Tonga
VulcanSpirit
Richard & Alison Brunstrom
Thu 20 Sep 2012 21:47
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Here are some Tongans, dressed up for
church:
 Tongans of both sexes were distinctive mats called
ta'ovala wrapped around their waists. This traditional garment, made from
pandanus leaves, immediately distinguishes Tongans from all other Polynesians.
The to'ovala is a item of formal attire, perhaps equivalent to a tie &
jacket in the West. Tongan is an incredibly devout Christian society, the result
of the usual interference by the London Missionary Society - but in this case
one of the missionaries actually became Prime Minister and wrote the current
Tongan Constitution in the 1870s. He was clearly bonkers even for a missionary,
and was eventually deported by the British (Tonga was briefly a British
Protectorate) as a troublemaker - but not before he had time to enshrine in the
Constitution a ban on swimming on the Sabbath and several other weird
ideas - contracts signed on a Sunday are void, for instance.
Tonga is currently one of the most corrupt society
on earth (3rd worst, apparently) - and as if to demonstrate it, it is the only
place so far where an immigration officer has asked us for a bribe (a bottle of
alcohol for his bad heart). The place is in the vice-like grip of an absolute
monarchy and hereditary peerage (also enshrined in the Constitution by the mad
clergyman) who retain all land. They are super rich while the
commoners srape an existence by subsistance farming - the few businesses
are in the hands of expats, or the superbly well organised Chinese. The towns
are filthy dirty - the King and government have not seen fit to create a rubbish
collection service, so everything is burnt or dumped.
I could go on, but suffice it to say I didn't like
the place. But a wonderful marine environment, largely unspoilt despite the
almost complete lack of environmental protection
legislation.
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