Another Tongan news publication falls prey to Government media laws

By REBECCA WALSH

Another Tongan news publication has fallen prey to new media control laws introduced by the Government.

Matangi Tonga, a quarterly news magazine published by Vava'u Press, has been unable to obtain a licence to publish.

It cannot even produce the Royal Tongan Airlines' inflight magazine.

Yesterday, editor and publisher Pesi Fonua questioned whether those implementing the law realised the damage they were causing.

"It's no use talking about economic development of any sort if you don't have a publishing industry in the country to inform people and get them to read."

At the end of last year the Tongan Government changed the constitution and brought in two new acts to regulate the media. One dealt with licensing newspapers and the second with who is allowed to own them.

Mr Fonua said the new law stipulated that a foreigner could not own more than a 20 per cent share in a media company. His wife, Mary, a New Zealander who has lived in Tonga for more than 20 years, owned 49 per cent of the company and he owned the remaining 51 per cent.

Mr Fonua did not believe the fact his magazine "holds no punches on the issues" was the reason its publishing licence had been withheld.

"I don't think they know what they are doing."

He said Vava'u Press was the only commercial publishing house in Tonga. It also published books, musical cassettes and videos but that part of the business was not affected.

"We are still talking to various ministries. Every other commercial enterprise in Tonga is inviting foreign investment. Some, like hotels, the major shareholders are foreign. There's no longer any restriction on foreign investment."

Last month, an application for a licence to publish Taimi o' Tonga (the Times of Tonga) was also turned down.

Its New Zealand-based publisher, Kalafi Moala, said a new company had been formed that excluded him in order to meet the requirements regarding foreign ownership but the application had still been declined.

"It's become very apparent now that the reason for rejection is that they don't like our content."

The pro-democracy Kele'a newspaper had also been refused a licence.

Mr Moala said the only hope now was a judicial review. Plaintiffs planned to challenge the law on the basis that it was "unconstitutional to change the constitution".

Last year the King Tupou IV sought to change the constitution after failing in the courts to get Taimi o' Tonga banned.