State of emergency declared to beat Sunday laws in Tonga Featured
Nuku'alofa 5, January 2016. The Tongan government says it declared a state of emergency for Cyclone Ula so people could work on Sunday in order to assist the islands of Vava'u if necessary.
The category three storm swept to the north of Vava'u over the weekend, causing minimal damage, although a state of emergency was declared by the Prime Minister beforehand.
Paula Ma'u from the National Emergency Committee says there has been confusion over why the declaration was made.
Mr Ma'u says the government was closed because of the Christmas holidays and people also needed to be prepared to work on Sunday, something that is illegal for most people in Tonga.
He says the cyclone forecast meant Sunday was always going to be an important day to assist the northern islands.
"We couldn't do it on Saturday because of strong winds and rough seas, especially here in Tongatapu and Ha'apai, not until Sunday afternoon. But because we have a Sunday law, that's why we decided to recommend to the Prime Minister to declare a state of emergency in order for us, the workers, to prepare for deployment."
RNZI
4 comments
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Ko ia kotoa T.Vaini. Hange eni ia 'oku pea na'e te'eki ke to mai ha fakatamaki fakaenatula ia ki mu'a. kuo tau pahia e fepaki moe ngaahi afaa, saikolone, mofuike moe ha fua, pea kuo tau 'ilo mo anga ki he ngaahi me'a 'oku fai. Kae toki hoha'asi hake e ki'i katokulii 3 ko Ula ke declare ai e state of emergency!!! kuo mei a'u ki ha taimi kuo declare e state of emergency ha lele hake ha ki'i kumaa 'i kolo he sapate. Kuo taimi ke hiki hake a 'etau kau paipa mei he lautohi pule'anga ki he ako lotoloto ka tau meimei ngali poto ki mamani.
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Aia nae tonu ke declare emergency moe hikoveve ae kau Ngaue a Lavu he Sapate. Toe declare emergency moe fiu kumi ha paanga kenau vahe aki he oku moveuveu e loto e kau ngaue he aho Sapate kotoa pe he siva enau amanaki he ngaue a e Minisita ofaanga o Akilisi ko Lavu e
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'Oku ki'i ta'emahino tama e ngaahi faka'uinga ko eni. Koe ngaahi fakatamaki fakaenatula pe 'oku ui fakapapalangi koe Act of God, koe fu'u me'a mahino ia 'oku 'ikai pule ki ai ha taha, pea kuo pau ke fai e ngaue kiai 'o tatau ai pe pe koe ha e 'aho e uike. Koe ki'i faka'uhinga fakakauleka eni 'a Paula Ma'u, he 'oku lele Sapate pe ngaahi ngaue ia he taimi 'oku fu'u fiema'u ai ke fakahoko a ngaue hange koe teuteu ki ha fakataha pe konifelenisi fakapule'anga, 'oku lele pe ngaue ia 'ae kau ngaue fakapule'anga he Sapate. te'eki ke tau fanongo kitautolu kuo declare ha state of emergency kae toki lava 'o fai e ngaahi ngaue fakavave mo mahu'inga ko ia . Tuku a foki hono 'omai e fanga ki'i 'uhinga ma'ulalo ko ena moe fakapiko.
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Me'a 1b tauhele moa mooni koe excuse ia ae puleanga kihe declare kaimumu'a'i oe state of emergency. Oku ikai ha clear process ia pe policy ke nau muimui kiai? Koe me'a pe ia nae hoko o faifaiteliha ai a lavulavu ihe paanga ae puleanga, o iku fai e ngaue ia ikai muimui kihe proper process pe policy. Ko eni oku nau kei fai pe heni, pea tukuakii a a.Lavulavu ia ka koe founga pe ia ae PM oku ne fai. Ikai koe uhinga ia oku ikai ai kene tauteai a Lavulavu? Ngali mooni e laulea, ne nau mate he fk'amu ke state of emergency a Vv ihe ngaue a Ula ke veuki ai hono fkilo moe hopoi o Lavulavu. Tuku a e loi kihe feinga fkngofuai oe maumau sapate he oku ikai vale kakai, oku nau lolotonga feiumu pe mo hiki hoosi ihe aho sapate, pea ka ne hoko ha fktamaki, kohai e vale e ikai ala hono tuhu o tokoni kiai.