Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Tonga’s Pro Democracy movement says latest emergency extension a delaying tactic

Posted at 08:03 on 18 June, 2007 UTC

The Director of Tonga’s Human Rights Pro-democracy movement, Akanete Lauti, says the latest extension to the state of emergency regulations is another delaying tactic by the government to prevent its members from holding meetings.

The latest announcement says the Minister of Police is still under the opinion that public order continues to be seriously threatened.

The regulations, which were imposed in response to widespread rioting in the capital Nuku’alofa in November, apply for 30 days at a time.

But, this is the seventh time they’ve been extended, and Ms Lauti says this latest move doesn’t change anything for the pro-democracy movement.

“To me I still think that we are still under surveillance, and I found it really really, you know it’s rather frustrating because we have been trying to meet, our executive board has not been able to meet since the imposition of the emergency powers back to 2006 last year to the present”

Akanete Lauti, the director of Tonga’s Human Rights pro-democracy movement.