Reuters AlertNet Lite - Political riots erupt in S.Pacific's Tonga

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Political riots erupt in S.Pacific's Tonga

16 Nov 2006 04:52:03 GMT
Source: Reuters

SYDNEY, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Rioting erupted in the Tongan capital Nuku'alofa on Thursday in protest at the lack of democratic reforms by the government of the South Pacific island nation, Tongan and New Zealand media reported.

Rioting crowds overturned cars, looted a supermarket and threw stones at the prime minister's office, Matangi Tonga news service reported on its Web site www.matangitonga.to

The news service also carried photographs of a burning building, upturned cars and the looted supermarket. It said one building had been gutted, but could not confirm reports that a hotel was also ablaze.

"It's scary," witness Linny Folau told Matangi Tonga, adding that rioters were jumping and dancing to loud music in a park opposite parliament.

Radio New Zealand International said rioting started after the government deferred its sitting on Thursday, as thousands of pro-democracy supporters demanded a vote on democratic reforms take place before the house rises for the year.

"People throw stones at the prime minister's office, they also throw stones at the cabinet office. They turned over police vehicles and vehicles of the prime minister's office," said RNZI correspondent Mateni Tapueluelu.

"They have also done the same to a supermarket owned by the prime minister and there are men marching to the villa where the king is supposed to be residing."

Tonga, a group of 170 coral and volcanic islands about 2,000 km (1,250 miles) north of New Zealand, saw unprecedented protests in May 2005, when 10,000 people -- a tenth of the population -- took to the streets demanding democracy and public ownership of key assets. In August 2005 public servants staged a six-week strike over pay that halted services at hospitals and schools.

In September, Tonga's new King George Tupou V signalled some democratic changes to the semi-feudal political system of the South Pacific's last monarchy. Tupou V succeeded his father, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who died on Sept. 10 after a long illness.

The royal family said in a rare public statement in October this week that the Anglophile new king, educated at Oxford University and the Sandhurst military academy, believed Tonga's political system was not evolving quickly enough.

There are no universal elections in Tonga, where 10 of the 14 cabinet posts in government are appointed by the monarchy for life. Two of the remaining four posts, chosen from elected members of the Legislative Assembly, are reserved for "nobility".

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Last updated:Thu Nov 16 04:54:35 2006