NUKU’ALOFA (Pacnews) —The Tongan government has extended the state of emergency in the island kingdom for another 30 days after a recommendation from Police Minister Siaosi’Aho.
The declaration followed riots in November last year, in which most of the business center in the capital, Nuku’alofa, was destroyed and eight people died.
This is the sixth time the emergency power has been extended. But this time there are some relaxation’s in certain aspects of the emergency powers’ regulations.
Police Minister ‘Aho said only Tongatapu is being covered by the new extension based on the situation at present compared with the conditions since after the riots.
He said public gatherings of five people or more can now go ahead, even if they’re political meetings.
But he stressed that police still have the power to let such assembly go ahead or not.
‘Aho clarified that the conditional relaxation’s are being put in place in order to safeguard peace and stability and to ensure people do not live in fear.