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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 SUVA 000530 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016 
TAGS: ECON PGOV PHUM TN
SUBJECT: TONGA AFTER THE FIRES: WHAT NEXT? 
 
REF: A. WELLINGTON 930 
 
     ¶B. SUVA 517 (AND PREVIOUS) 
     ¶C. WELLINGTON 91O 
     ¶D. 2006-11-23 2008Z IIR 6 927 0030 07 
 
Classified By: Amb. Dinger.  Reasons: Sec. 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Tonga's King, Prime Minister, and others are 
demanding that those who looted and burned Nuku'alofa's 
central business district November 16 be brought to justice. 
At the same time, they have acknowledged that, while the 
national dialogue on democratic reforms has stumbled, it must 
go on, soon.  Pro-democracy politicians, being accused by 
Government of provoking supporters to riot, are condemning 
the violence and seeking a return to talks.  A key 
pro-democracy figure is alleging government abuse of 
emergency powers to pursue participants in the riot.  In a 
visit to Nuku'alofa, poloff found a severely damaged city 
center, angry and confused politicians and business figures, 
and a still shocked populace.  Government ministries seek a 
rapid return to normalcy.  The high commissioners of 
Australia and New Zealand expressed optimism that their 
nations' security personnel, deployed to help restore order, 
would withdraw as early as the first week in December.  PM 
Sevele suggested, given the Tonga Defense Services (TDS) now 
major domestic role, that government is unlikely to make a 
decision soon about Tonga's return to the coalition in Iraq. 
TDS Commander Uta'atu reportedly is more hopeful.  End 
Summary. 
 
Government: On the One Hand ... 
------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) One week after looting and arson destroyed most of 
Nuku'alofa's picturesque central business district, an 
exhausted and emotional PM Feleti "Fred" Sevele told poloff 
government's first priority is to restore law and order.  He 
expects the justice system to find and punish wrongdoers and 
instigators.  Sevele alleged pro-democracy activists, 
including People's Representatives from Tonga's Parliament, 
were to blame.  They had whipped a thousands-strong crowd 
into a mob in the days prior to the 16th.  Sevele said their 
rhetoric was highly inflammatory and, by the time government 
met with the People's Representatives on the afternoon of the 
16th, government felt seriously in danger.  Sevele reported 
leaders of the demonstrators threatened government, saying 
the crowd would storm the Parliament if its demands for 
speedier democratic reforms weren't met.  Sevele said he and 
a rump Cabinet of five ministers meeting with People's 
Representatives Clive Edwards, Akilisi Pohiva and others were 
frightened of the demonstrators' mood.  During the meeting, 
the crowd began to stone government buildings, including the 
PM's office. 
 
¶3. (C) Under such threat, Sevele signed a letter agreeing to 
elections in January 2008 at which 21 members of Parliament 
would be elected by the people and 9 by the nobles.  In 
return, Government required the leaders of the demonstration 
to peacefully disperse the crowd.  According to Pohiva, he 
returned to the demonstration and sought to calm the 
situation, declaring that demands for a popularly elected 
majority in Parliament had been met.  Media reports say he 
triumphantly declared to the throng, "We've won."  In fact, 
by the time Sevele signed, the crowd was well out of control 
and in the process of attacking its first target, the 
supermarket owned by Sevele and operated by his daughter. 
Sevele did not tell us the letter he signed was invalid, done 
under duress.  However, he said he told Edwards and Pohiva at 
the time that "I can't sign for the Cabinet," not all of whom 
were present.  He also emphasized to us that his opponents 
failed to uphold their part of the bargain.  In any regard, 
Sevele noted, no agreement of this sort would have validity 
without parliamentary (and we note royal) approval. 
 
and on the Other 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (C) Despite Sevele's obvious anger about the circumstances 
of the letter and the riot, he looks forward to a return to 
normalcy and renewed political dialogue as soon as possible. 
He said he does not expect the 30-day period of emergency 
powers invoked on November 17 will have to be extended.  As a 
former businessman and pro-democracy People's MP, Sevele 
lamented the severe and, in his view, wholly inexcusable 
damage to Tonga's economy done by the rioters.  He predicted 
that thousands of people will lose jobs, and the nation faces 
a monumental task of reconstruction.  At the same time, he 
sees an obligation on both sides to return to dialogue on 
political reform.  Sevele defended his October 
 
SUVA 00000530  002 OF 003 
 
 
counterproposal to the framework offered by the National 
Committee for Political Reform (NCPR).  Pro-democracy forces 
accused Sevele of intentionally attempting to slow the reform 
process and maintain the King's majority in parliament. 
Striking a somewhat conciliatory tone, Sevele said his 
"roadmap" was never meant to be other than one among several 
proposals for a tripartite committee (three reps each from 
the cabinet, People's Reps, and nobles) to consider. 
 
¶5. (C) In a conciliatory Nov. 23 speech closing Parliament 
for the year, King George Tupou V said the various reform 
proposals "have the same ultimate aim -- a more democratic 
form of parliament and government but appropriate for Tonga." 
 He suggested that differences are reconcilable, and he urged 
MPs to use the six months until Parliament reconvenes in May 
to seek consensus.  In a letter to foreign development 
partners, Finance Minister 'Utoikamanu echoed this sentiment, 
stating: "Law and order depend on political stability and a 
broad consensus on political process, if not on detailed 
policies."  Pohiva too struck a conciliatory tone, praising 
the King's speech and echoing its call for swift justice for 
those who rioted.  In his discussions with us, Pohiva 
appeared somewhat chastened by the riots.  He denied any 
direct culpability.  In his view, Government's attempt to 
delay implementing reforms was the root cause of the 
confrontation that led to the riot.  Clive Edwards, the 
democracy movement's savvy lawyer, was still in attack mode 
regarding government's actions on reform and its reactions to 
the riot.  Nonetheless, a close contact of Edwards says he 
will shortly reach out to Government to seek further talks. 
 
Possible Abuse of Emergency Powers 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (C) Although Edwards is prepared to return to the table, 
he is continuing criticism of Government.  (Note:  We do not 
know if Edwards is aware that he, Pohiva, and several others 
are on a list the Tonga Government forwarded to us seeking 
denial of entry into the United States.  No specific grounds 
were given.  We intend no action pending formal criminal 
prosecution.  End note.)  Edwards told PolOff that the 
Government is abusing the Emergency Powers Act proclaimed on 
Nov. 17 to pursue alleged rioters.  Edwards believes the Act 
cannot apply to investigate past events.  Edwards wrote to 
Attorney General and Justice Minister Alisi Taumoepeau on 
Nov. 23 accusing the government of, in effect, applying 
martial law by using troops to assist police in post-riot law 
enforcement.  Edwards warned that Government must follow 
normal police procedures.  The AG has issued a statement 
confirming that martial law has not been declared.  Edwards 
has alleged to the media that dozens of Tongans have 
complained of being physically roughed up by overzealous army 
troops and police, a charge the police and military have 
rejected.  Cameras caught many rioters in the act, and some 
350 suspects have been arrested.  We are told that police 
found some houses full of stolen items, in cluding 
refrigerators, A/C units, etc.  Edwards told us of at least 
one case in which the house of a suspected looter was 
ransacked before the person arrived home.  Allegedly, when 
the suspect proved he owned the items that police had dumped 
on the lawn, the police response was that they had the wrong 
address anyway. 
 
Up in Smoke 
----------- 
 
¶7. (C) A walking tour of the cordoned-off central business 
district of Nuku'alofa left little doubt that the riot has 
left a city on its knees.  An early government estimate of 66 
damaged business buildings, has been revised up to 143, 
including 33 identified as owned by Chinese or naturalized 
Chinese-Tongans.  Within the core area, key business houses 
were ransacked and/or burned.  These include a hotel, two 
banks, several department stores, restaurants, a new cinema 
complex, major office blocks and various retail outlets.  The 
area remains off limits to the general public, a declared 
crime scene, with access controlled by the TDS, assisted by a 
handful of the Australian and New Zealand security personnel 
who were invited to help restore order.  Minister of Labour, 
Commerce and Industries Lisiate 'Akolo reported that 
Government is anxious to reduce the size of the cordoned-off 
zone as soon as police forensic work is completed and 
fire-weakened structures are secured. 
 
TDS roles; effect on Iraq deployment? 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (C) Many civil servants and others who work in the zone 
and must pass through military checkpoints daily are critical 
 
SUVA 00000530  003 OF 003 
 
 
of the TDS presence and what they see as excessive and 
heavy-handed searches and ID checks.  The TDS is unaccustomed 
to performing such duties, and Tongans have not experienced 
this TDS role since fuel shortages in the 1970s.  The police, 
seen by most as having failed to prevent or adequately 
respond to the riot, have not been involved in control of the 
cordoned-off area.  (Note: According to Australia's High 
Commissioner to Tonga, Aussie police believe Tongan police 
followed correct procedures in not confronting the far larger 
number of rioters.  End note.)  Australia withdrew its 52-man 
strong military contingent on November, while New Zealand 
defense forces, numbering about 70, departed on December 2, 
two weeks to the day after arriving.  Australian police are 
wrapping up work on identifying the remains of seven persons 
found at one prominent arson site.  With the TDS having taken 
on a much bigger than normal domestic role, PM Sevele 
suggested to poloff that, under current circumstances, 
Government is not likely to decide soon on the question of 
whether TDS troops can rejoin the coalition in Iraq.  Per ref 
D, TDS Commander Brigadier General Tau'aika Uta'atu has said 
the TDS's high profile role in restoring order in the 
aftermath of the riot will, in fact, increase the likelihood 
that government will agree to the Iraq deployment. 
 
Businesses Survey a Grim Picture 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (C) Following the riot, Government's reconstruction 
committee, headed by Finance Minister 'Utoikamanu, issued a 
preliminary recovery and reconstruction plan for Nuku'alofa, 
including a 24-page framework strategy for assisting the 
business community.  The report says 75% of businesses stated 
their losses were not covered by insurance.  Only 8 
businesses reported coverage for civil unrest.  A 
self-assessment by the business sector puts the damage to 
buildings at approximately USD 19 million and to stock and 
inventories at about USD 30 million.  These figures are 
expected to rise.  'Utoikamanu told us Government is not yet 
able to state its needs, but it is clear that Government does 
not have the resources to finance the recovery alone.  The 
Minister said almost all of the damage was to private firms, 
which are now seeking government help in the form of tax and 
import-duty relief.   The report put an initial estimate of 
direct job losses at 678. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. (C) Tongans' desire for a quick return to normalcy is 
understandable.  That needs to include a return to discussion 
of political reforms, as the King wisely acknowledged.  Such 
discussion will be even more complicated than before.  The 
outpouring of public pressure generated by the pro-democracy 
movement during the final session of Parliament, even before 
the riot, reaffirmed that a large and very activist group is 
very impatient for meaningful reform.  The government's 
attempt to postpone debate on the NCPR report and its 
proposal for a "half step" solution that would leave control 
of parliament in the King's hands were serious provocations 
to those impatient activists. 
 
¶11. (C) On the Government side, an understandable resentment 
against those who fomented the riot is present.  Government 
allegations that pro-democracy leaders deliberately 
instigated the riot would seem premature, pending results of 
police investigations.  If the pro-democracy leaders did 
intend the riot, it is difficult for us to fathom how they 
figured it would, in the end, advance their cause.  And we 
know from previous conversations with Pohiva, at least, that 
he was actually rather satisfied with recent political 
developments in Tonga.  As the King has suggested, the coming 
six months present Tonga's decision makers with an 
opportunity to search for common political ground.  Democracy 
activists like Edwards and Pohiva may well press the 
Government to honor PM Sevele's promise of a totally elected 
Parliament in early 2008, albeit with 9 seats still reserved 
for elected nobles.  Sevele may well wish to reply that the 
promise was tainted.  As initial temperatures cool, one hopes 
leaders from all sides will work cooperatively to find the 
common ground. 
DINGER