BBC Country profile: Tonga

Some 3,000 government employees have been on strike since July, demanding pay increases.

Tongan unrest ripples out to New Zealand

Civil servants and government employees started the industrial action, demanding pay increases of up to 80%.

Strikes grip cash-strapped Tonga

The one plane in Tonga's state airline has been repossessed, as a financial crisis grips the South Pacific kingdom.

Tonga, whose 100,000 people are spread across 170 islands, has a notoriously fragile economy.

Its finances were damaged in 2002, when a state fund - managed by the court jester - lost millions in unwise overseas investments.

Cash crunch grounds Tonga airline

Should Canada step in and help find a solution to their problems? Should Canada invest a few million dollars into this tiny nation perhaps make this island a recommend vacation spot for Canada visitors?

We could stop the violence with some small aid donations and increased trade with this small nation before this nation collapsing in chaos.

I believe this could be a commendable goal for the people of Canada by helping the people of this poor island nation.

I started this thread becuase of
rest of the world

I hope we can go somewhere decent with it.

[ 14 November 2005: Message edited by: Webgear ]

"Tonga's development plans emphasize a growing private sector, upgrading agricultural productivity, revitalizing the squash and vanilla bean industries, developing tourism, and improving the island's communications and transportation systems. Substantial progress has been made, but much work remains to be done."

"The tourist industry is relatively undeveloped; however, the government recognizes that tourism can play a major role in economic development, and efforts are being made to increase this source of revenue."

Once again it appears the king has been fooled.

[ 15 November 2005: Message edited by: Webgear ]

Leaving aside the hazards of placing all of a country's decision making eggs in a single basket that only reached his position by birth (the king), what about Tonga makes it more appealing to help than the many other countries of the world?

With a few years support and help we could help these people, with little burden to our country and our foreign policy goals.

ADB Program For Tonga In 2005-2006 Targets Urban Social Infrastructure

And: possibly most Tongans, certainly most with degrees, live in New Zealand. Like all Polynesian countries, the people are physically split between Polynesia and Aussie/NZ/America. Physically and of course culturally: there is a thriving democracy movement of Tongans in New Zealand, with considerable spillover in Tonga itself (including Parliament, where commoners -- yes, you read right, commoners, Tongans are either commoner or noble -- have a minority of seats).

So there are plenty of people involved who are like you and me...it's exotic in how unexotic the people are, despite their absurd national situation.

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Just two points. Tonga is indeed susceptible to foreign conmen, which seems like the consequence of being an actual kingdom (with Bhutan & maybe Saudi Arabia, the only extant)

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What about Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE?

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but the people are much more insular than the Polynesians. Which is a strength...

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But Melanesia's a strange area (strange & wonderful). Poor yes, but losts of land, and almost everyone -- until the 90s literally everyone -- has access to it. So the poverty doesn't include desperation, and family-village ties are very much alive (rural areas are not much influenced by the government).

Port Moresby, PNG's capital, is becoming an exception to this, mind you; and Fiji, sometimes reckoned 'Melanesian', is developing some absolute poverty. (The '-esian' terms, as you'd expect, are simplifications, like dividing Western Europe into Mediterranean/Atlantic/North Sea countries.)

A Philological Waltz