Tongans Angry

At Peace Corps

Dismissals

Tempers are still pretty high among residents of Vavau, Tonga, over the premature de parture of six popular US Peace Corps workers in early Decem ber.

The workers, five young men and one young woman, were hustled out of the kingdom following investiga tions by the Rev. Layton Zimmer, Peace Corps Director for Tonga, into rumours that the six were involved with the much-publicised drug marihuana.

Mr. Zimmer made a two-day investigation into the allegations on Vavau and he declared that he was satisfied these volunteers were not involved with the drug.

However, a week later, the six workers received cables from Nukua lofa terminating their service in Tonga and ordering them to leave Vavau.

The workers were Paul Pulati, teacher at the Wesleyan College, Stan Bissell, teacher at Tuunuku Village, Cole Walker and Robert Linden, workers with the Department of Agriculture and Robert Ranieri, teacher at Kelana Catholic High School, and his wife, Charlotte, teacher at the Neiafu primary school.

Cleared

Two days before they left Vavau the Catholic Mission gave a party for them at which many Tongan friends wept. All present expressed pride in the work they had done on Vavau, including Father George Caillet, head of the Catholic Mission, and Esau Tupou, Vavau’s acting governor.

Before they left, all were given hand-delivered letters from Mr.

Zimmer. The letters cleared them of marihuana charges, but Stan Bissell was accused of having explained to Tongan friends what marihuana was, and the Ranieris were accused of being disliked by Tongans—an accusation that was news to most Tongans.

Neither Stan Bissell nor the

Rainieris were given an opportunity to defend themselves.

Mrs. Patricia Matheson, a long time American resident of Vavau, wrote a protest letter to Mr. Zimmer over the affair and said his actions were “those of an agent of a police state”.

“The manner in which you have railroaded the six volunteers out of the country without giving them an opportunity either to settle their affairs or to present to Tongan gov ernment representatives their side of the case is contrary to democratic practices,” she said. “Every man, whatever his crime, deserves a hear ing.”

Mrs. Matheson said the Vavau people simply could not understand the US, which sent the Peace Corps to help, and now arbitrarily dis graced and dismissed the Ranieris, who had become “so loved, so valued and a part of the community”.

She said she knew the Ranieris well: they were honest, and “very clean physically, mentally and morally”, and were ideal ambassadors for the US.

She said residents of Vavau were ashamed of the whole affair.