Planet Tonga Exclusive Interview with Dr. Tevita Tu’i Uata

Planet Tonga Exclusive Interview with Dr. Tevita Tu’i Uata
(President of the Tonga National Business Association)

PT: Please explain how you are affiliated with the Democracy movement in Tonga?
Dr. Uata: I am one of the members of the People’s National Committee for Political Reform (PNCPR). I represent the business community to the committee.

PT: It’s no secret that people are saying that members of the PNCPR are somewhat responsible for what happened on 11/16/06, your response?
Dr. Uata: I really do feel for what has happened here in Tonga and wished that there was more that we as PNCPR committee members together with the government of Tonga could have done in order to a) listen to what the people were saying regarding the political reform, b) accept rather than criticize the feelings of the people, and c) come up with an appropriate response in order to avoid the riot and its devastation. We must remember, that those who were involved in the riot are regular citizens, and although their actions were unlawful, their feelings of frustration with the system were not wrong, and we (government and committee) should have been more willing to listen to the requests of the Tongan people to have 21 of their representatives in parliament voted in. I think this would have mitigated the actions of the riot.

PT: How do you respond to claims that the PNCPR continues to brainwash the Tongan people?
Dr. Uata: I am confused by this idea that it takes a brain washing methodology to get normal people to understand the universal principles of human rights; one of those basic rights is for people to choose their government leaders who spend their tax money.

I don’t think it’s brainwashing to ask the people to think about the inconsistencies and inequities that we are dealing with here in Tonga such as the idea that:
1. It is the duty of the “TUA and/or Kainanga ‘oe Fonua” to pay taxes of 200 million pa’anga a year, yet, they have no right to elect their leaders?
2. 9 representatives represent 100,000 people in Tonga and 100,000 abroad. 1 person representing 22,222 people. Whereas 1 noble representative represents 4 nobles and 16 representatives represent 1 person (the King), what is wrong with this picture?
3. The head of State has the right to take over by force the assets (electricity infrastructure and power generation) of the people who paid for it with their hard earned taxes; use it to personally earn millions to their personal accounts; and then sell it to an overseas company for 81 million which goes directly to his/their pockets.
I can go on, but I think the point is clear. Those making this claim are just trying to take the focus away from the real issues.

PT: What exactly do you believe the real issues to be?
Dr. Uata: The real issue is that people want to elect their leaders; full stop. They want to elect the people who have the power to formulate policies, create the laws, collect their taxes and who spend their money. They want these elected officials to be accountable to them!

PT: Do you believe that the Tongan Government could have stopped the violence from happening if they approved the democratic changes the people were asking for?
Dr. Uata: Absolutely Yes! If the Parliament approved even a week prior to black Thursday to accept the request of the people, no one would have gathered at Pangai si’i.
However, when one of the Ministers came to Pangai si’i and announced prior to Thursday that the changes pushed for by the people’s representatives was not the will of the people because there was only about 10 of them at Pangai s’ii, the people were upset and so on Thursday Pangai si’i was filled because the people wanted the Parliament to know that this was there will, this is what they wanted.

When the people in Pangai si’i were told that the that parliament sessions were delayed, and that the Speaker of the House declared that Thursday 11/16/06 would be the last parliament session for the year until they reconvene in 2008, it hiked the anger and frustration of people. The Peoples’ Reps., asked the Speaker to ask the King for another two weeks of Parliament so that the dialog can continue; yet no favorable response.

When the riot started, the People’s representatives immediately went to the Speaker of the House and the Nobles who were meeting in a room in the Parliament quarters, and some went to the Prime Minister and his Cabinet members who were at the Prime Ministers’ Office, to inform them of what has happened and that they should meet immediately. During that meeting, the Prime Minister decided to sign the piece of paper that approved the people to have 21 representatives in Parliament, to be implemented by 2008. When the Peoples’ Reps., came back with the signed document, the people cheered and danced in Pangai si’i. However, this was 45 minutes too late, because the riots had already started.

This is a pattern that the Government continues to do which is to drag things out until something drastic happens. This was the same pattern during the civil servant strike. After six weeks of stand off with the civil servant and after automobiles and other assets started burning, it is only then that the government gave the civil servant their pay raises.

PT: In the Matangi Tonga editorial on Nov. 22, 2006, Pesi Fonua explains that in a radio address on the night of Black Thursday, the five peoples representatives claimed responsibility for the riots that happened, your response to his editorial?
Dr. Uata: This is absolutely false. These are the facts, after the rioting broke out, the People’s Representative went to the radio and TV and asked the people to please stop the rioting. They also announced to the public, that an agreement had been reached that would allow the Tongan people to elect 21 members of the peoples’ reps and that it would be implemented in 2008.

This statement by Pesi Fonua that the Peoples’ Representatives claimed responsible for the riot; if it were true, why don’t they get the tape from A3Z and play it on the web radio for everyone to hear the peoples representatives claiming responsibility for the riots.

PT: Has your committee been able to sit down with the Tongan government leaders to talk about the events on 11/16/06?
Dr. Uata: No, they are not willing to talk to his. This seems to be the pattern with them. We have contacted Lord’s Chamberlain to organize a meeting to begin the dialogue, and there has been no response. We have contacted the police department, and there has been no response. A letter has been sent to the Prime Minister and we are waiting for a response. After the close of Parliament, people’s representatives asked to immediately have a meeting, and there has been no response.

PT: In Kalafi Moala’s (Taimi ‘O Tonga Editorial on Nov. 17, 2006) recent editorial he points out the role that the media has played in inciting the riots, specifically the OBN television station and also the Kele’a newspaper. What is your response to this claim?
Dr. Uata: Specifically what did the OBN and Kele’a report that provoked the riot? Was it that that they reported the speeches of the people in the 35 villages to the Peoples’ Reps., and the government of their concerns? Or was it that fact that they reported after the strike that the Police conducted their own survey under the direction of Prime Ministers to find out first hand whether the people wanted political changes or not; and the answer came back 99% responded yes, that the people of Tonga wanted political change? I don’t understand which part they are referring to when they say that facts were distorted

PT: I believe he is stating that a lot of false accusations were aired on the OBN television and in the Kele’a newspaper to appeal to people emotionally and that the facts were distorted in order to incite anger and rage? I know that you have been interviewed on OBN many times, how do you respond to these claims?
Is the selling of Shoreline for 81 million not a fact? Is leasing Pangai as a cabinet decision not a fact? Is the government putting forth 3 legal documents to shut down the bonded warehouses not a fact? Was raising the income taxes not a fact? Was the letter to close down TV OBN not a fact? I can go on and on.

The OBN television traveled to 35 villages and created a forum for the people to speak freely about their concerns and about issues that were important to them; unedited; this I believe was the most descriptive, holistic and close to the truth information available to the public.

I understand that people get emotional when we talk about how their money is spent, but everyone has a right to know the truth! I think it is a little weak for someone to make an argument to blame the mechanism of the media and not the actual events that have taken place which caused the riot.

PT: In an interview this past September with the National Geographic you mentioned that the “people now own the solution” what did you mean by that?
Dr. Uata: What I meant was that there was a time when there was only a hand full of people who understood democracy operationally, and they were the ones pushing for it. Today, the majority of the Tongan people are informed through various mediums about the principles of democracy; and that operationally, democracy means that people have the right to elect their leaders and have those leaders be accountable to them in a transparent way. Furthermore, the people now see the connection between voting for their leaders, formulating policies, formulating the legal framework, improving the institutional effectiveness and efficiency, and spending their taxes to meet their daily public priorities.

The Tongan people, from what I can see now, own the solution of demanding democracy; that they want to elect all of their leaders to the Parliament and the Cabinet. Democracy is no longer a doctrine to be preached by the People’s Reps., it is a way of life that people now demand so that their money is spent to improve their quality of life.

PT: There is a polarizing concept circulating throughout our Tongan communities which states that you either have respect for the royal family or you are pro-democratic? Is this an accurate assumption? In your opinion, is it possible to be both pro-democratic and also have respect for the royal family?
Dr. Uata: This is true, that a lot of the arguments have more to do with democracy or the Royal family as opposing forces as the underpinning arguments; and within that context, the riot is discussed. This seems to be the established pattern, and our communities are polarized accordingly.

Democracy and Royal families are not diametrically opposing and competing views; rather, I believe, it is two distinct parts that integrate into one-complementary-whole-social-system.

The latter has a well establish historical perspective as well as contemporary application as the foundation of thriving world class economies with superior social standard of living which Tonga is seeking to experience. Brittan and the European countries today have thriving Royal families that are well integrated with their matured democracy which is the basis of their socio-economic standard. This approach and view is what the People’s National Committee for Political Reform has adopted. That, the political reform has to do with Government and that the government must be accountable to the King, Nobles and the People as a whole.

On the other hand, democracy and the Royal families as an ‘opposing and competing’ functions also has a rich history. European countries centuries ago held this view, which provide us with much bloodshed in their history. Today, there are countries such as Iraq, North Korea who hold this same view in this modern time.

It is important for us then to separate the two structures (social and government) in order for us to see and appreciate their natural integration and function of democracy and the Royal family with in the social structure.

Our government is simply a government structure with the function to assess the priorities of people, develop policies, create legal frameworks, create an effective and efficient institutional framework, with civil servant expertise to collect taxes and deliver public goods to the public’s requirements. Hence, our government structure and function has to be accountable to the Tongan social structure as a whole, which include the King, the Nobles and the People, rather than separately.

It is important to remind ourselves, there has never been a protest march or petition of the people to elect their King. We gathered in Pangai si’i to increase our representatives in parliament; and to uphold out social structure, not to overhaul it.

PT: According to the new changes, there will still be nine seats reserved for the nobles which are not voted in. Is that correct?
Dr. Uata: Yes, this is correct. And as I have mentioned on the Tala Koula web radio interview; that when the people became angry at the constant delay tactics of the government, the crowed said that all 30 representatives should be voted in by the people.

However, the people’s representatives remembered principles we stood on which was to reform the government while upholding our social make up and culture. Thus, the People’s Reps., still reserved nine seats for the nobles, and the King to still be the Head of state and of the Fakataha tokoni.

PT: Considering all that has happened what do you think is in store for the future of the Kingdom of Tonga?
Dr. Uata: We have a vibrant, loving and well informed society. Both sides must come together and begin dialog. It is important for everyone to take time and take note of the lessons that we must take from this experience which will serve as the basis of rebuilding Nuku’alofa and our next step forward.

The most important lesson I learned from this is that we cannot put our trust in material things. I remember when I heard from the people at Pangai si’i that our building was burning, my first reaction was to think about all the material things that would be lost and then as I took time to ponder what was happening I realized how much trust I put into the material things that we possess; and although I go to church every Sunday and practice my religion, my trust was really on my possessions. I have learned from this tragic event that these “things” that we own can all evaporate in a matter of minutes and it can still happen tomorrow or the next day. Thus, during the destruction of the ‘Things’ of Nuku’alofa, I realized that the only thing that cannot be destructed is our faith in the Savior and how real He is and in the end it is that faith that we need in order to rebuild Nuku’alofa based on sound principles with a heart that is always willing to serve those who are less fortunate.