Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador Mr. Huang Huanguang on Friday to discuss what his office has described as “related to the brutal crimes against the Chinese community in Tonga”
Press were invited to take photos but were barred from covering the meeting which was also attended by Tongan Police officials and the Chinese community.
As we reported, the Tongan government has set up a sub-committee to investigate crimes against Chinese and other expatriates in Tonga.
Justice Minister Sione Vuna Fa’otusia said attacks on foreigners were a grave concern to the government.
The subcommittee is chaired by Hon. Fa’otusia and also includes the Minister of Police, the Commissioner of Police, the Commander of the Tonga Defence Force and the Commissioner of Prisons.
“This committee is to see what we can do to mitigate this rather senseless crime against the Chinese and foreigners in the land,” the Minister said.
“The Chinese were brought here by the late King Tupou IV so that we may learn from their work ethic!
“Instead, our people have kept on abusing this people in our land.
“What a shameful act !”
Crimes
In 1999, the Chinese community submitted a list of criminal offences against Chinese migrants to the then Police Minister Clive Edwards.
Crimes included arson, armed robbery and attempted rape.
Edwards assured the Chinese the police would work around the clock to put an end to such incidents.
Eighteen years later, there has been some improvement, but Tongan police are still working to bring crimes against the Chinese community under control.
In February this year Deputy Commissioner Pelenatita Fe’ao Vaisuai said the Police had established Operation Great Wall with the aim of reducing crimes against the Asian community in Tonga.
Vaisuai said that while Chinese made up three percent of victims of crime, the offences committed against them were quite serious.
They included robbery and violent assault.
“Our mission is to make sure all our citizens feel safe in Tonga,” Deputy Commissioner Vaisuai said.
A New Zealand police officer, Inspector Kai Shao, was sent to Tonga to help the local force build a relationship with the Asian community.
He met with members of the Chinese community and staff from the Chinese embassy.
Inspector Shao believed the safety situation in Tonga had improved in recent years.
However, they expressed concerns in relation to some recent high profile cases.
Naʻe fakataha ʻa e ʻEiki Palēmiá mo e ʻAmipasitoa Siainá Misa Huang Huanguang ʻi he Falaité ke aleaʻi e kaveinga ne fakamatalaʻi e hono ʻofisí ko e “hia fulikivanu ki he kau Siainá”.
Ne ʻikai fakaʻatā ʻa e mītiá ki he fakatahá ni neongo ne fakaafeʻi kinautolu ke nau faitā. Ne kau atu foki ki he fakatahá ni ʻa e kau ʻōfisiale mei he polisí pehē ki he komiunitī Siaina ʻi Tongá.
Hangē ko ia ne mau ʻosi līpōtí, kuo fokotuʻu ʻe he puleʻanga Tongá ha kōmiti siʻi ke nau fakatotoloʻi e ngaahi hia ki he kau Siainá mo kinautolu unga ngāue atu ki Tongá.
Pehē ʻe he Minisitā Laó Sione Vuna Fāʻotusia ʻoku mātuʻaki hohaʻa e puleʻangá ki he ngaahi ʻohofi ʻo e kau mulí.
Ko e kōmiti siʻi ko ʻení ʻoku sea ai ʻa Fāʻotusia pea kau ki ai ʻa e Minisitā Polisí, Komisiona Polisí Komanitā Taumaluʻi Fonuá mo e Komisiona Pilīsoné.
Ko e taumuʻa ʻo e kōmiti ko ʻení ke fai ha meʻa ke ne fakasiʻisiʻi e ngaahi hia taʻefakakaukau ko ʻeni ki he kau Siainá mo e kau mulí, ko e meʻa ia ʻa e Minisitaá.
Ne ʻomi ʻa e kau Siainá ki Tonga ʻe he tuʻi ko Taufaʻāhau Tupou IV ke ako e kakaí mei heʻenau faʻahinga ʻēfika mo e founga ʻenau ngāué.
Ka kuo tuku ia kae toutou fai hono ngaahi koviʻi kinautolú, ko e Minisitaá ia.
ʻI he 1999 ne fakahū atu ai ʻe he kāinga Siainá ha lisi ʻo e ngaahi hia kuo fai kia kinautolu ki he minisitā polisi ʻo e ʻaho ko iá, Clive Edwards.
Kau he ngaahi hia ko ʻení ʻa e tutu, kaihaʻa fakahokoʻaki ʻa e meʻatau mo e feinga tohotoho.
Ne fakapapauʻi ange ʻe Edwards ʻe ngāue ʻaho mo e pō ʻa e kau polisí ke fakangata e faʻahinga hia peheé.
Hili e taʻu ʻe 18 mei ai, kuo ʻi ai e ngaahi fakalakalaka, ka ʻoku kei feinga pe kau polisi Tongá ke mapuleʻi e ngaahi hia ki he kau Siainá.
ʻI Fepueli ʻo e taʻu ní ne fakahā ʻe he Tokoni Komisiona Polisí Pelenatita Feʻao Vaisuai kuo fokotuʻu ʻe he Polisí ha foʻi ngāue fakatotolo ʻo ui ko e Operation Great Wall ʻo taumuʻa ke fakasiʻisiʻi e ngaahi hia ki he komiunitī ʻĒsia ʻi Tongá.
Pehē ʻe Vaisuaí ko e hia ʻoku fakahoko ki he kau Siainá ko e pēseti pe ia ʻe tolu e ngaahi hia fakakātoa ki he kakaí, ka ʻoku fakalilifu ʻa e ngaahi hia ʻoku fakahoko ko ʻeni ki he kau Siainá.
ʻOku kau heni ʻa e kaihaʻa mo e ʻohofi fakamamahi.
Pehē ʻe Vaisuaí ko ʻenau misioná ko hono fakapapauʻi ʻoku ongoʻi malu ʻa e tangata mo e fefine kotoa ʻi Tonga.
Ne ʻi ai foki ha ōfisa polisi mei Nuʻu Sila ko ʻInisipēkita Kai Shao ne ʻave ki Tonga ke tokoni ki he kau
polisi aí ki hono langa hake vā mo e komiunitī ʻĒsiá.
Ne ne feʻiloaki ai mo e kāinga Siainá pehē ki he kau ngāue mei he ʻemipasī Siainá.
Pehē ʻe Shao kuo tui e kāinga Siainá ʻoku ʻi ai e fakalaka he tuʻunga ʻenau malú he ngaahi taʻu mai ko ʻení.
Neongo ia ʻoku ʻi ai pe ʻenau hohaʻa ki he ngaahi hia lalahi ne toki hoko ki muí ni mai.
ʻI he tohi kakai ʻa Tonga ʻo e 2011 ʻoku fakafuofua ki he kau Siaina ʻe toko 843 ʻi Tongá.