Pro-democracy MP 'Akilisi Pohiva arrested
Title -- 5095 TONGA: Pro-democracy MP 'Akilisi Pohiva arrested
Date -- 18 January 2007
Byline -- None
Origin -- Pacific Media Watch
Source -- Kalafi Moala, 18/1/07
Copyright - KM
Status -- Unabridged
Post a comment on PMW's Right of Reply: www.voy.com/166636/
'AKILISI POHIVA DETAINED OVER 16/11
By Kalafi Moala
NUKU'ALOFA (KM/Pacific Media Watch) - ‘Akilisi Pohiva, controversial leader of Tonga's pro-democracy movement and No. 1 People’s Representative to Parliament, was arrested yesterday at 5pm on charges relating to 16/11 - “Black Thursday”.
Pohiva is the highest profile leader arrested so far, accused of being one of the ringleaders of the riot that led to the burning of downtown Nuku’alofa on November 16, 2006.
His friend and No. 2 People’s Representative, ‘Isileli Pulu, is still in police custody, charged with sedition and abetting public disorder. He may also face other charges as the investigation continues.
‘Ofa Simiki, of OSB businesses, a well-known businesswoman and ardent supporter of Pohiva, has been released on bail. She faces sedition charges as well as charges of abetting arson.
These high profile arrests have been expected for some time, as police have assured the public that sooner or later their investigations will close in on the alleged ringleaders of 16/11.
Pohiva is no stranger to jail. He was charged and found guilty of contempt of Parliament together with publisher Kalafi Moala and former Taimi ‘o Tonga editor Filo ‘Akau’ola in 1996.
The three were released after 26 days imprisonment when the Supreme Court declared their jailing had been “unlawful and unconstitutional.”
In recent years, Pohiva has been taken in for questioning on a variety of allegations, all relating to his work as Tonga’s chief campaigner for political reform.
However, the past two years have found the ageing campaigner a lot more radical and incoherent in his demand for political reform in the island kingdom.
The call for reform became more aggressive. Despite the fact that a pro-democracy prime minister was leading government, and that the monarch as well as government had declared their commitment to political reform, Pohiva and his supporters impatiently lifted the level of their demonstrations, resulting in the burning of downtown Nuku’alofa.
Reform no longer became the issue. The question of whose reform model became the bone of contention.
Specific charges for the MP have not been released, but security precautions are expected to be on high alert as the arrest is the highest profile from among those accused for 16/11.
PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is an independent, non-profit, non-government organisation comprising journalists, lawyers, editors and other media workers, dedicated to examining issues of ethics, accountability, censorship, media freedom and media ownership in the Pacific region. Launched in October 1996, it has links with the Journalism Program at the University of the South Pacific, Journalism Studies at the University of PNG (UPNG), the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism (ACIJ), Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, and Community Communications Online (c2o).
© 1996-2007 Copyright - All rights reserved. Items are provided solely for review purposes as a non-profit educational service. Copyright remains the property of the original producers as indicated. Recipients should seek permission from the copyright owner for any publishing. Copyright owners not wishing their materials to be posted by PMW please contact us. The views expressed in material listed by PMW are not necessarily the views of PMW or its members. Recipients should rely on their own inquiries before making decisions based on material listed in PMW. Please copy appeals to PMW and acknowledge source.
For further information, inquiries about joining the Pacific Media Watch listserve, articles for publication, and giving feedback contact Pacific Media Watch at:
E-mail: delaro@clear.net.nz Fax: (+649) 3787542
Mail: PO Box 78028, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1002, Aotearoa/New Zealand
Website: www.pmw.c2o.org
Return to Pacific Media Watch