October 17, 2007                                        News You Can Trust!!                                      Volume 7

From the Critical Eyes of Kele’a

Kalafi Moala's criticism of well-known journalists

It is quite amusing to read the comments by Kalafi Moala criticizing the editorial in the Island Business Pacific Magazine written by the Editor Laisa Taga about double standards over Fiji and Tonga. The comments are a defense of the realm by Kalafi who is now the Media Consultant to Prime Minister Feleti Sevele of Tonga. He portrays personal animosity towards well known journalists of the region by alluding that it is disheartening though is the growing amount of commentaries by regional journalists about nations in which they do not live or work. Just how would they understand what is going on? This is an uncalled for allegation since Kalafi’s colleague Mike Field is one of the few journalists being banned from the Kingdom for misinformation in his controversial reports about Tonga. Mike Field lives in New Zealand and the misinformation in his reports on Tonga can be sourced to Kalafi and the Taimi ‘o Tonga.

Laisa Taga is one of the first few indigenous Fijian women, if not the first to graduate with a University Degree in Journalism from Australia. She served for many years in the Fiji Ministry of Information where she was later appointed Director. She then moved on to join the editorial staff of the popular regional magazine - Island Business Pacific together with well known journalists like Robert Keith Reid, Peter Lomas and a host of others. Island Business Pacific is a regional magazine being distributed widely in the Pacific countries covering politics, economics, business and social issues.

It is surprising that an experienced journalist like Kalafi Moala should question the credibility and reliability of reports by regional journalists when he himself is considered by many people as a regional journalist. He also make personal attacks on Sangster Saulala of TV OBN and Tavake Fusimalohi of Kele'a Newspaper about misinformation, simply because Laisa Taga says that these two media organizations are being picked on by government because of their “independence” and “pro-democracy” stance.

To quote from Kalafi, “it is often surprising--if not comical-- that this kind of misinformation and untruths are being passed on to those outside Tonga. If Saulala and Fusimalohi suffer from anything, it is from the dark side of their own ethics, or lack of it.” It is incredible that Kalafi should discuss the issue of ethics today because his Newspaper Taimi ‘o Tonga was banned from the Kingdom until it was allowed by a court order to resume operation in Tonga in September 2005. That is not an indication of a Newspaper that works under strict code of ethics.

Sangster Saulala has categorically denied the allegation by Kalafi that TV OBN was not shut down by government. It simply could not afford to continue to operate. That is far removed from the truth as soldiers are still occupying the premises. Moreover, there was an agreement between the landlord and the proprietors for the use of the property which is still valid today. 

Kalafi also claims the Taimi has been an ardent advocate of democratic reforms in the kingdom of Tonga. He adds that his Newspaper is produced in the Tongan language which means Taga and most regional journalists can’t read it. Moreover, his unsubstantiated allegation that pro-democracy movement known as "temo" is now involve in corruption and bad practices for which its supporters have criticized the government for the past 20 years. This is a blatant denigration with malicious intent to discredit his compatriots, but obviously he is trying to exonerate himself from something he was deeply involved with. Kalafi was an outspoken critic of government but now he is hired to shut up the Kele’a Newspaper for criticizing government and the Prime Minister, Feleti Sevele.

Kele’a wish to point out that Kalafi should know the main source of misinformation from Tonga is Lopeti Senituli and the Prime Minister’s Office. Such misinformation from Lopeti is distributed worldwide through the internet. This is verified by many litigations being served on Lopeti for misinformation and defamation.