Roubles for Tonga from Russia

Russia with love

Cheers! Our Russian

FRIENDS ARE COMING —Such is the reaction from some of the Tongans when the news of the Russians setting up a base in the tiny kingdom of the South Pacific broke out It is quite ironical that while NZ Prime Minister Mr Muldoon was, several weeks ago, getting matey with the Chinese in Peking in condemning the activities of the Soviet fleet in the Indian Ocean, and while Mr Fraser was underlining his foreign policy of siding with China vis-a-vis Russia, the Russians were busily working behind the scenes to strengthen friendship ties with Tonga with the ultimate aim of setting up a base in Tonga.

From a Nukualofa correspondent

Since the visit of Ambassador Mr Oleg Selyaninov to Tonga to pay his respects to King Taufa’ahau Tupou and to officially establish diplomatic relations between his country and Tonga, numerous discussions have been held between the two countries on how the Soviet Union could assist Tonga.

Two or three areas in particular have been identified as priorities for Russian assistance: upgrading of Tonga’s inter national airport, extension of the wharf and the establishment of a naval base in Vavau. It is also understood that quite a

number of other areas of assistance have also been discussed.

What exactly the Russians have asked for in return, nothing definite can be said at this stage, except that they want a foothold in the South Pacific. So far, no official denial or confirmation, let alone elaboration, has been issued by Tonga.

The news of the Tonga/Russia moves certainly came as a bombshell to the western powers especially the United States, Britain, New Zealand and Australia. And the reaction from those governments was, as Tonga had expected, one of a “rude awakening”.

The western world has for far too long taken Tonga for granted. In fact, some of the western powers have always regarded Tonga (and other Pacific Islands for that matter) as just another territory of “a few thousand acres with a few thousand coconut trees which nobody wants”, as Mr Muldoon put it.

To be fair, Britain has been good to Tonga over the years even if she has, over recent years, tended to care less and less for the kingdom’s future.

Tonga’s overtures to the Russians have been very carefully scrutinised by the western powers since the bombshell was dropped a few weeks ago, and it is un derstood that the western governments are busily working behind the scenes to find ways of increasing their aid to Tonga in an effort to minimise, if not to prevent altogether, any further Russian encroach ment into a country that has always been regarded, perhaps rather naively, by the western powers as pro-western and anti communist.

While the western powers are doing their thing behind the scenes in trying to outbid the Russians, they have been and are most careful not to upset Tonga.

The press statement made by Crown Prince Tupouto’a in Sydney a few weeks ago, brought home to the western powers a clear message and warning Although we have many friends, we would not like those friends to interfere in our choice of or search for other friends.

And rightly so! After all, this is a freedom which every independent nation, large or small, communist or otherwise, treasures rather preciously.

Tonga is aware of the various im plications and possible consequences of comradeship with the Russians, and has been considering every angle of such im

plications. How far she will go in this courtship only time will tell. Perhaps the only definite thing that can be said at this stage is that Tonga has made it quite clear to the western powers that she is not just a group of atolls which nobody wants but that she is a force to be recognised.

Mention of Komuniusi (communists) is something which the average Tongan has always associated with “enemies of the free world”, a legacy perhaps of decades of western brainwashing. It is precisely for this very fact that one finds it hard to believe that there are quite a lot of people in Tonga who appear not to mind too much the possibility of the Russians set ting themselves up in Tonga.

Reactions from the ordinary man on the street are certainly ambivalent. Some are receiving the news with joy anticipating greater assistance to Tonga’s economic development plans, while others are far from happy at the possible deep involve ment with the communists.

There are also those who think it impor tant not to turn Tonga into an “arena” for the rival powers, but at the same time feel that it will be a mistake not to welcome the Russians if the country is going to gain Fishing is important to Tonga, as to other Pacific countries, but has not, unfor tunately, been developed very much. This

could then be an area where Russian ex pertise could immediately play an impor tant part in the economic development of the kingdom.

While some of the western countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Australia, to name to few, are frantically trying to find out what is exactly going on between Tonga and the Soviet Union, things appear to continue as normal in the kingdom. As one overseas-educated Tongan recently remarked, it is our turn to watch the palangis dancing to our music!

Unlike what most people expected, King Taufa’ahau Tupou, in his speech from the throne to open the 76th session of the Legislative Assembly, made no direct reference to Tonga’s relationship with the Soviet Union. Instead, in majestic fashion, he only said that there was now a greater awareness of Tonga’s increased friendship and co-operation with various countries.

His son’s previously publicised message was appropriately redelivered with

emphasis: “Tonga’s objective is to be

friendly with other countries, and not to create animosity towards them”, the king said.

An overseas diplomat remarked rather dejectedly after the opening of parliament that he was sorry he could not enlighten his government as to the rumour of the

Russians setting up a base in Tonga. A Tongan bystander said with tongue in cheek, of course, “It’s guessing time”.

The recent fuss created in New Zealand when the government made a rapid about face on an earlier decision to send a senior diplomat to Tonga to investigate the situa tion is just incredible. Only a few weeks ago, Tonga was referred to by the New Zealand Prime Minister as a tiny island of no interest to anybody.

If the Russians do set up a base in Tonga, then it would be the “irony of ironies” that the ruler of the world’s smallest kingdom should be responsible for such a “rude awakening” of the western world.

The late Queen Salote stole the show at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953 when she refused to be sheltered, and elegantly, and smilingly rode through the pouring rain as a mark of respect for the most important person of the occasion, Queen Elizabeth. This particular deed made headlines in every British and other newspapers at the time.

Now, two decades later, the late Queen’s son, HM King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV steals the show by showing the western world that in spite of the kingdom’s small size, it is a force to be reckoned with in today’s power game in the South Pacific.