Call to shun Tongan King's party

The Green Party has called on Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright to shun the King of Tonga's birthday next month because of attacks on freedoms there.

Green MP Keith Locke has asked Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff to advise Dame Silvia that it would be unwise to attend the celebrations for King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV's 85th birthday on July 4.

Growing attacks on freedoms in the Pacific monarchy have attracted increasing criticism, with the King planning legal changes which would restrict the media and outlaw any public remarks deemed to be against the "public interest".

The Herald this week revealed details of a confidential report written by New Zealand's former High Commissioner in Tonga, Brian Smythe, which canvassed concerns about corruption and instability.

The banning of a Tongan newspaper, which has been critical of the elite, has added weight to calls for the King to allow greater democracy. Helen Tunnah