Friday 17 November 2006

Tongan chaos

Democracy: the counting of heads regardless of content. If mindless burning of your downtown is your chosen way to replace a monarchy with a democracy, and if an unrestrained democracy is the result, then Tonga is on the way to something worse than where they are now. As Phil at Pacific Empire notes:
Chinese-owned businesses have also been attacked, just as in the recent Solomon Islands unrest, and possibly providing further evidence for Amy Chua’s hypothesis. The attitudes and actions of Tonga’s new king have proved fatal to his government’s legitimacy.
Let us hope that the actions of what have been called "drunken youths" will not prove fatal to an eventual, peaceful replacement for the monarchy.

Keep up to date at Matangi Tonga.

LINKS: Tonga update - Pacific Empire
Breaking news in Tonga - Pacific Empire
Rioting crowd leaves trail of wreckage in Nuku'alofa - Matangi Tonga


RELATED: Politics-World

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Falufula Fisi for PRESIDENT
Ken

Anonymous said...

I am digusted at those fuckers who destroyed private properties such as businesses, pubs, shops, banks, resturants, etc. My village is not in the main town center, Nuku'alofa, which is safe from riots that was taking place, yesterday.

The pro-democracy group had gone too far. This group had a meeting at Pangai (main public park) for a pray session before looting & burning of businesses in the central district. The pro-demo demanded western-style democracy, but most scholars (local & overseas) do think that with religion is deeply embedded in the culture, the pace of change should be slowly implemented over many years and not overnight as the pro-demo nutters have demanded. Religion & Freedom (democracy) don't go hand in hand.

I hope that the authorities will prosecute and tried those who are responsible, even hang them (which is allowed by the constitution) and that would give a stern warning to others that such behavior as destroying private properties cannot be tolerated in a modern world.

Anonymous said...

You support HANGING for the destruction of private property?

I am aghast.

DenMT

Anonymous said...

DenMT said...

[You support HANGING for the destruction of private property?]

No, I didn't really mean hanging, just an instant expression of my anger, because my cousin's clothing shop was burnt & looted by rioters. My brothers & sisters in Auckland had put appreciable amount of money to this business back home and his property were violated.

Peter Cresswell said...

"...because my cousin's clothing shop was burnt & looted by rioters..."

Bastards. The report that six bodies were found in the Shoreline building suggests this had nothing to do with "reform."

I hope your cousin can recover, FF.