Government News: Top Stories

Youths rampage in Tongan capital
by Pesi Fonua

The Associated Press Translate This Article
16 November 2006

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga (AP) - Youths infuriated by a lack of political reform attacked the prime minister's offices and other government buildings Thursday, smashing windows, looting shops and setting fires in the capital of this near-feudal South Pacific kingdom.

Police helped people flee the violence and tried to protect property but made no effort to arrest rioters, said Mary Fonua of the Matangi Tonga news Web site.

As night fell, some semblance of order began returning to the city center. But looters continued carrying goods from wrecked stores. Fires burned unchecked in buildings in several parts of the city and torched cars lay wrecked and smoldering on the streets

The rioting began after thousands of people met in Nuku'alofa, capital of the island nation halfway between Australia and Tahiti, and demanded that parliament pass democratic reforms before it ends its annual session on Thursday. The meeting in the capital was addressed by pro-democracy lawmakers pressing for democratic change.

The rioters smashed windows in Prime Minister Fred Sevele's offices and other government buildings, including Parliament House, the Magistrates' Court, the Public Service Commission Office and the Finance Ministry. It was not known if the prime minister was in the office at the time.

Rioters also overturned shelves and stripped stock from a mid-city supermarket owned by Sevele.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters branded the rioting and arson ``a disaster for Tonga ... and a severe setback at a time when political reform is happening in Tonga.''

``There is no way anybody interested in political reforms will advance their cause by criminal actions,'' he told National Radio from the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, where he's attending the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation foreign ministers' meeting.

New Zealand would offer assistance, he said, adding that he hoped those responsible would be punished.

Fonua said the office of the Shoreline power company had burned to the ground, and that the Pacific Royale Hotel had been ``trashed'' by hundreds of rampaging youths.

The government did not comment on the rioting.

Tonga's King Siaosi Tupou V was believed to be at a royal villa outside the capital Thursday.

Last month, a government committee recommended that all lawmakers in Tonga be elected. Only nine lawmakers in the 32-seat parliament are now elected by popular vote _ with the rest appointed by the king and noble families.

The recommendation was a significant step in the accelerating efforts to reform the kingdom's political system since the September death of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who was in power for more than 40 years.

Sevele, who is appointed by Tonga's king, is seen as complicit in delay of the reforms, along with most of the island nation's political establishment.

Tonga has a population of around 108,000 and an economy dependent on pumpkin and vanilla exports, fishing, foreign aid and remittances from Tongans abroad.

Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Global Good News comment:

If a nation's collective consciousness becomes more harmonious and coherent, then the government will mirror that harmony and coherence in its decisions and actions. For example, an eight-year study based on data gathered independently by the Zurich Peace Project showed that higher attendance at a large peace-creating group was associated with more positive and harmonious actions by the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union.

For more information on how government can improve the collective consciousness of its citizens and thereby actualize the ideal of administration, the supreme quality of administration of government, please see:

http://maharishi-programmes.globalgoodnews.com/vedic-administration/programmes.html

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