Month of hate campaign ends in deaths, destruction

The good book tells us that what you sow, that you will also reap. And after months of hate campaign around the villages of Tongatapu, 'Akilisi and his supporters has reaped a harvest of deaths and destruction, the likes of which the country has never seen in its history of existence.

The targets of the most vicious and venomous attacks on  the Temo's nightly TV program on the OBN Christian television station, and the Pangai Si'i meetings, were the Prime Minister as leader of the Government and as a person, the Government, Shoreline, foreigners in general and the Indians and the Chinese in particular, and the President of the Free Wesleyan Church, and it is no accident that these people and associated institutions took the brunt of the devastation.

It seemed that to incurr the displeasure of 'Akilisi Pohiva was to obtain the kiss of death, and the burning and looting that was to follow. A case in point, amongst the many that 'Akilisi expressed opposition to, was a “Chinese store opposite the Fasi mo e Afi Government primary school”, which promptly got smashed, looted and burned, including the adjoining three storey hotel on what used to be known as Joe's Place.

A ray of hope that emerged out of this dark episode was the protection that Tongans stepped up to offer their friendly neighboring Chinese store, by standing in front of the shops and chasing away the looters. It is clear the carnage would have been worse, if it were not for this show of community solidarity and   
concern.

An area that should be of concern is the seemingly lack of remorse amongst the perpetrators in destroying and helping themselves to other people's property. In fact there seemed to have been a warped sense of pride, of being blessed perhaps, amongst looters to have been at the right place at the right time. People were in a festive mood, even posing for photographs, with a  feeling of total justification where even whole families participated, with mom and dad and the children taking whatever they can lay hands on, and helping to bring about 'Akilisi's vision and hope for “fair and equal distribution”. 

The present Monarch made a very perceptive observation some years ago, for which he was harshly criticised for being a very negative image of Tongans. But the events of last Thursday bore out the reality that the “squatter mentality” that the then Crown Prince spoke of, is very much present, lurking just beneath the surface, to be expressed in all its ugly manifestations at the slightest provocation.  

As the dust settles on this disasterous outcome, ‘Akilisi and his followers have a lot to answer for. The hand-washing and finger pointing has already started, but the Temos cannot escape the responsibility of the direct link between their campaign of hate, political rallies and the destruction of life and property that has befallen our beloved capital.