Instigators to feel the full brunt of the law

Samisoni Pareti

Nuku’alofa on fire...damage is estimated to cost the country between US$50-US$60 million. Photos: PACNEWS

Many saw it coming. but no-one could have predicted its ferocity. Rampaging youths, numbering up to a hundred, trashed, looted and rioted through the commercial business district of Nuku’alofa in Tonga on the afternoon of November 16, reducing shops, offices and a bank to smouldering ashes.

The inferno claimed the lives of seven people yet to be identified, but who are believed to be rioters caught in the blaze. The damage is estimated to have cost up to US$50 to $60 million.

It had some semblance of prior planning as the rioters were drunk and specifically targetted buildings; those belonging to the royal family and Prime Minister Dr Fred Sevele.

The arson attacks spread on to Chinese-owned businesses later in the afternoon. 

Windows of the debate chamber of parliament were smashed as well as other public buildings including Sevele’s office, and cars overturned. A number of them were torched.

Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, local police could only stand by and watch.

Burning buildings in the business district

“Today, we meet to close this session of parliament in a somber mood,” King Siaosi Tupou told parliament on November 23 in his first public comment after the riots.

“A few metres away, buildings lie burnt, bodies have been retrieved from the ashes and our capital is silent as it has never before.

“Never thought the day would come where I am seeing Tongans take to the street like that,” Sevele told an overseas news service.

As local police supported by Australian and New Zealand armed police and soldiers began investigations on the disturbance, they would be challenged to zero in on the causes of the turmoil, whether it was merely due to demands for quicker political reforms or was it because of other less obvious reasons like retribution for the government’s clampdown on corruption in Customs, for instance. The destruction of Asian-owned businesses seemed to be pointing to more than just calls for greater democracy, analysts told this magazine. 

Much of the investigations however, would centre on the role of the pro-democracy movement which had been holding demonstrations at Pangai Si’i, a ground not far from the Palace and Tonga’s parliament.

Organisers admitted most of the youth who went on the rampage that Thursday afternoon came from their crowd, but denied it was at their instigation.

They claimed the government was clearly dilly dallying on the protestors’ demands that the pace of political reforms that would see the entire 30-members of parliament elected be adopted.

“On Thursday morning when the people came to the rally, they were told parliament was adjourned to the afternoon hours,” said an electronic mail from Siosiua Po’oi Pohiva, of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement in Tonga.

“It turned out to be cancelled the whole day, making the crowd very furious.

“The only option for the organisers was to call on the Speaker of the House and Prime Minister to come to the scene and speak to the people as to why the House was adjourned, to calm the crowd.

“But they did not. By then, the rioters had already broken away from the rally.”

Spokesperson for Sevele, Lopeti Senituli confirmed the postponement of Thursday’s parliamentary sitting. But he said the organisers knew full well the reasons for the adjournment, as they were told that parliament would not sit if the protestors continued to gather at Pangai Si’i.

“’Akilisi Pohiva and his group wanted the House to vote on their 21 (Peoples’ reps) and 9 (Noble reps) proposal on Thursday, November 16, knowing full well that their motion would be defeated as they did not have the numbers,” said Senituli.

“But they wanted the vote to happen anyway because its defeat will be justification for the destruction they wreaked on Nuku’alofa.

“In any case, the Speaker of the House warned ‘Akilisi and his group on Wednesday (November 17) that the House would not be convened on Thursday if protesters gathered again at Pangai Si’i.

“So the House was not convened, so no vote was held, but they went ahead with the destruction anyway because they had planned it that way.”

Senituli denied claims made to this magazine by a pro-democracy movement member that protestors were angered by an attempt by government members to make representatives of the people and nobles enjoy an equal number of seats in parliament.

“What you should realise is that ‘Akilisi and his group had first supported Prince Tu’ipelehake Committee’s proposal for 17 Peoples’ reps and 9 Noble reps.

“But on Thursday, November 9, they proposed to the House that the People should elect 17 representatives and the Nobles elect six representatives. By Monday, November 13, they realised that their own supporters did not approve of their attempt to cut the number of Noble representatives from its present 9 to 6.

“Therefore they changed their proposal to 21 Peoples’ reps and 9 Noble reps. At no stage did the Prime Minister propose for a 15/15 representation.

“What the Prime Minster proposed to the House on October 19 was a House with 14 Peoples’ reps and 9 Noble reps.”

Yet being past members of the pro-democracy movement themselves, both Senituli and Sevele surely would have had warnings of an imminent disaster if persistent calls for greater democracy were not met. Indeed they might have issued such warnings themselves.

Criticisms of the government’s handling of the political reform proposals came from an unlikely source, Dr Sitiveni Halapua, the deputy chair of the Tu’ipelehake committee. He was quoted in New Zealand as saying that Tonga’s Prime Minister Sevele should share part of the blame for the riots because he wanted to produce his own ideas about the reforms.

In a magazine headline titled, ‘Heading for Trouble’, this magazine’s late publisher Robert Keith-Reid wrote in March 2004: “Political unrest in Tonga could be about to end a century of calm under the reign of the last Pacific Islands monarchy.”

He obviously had read a lot into the five-year deadline Pohiva had given himself on when he hoped to achieve his aim of having a fully-elected parliament. He had also not missed what the late Prince Tu’ipelehake had said in the same edition.

“Violence is not imminent but can no longer be dismissed outright,” the late cousin of King Siaosi had said.

“I personally support the efforts to convince the government that it is time to begin preliminary discussions on ways to improve and reconcile our system of government and laws (including amendments to the constitution where required) so that they serve and protect the needs and rights of our society and the 21st century and beyond.”

As Nuku’alofa picks up the pieces, one thing is for sure—the wheels of justice will gather pace to ensure that the full brunt of the law is made to bear on the instigators and perpetrators of the riots. Both the king and his prime minister have made this very clear.

“The justice system will do its work and distinguish between lawful protests and unlawful activities and deal with them firmly and speedily according to law,” King Siaosi said in his address to close parliament late last month.

“Law and order must be restored immediately so that people can feel safe and secure once again in their own homes, at work and wherever they want to go.”