Cartwright flies to Tonga on delicate mission

By THERESA GARNER

Dame Silvia Cartwright flies to Tonga today for five days to celebrate the birthday of the King.

The Governor-General will have private audiences with the Pacific's only monarch, King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, and his Prime Minister son, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, but contentious issues of constitutional change and clampdowns on media freedom will be off the agenda unless the Tongans bring it up.

The official NZ delegation for the 85th birthday includes a 50-strong RNZAF military band and a kapa haka group.

The celebrations occur against a backdrop of a strained relationship with aid-giving New Zealand, and months of attention focused on the King as the head of the country's increasing unpopular political structure.

The Governor-General's public affairs officer, Stefan Wolf, said Dame Silvia was representing New Zealand at a formal state occasion and it was not appropriate for her to make political statements. "Tonga is in no doubt as to New Zealand's concerns about proposed changes to the constitution. If asked, she will no doubt relay that the New Zealand Government has concerns about these proposals."

Foreign Minister Phil Goff said yesterday that the Government had made its viewpoint on Tonga clear and he did not think the issue would come up.

"But I'm sure if the matter arises in discussions she [Dame Silvia] is fully aware of the Government's position and would put that position."

Mr Goff said respecting the occasion of the King's birthday did not imply any support for Tonga's position on the issue of media freedom.

The New Zealand Government spoke out about the King's attempt to tighten his near-absolute rule by preventing his decisions being reviewed by the courts and curbing media freedoms.

A confidential report from former New Zealand High Commissioner Brian Smythe, which canvassed concerns about corruption and royal instability, increased the tension last month.

As Dame Silvia prepared to fly to Tonga, the Government-sponsored Tonga Star attacked New Zealand for commenting on the kingdom's internal affairs.

The paper quoted MP 'Etuate Lavulavu, who described Mr Smythe's report as "the ramblings of a twit. They are nothing but arrogant patronising colonialists who caused problems throughout the Pacific".

"There is only one course of action that will be taken - New Zealanders will no longer be welcome in Tonga."

The Auckland-based publisher of the Taimi o Tonga, Kalafi Moala, who is banned from Tonga, said the Smythe Report had been translated into Tongan and had left a "cloud" hanging over the monarchy. "But you won't see any changes in the nature of the celebrations."

Most Tongans relished the public holiday, which coincided with the Heilala Festival and the island's beauty pageant.