Sedition Charge

Afuha’Amango

Does It Again

Acquittal in Tonga Sedition Charge

A6B-years-old member of the Tongan Parliament, S. P. Afuha ’amango, was acquitted on June 11 of a charge of sedition.

The trial began on June 5 and had caused intense interest in the Kingdom—and not a little in other parts of the Pacific and Australasia.

Afuha’amango was arrested in Vavau on April 25 on a charge of having “made a seditious document” in February in which he was alleged (amongst other things) to have stated: • Queen Salote appointed her eldest son.

Crown Prince Tungi, as Premier and her next son as Minister of Lands. • The Minister of Works, the Minister of Police, the Minister without Portfolio, the Governor of Ha'apai (now dead), and the Speaker of Parliament were all close relations of Queen Salote and were appointed by her. • The daughter of the Governor of Vavau was the wife of Prince Tungi.

Bail was refused and he was in custody for 40 days—during which time he was re-elected to Parlia ment.

There is a group of Tongans which, for a long time, has con sidered that Tonga is governed by the Nobles, and that the common people have not sufficient voice; letters and articles by these Tongans have from time to time, appeared in

Pim.

Afuha’amango has been some thing of a stormy petrel in Tonga for many years. He was charged with defamation of character against Queen Salote as long ago as 1924

acquitted; was charged again with defamation of character against Premier Ata, in 1946, and also acquitted; and was once excluded from Parliament, for a period, for physically assaulting the Minister without Portifolio.