pn840. Massive Volcanic Eruption in Tonga

MORE INFORMATION 17.1.22

The volcano is usually not much to look at. It consists of two small uninhabited islands, Hunga-Ha’apai and Hunga-Tonga, poking about 100m above sea level 65km north of Tonga’s capital Nuku‘alofa. But hiding below the waves is a massive volcano, around 1800m high and 20km wide, with a caldera,  a crater-like depression, around 5km across. Earlier eruptions suggest this is one of the massive explosions the volcano is capable of producing roughly every thousand years. What we can expect to happen now? We’re still in the middle of this major eruptive sequence and many aspects remain unclear, partly because the island is currently obscured by ash clouds. Read more from Shane Cronin, Professor of Earth Sciences,  University of Auckland.

Massive eruptions from Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai, 60 plus kilometres north of Tonga's main island, Tongatapu, are forcing ash, steam and gas 20 km into the air, dropping small, black stones on Tongatapu, and sparking a tsunami that is likely to hit NZ's north-east coast sometime tomorrow.  The explosions could be heard in Fiji and Samoa, hundreds of kilometres away.   

This report and photos from Mataitonga, Tonga's leading newspaper:

Startling images from Vava’u and Ha’apai islands this evening show otherworldly red-orange skies hanging over parts of the islands, from which the threatening volcanic eruption at the Hungas could be seen in the sky.

Apocalyptic photo taken in Vava’u. Photo/Gladys Guttenbeil (Facebook)

pn824. NZ, Tonga, New Caledonia Snippets

Meng Foon

NZ. Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon says what unites us is stronger than what divides us. It's as well to remember this as 2,000 anti-vaxx protesters marched through Wellington streets today, thankfully far less than the 50,000 Brian Tamaki forecast. 

Siaosi Sovaleni

Tonga. The newly-elected Tongan PM Siaosi Sovaleni could lead Tonga on a different path than his predecessor.  Kalafi Moala writes, "And speaking as a Tonga High School ex-student, thank you Tonga for giving us the best gift we could have expected for our 75th Anniversary in 2022. Sovaleni is the President of our THS Ex-students Association, and he is one of the most distinguished graduates of the school being Dux in his final year." (A personal aside: I taught 'Eakalafi at THS in the early 1960s, and started the Dux system). 

New Caledonia. The French are claiming a victory. Most people voting in the recent referendum voted against independence but almost all of the Kanak (native) population shunned the referendum by not voting. They dismiss the results.  

pn799. Aid and Development in Vava'u, Tonga

 Geographically the Kingdom of Tonga comprises three groups of coral and raised coral islands — Vava'u in the north, Ha'apai in the centre, and Tongatapu in the south — flanked by a number of small volcanic island to west, from Nuiafo'ou north of Vava'u to 'Ata far to the south of Tongatapu.

DESTINATION PACIFIC

An experience like the Maldives': Tonga's Vava'u Airport to be upsized as part of $172m development

• 20/10/2021
• Dan Lake

This is a very different Neiafu than I remember from the 1960s. ACW

Tonga's Vava'u Airport is to be upgraded and have its runway lengthened as part of a NZ$172 million project intended to ensure the airport has capacity for direct international flights once global travel resumes.

pn777. New Zealand and Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Pacific Islands Forum Snippets

Punakaiki, West Coast

NEW ZEALAND. Three West Coast Conservation Board members have resigned citing conflicts of interest between conservation and Ngai Tahu interests, the privatisation of public assets and instances of racism when they tried to uphold conservation interests. 

What has brought the matter to a head is the proposed construction of a $26 million Punkaiki visitors' centre funded by the provincial growth fund. 

The accusations are denied by Board member Kara Edwards and Poutini Ngai Tahu. 

pn623. Tongan custom and Samoan opinions

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Tonga, custom and the constitution. 

Matangitonga asks  is there anyone would who like to be governed by these traditional Tongan customs?

Samoan opinions

See editorials and letters to the editor in the Samoa Observer

pn570. Weekend links and snippets

A mix of long and short pieces to make your long weekend. Click on link and then on redirect page link.

1. Why government should not invest in Auckland Light Rail: lessons from overseas.

2. Who decides a teacher is or is not performing well? It's not like picking the best first five, Mike Hosking. A quick read. 

3.This is not a democracy (with comments on Maori action).  A long and  thoughtful piece, ideal weekend reading.

'Akuila Pohiva: the Tributes Flow In. UPDATED.

pn491

 Once in a lifetime a nation thrusts up a man who brings about major change. For Tonga that man was 'Akuila Pohiva. There were others, of course, who brought change and some of those underpinned the movement created by Pohiva, but none, singly, stuck at it though years of ill health, or suffered so much, and none was as long in politics or as long Prime Minister. To compare him with Nelson Mandela would be too much. He made a smaller mark in a smaller space, but he was a giant, nonetheless. Kua hinga te totara. The great totara tree has fallen. -- ACW

UPDATE FROM AN AMBASSADOR

"Yes indeed, this was a giant of a man and I am deeply privileged to have called on him and met him several times. The last time was in Tuvalu several weeks back. He was clearly not well and there had been talk that he would not make it to the PIF Summit. So when I saw him as I was entering the conference hall, I was so glad and told him so. He shook hands and said, "I had to come" 

"I agree with you that this was a giant of a man. May his soul rest in peace and may the seeds he sowed flower and bear fruit abundantly."

Tributes to Pōhiva flow in
New Zealand's Minister for Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa tweeted: "RIP and  my sincerest condolences to Rt Hon 'Akilisi Pohiva's family as well as to the Kingdom of Tonga. Such a tremendous loss for all of us Tongans. 'Ofa moe lotu mei Uelingatoni, Falealea 'o Nu'usila, Jenny Salesa."

Why is China Giving Loans to Tonga?

King Tupou VI and President Xi Jinping. pn464

No aid is totally free.  Our aid to the Pacific Islands comes with some expections: sources of seasonal labour, destination for our exports, obligations to support us in the UN, and so on.

But China's aid is not quite the same and it is not entirely clear what it hopes to gain from its multi-million loans to the Pacific Islands. There are certainly lots of possible explanations ranging from the altrusitic to the sinister. They want their support in international fora. They want to counter and undermine Taiwan's influence in some of the islands.. They simply want to help underdeveloped nations. They are using their aid to tie the Pacific Island nations to their apron strings with loans that must be paid back. Or they simply want to put  a spoke in the traditonal aid wheels of Australia, NZ and the USA, and make the Pacific Islands more independent of their support.

One example of China's aid is Tonga, a country of 106,000 people. It currently owes about $164 million to China's Export-Import bank. and has already asked that loan repayments be delayed. The NZ Herald asks does this Chinese largesse threaten the future of this Pacific Islands nation? Read more