Tonga - PINA’s stumbling block

Tonga could be the rock upon which the 22-year-old Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) finally founders.

Most of the world’s media associations condemned the jailing of two journalists except the Tonga News Association (TNA) and thew Tongan members of

Pina.

TNA executive Pesi Fonua in a state ment condemned PINA for trying to get the men out jail.

“It is difficult to reverse the parlia ment’s decision because it was a decision of a majority of the members of the house, comprising the cabinet ministers, the chiefs and the representatives of the peo ple. So, in a way, it is representative of the wishes of the people,” Fonua said.

PINA has had a miserable year. When Taimi o Tonga deputy editor Filokalafi ’Akau’ola was arrested, held in custody and eventually convicted of angering Police Minister Clive Edwards, PINA did

nothing.

Coincidentally, PINA’s annual meet ing this year was in Tonga and when Edwards banned Agence France-Presse correspondent and PINA member Michael Field from entering Tonga, PINA president Monica Miller called for the government to change its mind.

But the rest of PINA found it hard to agree with her The latest jailing saw Miller incensed and she despatched PINA secretariat Nina Ratulele with a personal appeal to King

Tau’fa’ahau Tupou II asking for the men’s release.

PINA executive director Tavake Fusimalohi is also general manager of government-owned Radio Tonga.

In 1993; Moala had been the only Tongan member of PINA to vote against Fusimalohi renewing his director’s term.

With Moala in jail, Fusimalohi went on record to say Moala had a weird per

sonality.

Fusimalohi said the jailing of the jour nalists was simply a matter of law.

“Are journalists above the law, are journalists an elite that the law should not touch?” he asked.

Perceiving Miller’s comments as a personal attack, he quit PINA.

“I have always maintained that Press freedom and professional standards are inseparable, I cannot promote one and ignore the other.”

Miller said she was sad that Fusimalohi had quit but the issue of media freedom remained.

She said some PINA members believed the “current situation in Tonga is the gravest assault on Press freedom in the Pacific since the Fiji coups” and added she was concerned “over the lack of action in Tonga on behalf of the jailed journalists, including silence from TNA.

“I have no doubt that PINA wil sur vive,” she said.

As this happened PINA was struggling to survive as aid donors backed away from the organisation . ■