vigilant TV

The Tongan Prime Minister has banned the Times of Tonga newspaper, which is published in New Zealand and flown into the country, for campaigning against the government. A government statement claims that allowing a critical foreign publication to enter the country is a human rights violation, impinging on the people’s “right to correct, unbiased and balanced information”.

The twice-weekly Taimi ‘o Tonga (Times of Tonga), which is printed
and published in New Zealand and flown to Tonga for sale, was declared a
“prohibited import” by the Pacific state today.

[...]

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in Nuku’alofa said
that the newspaper violated the rights of the people of Tonga to
“correct, unbiased and balanced reporting”.

“The Taimi ‘o Tonga, whilst a foreign newspaper, has ruthlessly
campaigned for the overthrow of Tonga’s constitutional government,”
the statement said.

[...]

The government said only readers of Tongan could pass judgment on the
issue.

“Any useful discussion of the journalistic performance of the Taimi
‘o
Tonga can only be done by those who read and understand Tongan, and
are regular readers of the paper,” the statement said.

“With strong cultural insensitivity, it has incited disaffection
among
the people of Tonga. No foreign-owned publication with such an agenda
has a right of entry into any foreign state.”

– AFP, Tonga bans ‘overthrow’ paper.