The Tongan government has proposed that the Niuas islands be allowed to trade with Samoa as a solution to problem that has faced its people for years.
The Minister of Internal Affairs wanted to allow the two islands of Niuatoputapu and Niuafo’ou to trade and establish diplomatic ties with Samoa.
Lord Vaea said this would resolve the problem facing the people of the Niuas who had to undertake a long journey to the capital, Nuku’alofa, for their basic needs.
The king’s noble said the Niuas were much closer to Pagopago and Apia. He said they normally traded with the Samoans in the past.
“They were relatives and their languages show they were closely connected”, Lord Vaea told Parliament.
He said the Niuans were related to Uvea (Wallis), Futuna, Tutuila, Upolu and Savai’i.
He said changes occurred which resulted in the kāinga having to come to Nuku’alofa and go back again for everything they needed to be endorsed in the capital.
The Minister was warned that there was a treaty and convention which restricted any diplomatic relation between the Niuas and Tonga’s regional neighbours and the House had no power to make decision on that.
Lord Vaea apologised and said he understood that, but he thought this would be the only solution after he had listened to a number of complaints and requests in an attempt to resolve the problems facing the Niuan because of their isolation.
“Their MP finds it so difficult to ask the House for help,” the noble said.
He asked the House to think about his proposal and whether this was the right time to allow the Niuans to travel to the two Samoans and get help from them.
He said that in the past a vessel travelled from Tutuila in Samoa and Apia through to the Niiuas and from there to Vava’u and returned to Samoa.
“That is the quickest way to help”.
“Travelling from Niuas to Nuku’alofa that’s too long”.
He then proposed to allow the Niuas to have trades and diplomatic ties with Samoa, Wallis and Futuna.
The proposal came after Kaniva News reported last month that students and teachers from the Niuas have had no means of travelling to Tongatapu to attend schools for months.
The islanders were short of goods in the shops and petrol because there has been no ferry service to the outer islands since December.
In 2019 MP for the two Niuas, Hon. Vātau Hui strongly criticised Vava’u 15 MP Sāmiu Vaipulu, who is the current Deputy PM for proposing in the House that his constituencies should stop receiving TP$200,000 funding from Parliament.
Hon. Vaipulu also said the government had spent too much money on subsidising the shipping and aircraft travelling for the Niuas and gained nothing in return.
The Niuas are regarded as amonmg the most isolated islands in the world.
Located in the north of the kingdom, they are the furthest islands from the mainland, Tongatapu, where the capital city Nuku’alofa is located.
It is about 614km from the Niuas to Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa, while it is only 320km to American Samoa.
A vessel from Tongatapu arrives at the islands once a month with passengers, goods for the shops, petrol and mail.
