KEY POINTS:
Widening the mandate of New Zealand troops in Tonga beyond guarding the airport at Nuku'alofa is still under discussion, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Helen Clark said tonight.
The possibility of the 150-strong New Zealand and Australian military force being used in a broader security role was raised yesterday, when Miss Clark announced 11 more police were being sent to Tonga to help their seven colleagues already there.
The New Zealand commander of the joint military force, Lieutenant Colonel Darren Beck, has been discussing it with Tongan military leaders and said yesterday the prime concern was to restore security in the capital.
He said any change in the mandate would have to be agreed by all three governments.
Miss Clark's spokeswoman told NZPA an announcement was not imminent, and ministers would meet again tomorrow.
Meanwhile the reasons behind the devastating riots of last week were under scrutiny today after reports that the violence was engineered by business people trying to wipe out their competitors.
The riots left eight people dead and the city centre in flames, with about 80 per cent of the business district destroyed.
New Zealander Mike Jones, whose companies employ 250 people in the island kingdom, said he believed business interests were behind the riots, which he said appeared to have been carefully planned.
Lt Col Beck said those reports were unsubstantiated, and Miss Clark said she had not heard of the claims in briefings or in her discussions with Tonga's leaders.
The riots followed a pro-democracy meeting, and were apparently the result of dissatisfaction with the slow pace of constitutional reform.
"My impression has been more that what began as peaceful protest had other elements come in and take over," Miss Clark said.
"Whether their motivation was just sheer destruction, whether there was alcohol and other influences at work, who knows, that will come out in the full investigation."
- NZPA
