Tonga MP Says State of Emergency Extensions Are Unjustified

By Sarah E. Treptow
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga - Clive Edwards, a pro-democracy MP in Tonga, says there is no justification for the continuation of the state of emergency into its third year.  The state of emergency was put into place after riots in Nuku'alofa in November of 2006.

Mr. Edwards thinks the state of emergency should be lifted as soon as possible, "The law is nonsense because it says you bring it in to quell and stop or prevent a riot or restore peace and you've got to do that within one month.  Once that's done you've got no justification for the emergency laws but here in this case we're going on for three years and that's how much respect they have for the people of this country."  Mr. Edwards is a former minister of police and says that as recently as two weeks ago soldiers beat up five people who were meeting in a private household.

He suspects the government is trying to provoke a reaction to justify the continuation of the state of emergency.

For more information, please see:

Radio New Zealand International - Tonga MP says extension of state of emergency into a third year cannot be justified - 17 November 2008

Pacific Islands News Association - Tonga pro-democracy MP says ongoing state of emergency regulations cannot be justified - 17 November 2008