owner at gun point.

At the time Police had warned the public that Fifita and the prisoner were armed and dangerous.

They were arrested two days later.

Police would like to thank members of the public for the information and assistance provided during the search for the escaped prisoner.

Police have charged a woman with causing bodily harm after she poured hot dripping over her de facto husband’s body.

The woman who is in her late 20’s also scratched the man’s body.

The 27-year-old victim was injured in the alleged attack at Pea, Tonga Broadcasting News services reported.

Tonga Police said officers were responding to a report of a brawl between the couple last week.