Tonga's Independence Is No Surprise

Tonga on June 4 will cease to be a British protectorate and will become a fully independent State. Britain and King Taufa’ahau an nounced this on March 12.

The announcement had been anticipated for almost two years, since Britain and the kingdom first moved to revise the Treaty of Friendship which has been in operation between the two countries since 1900.

The revision enabled both countries to remove the “teeth” from the treaty, at a date to be fixed, thus giving Tonga full control of her defence and foreign affairs. What will remain after June 4 will be a clause stating that there will be perpetual peace between Britain and Tonga. Tonga will join the Commonwealth.

The kingdom has virtually been free of British control for many years, and June 4 will be of historical rather than of practical significance.

June 4 was chosen because on that date in 1862 the emancipation of the common people from the absolute rule of nobility was proclaimed by the first King of united Tonga, George I.

Independence festivities are likely to last for several days, on a scale equivalent to those for the king’s coronation in 1967.

Meanwhile Britain has announced that from April she will give Tonga development aid funds up to a total of £Stg2so,ooo, which will help the kingdom’s second five-year plan. The plan will put emphasis on agricultural expansion. In Nukualofa in March, the Minister for Finance, Mahe Tupouniua, said Britain’s generosity was a “truly mag nanimous gesture which touches the heart of every Tongan”.