Tonga's stand on Indonesia-West Papua relations Featured
Prime Minister of Tonga Hon. 'Akilisi Pohiva
8 October, 2016. Tonga's Prime Minister Akilisi Pohiva has told parliament during parliamentary debate that leadership without morality is due to fail.
The Prime Minister made the comment after being accused by Lord Nuku of interfering in Indonesia's affairs by speaking about concern for what Mr Pohiva claimed to be the ill treatment of West Papuans.
Mr Pohiva spoke at the United Nations last month when several Pacific countries voiced concerns about human rights abuses by Indonesian forces in Papua.
Mr. Pohiva's statement was strongly criticized by Indonesia as misleading and unfound. Indonesia response stated that criticism against Indonesia over human rights abuses in Papua and West Papua amounted to "interference" and encouraged separatism.
Lord Nuku in parliament said that Indonesia had already responded that it didn't like Tonga's interference. According to Lord Nuku, Tonga should focused on it's own developmental agenda rather than interfering on other sovereign countries' domestic affairs.
He continued that Cabinet was convinced that what the PM did was right, but he was convinced that it clashed with the Constitution as Tonga should avoid bittering it's relations with foreign countries.
He proposed that they should bring in the Chief Justice to tell them who is right.
-RNZI
