King Siaosi: Traditional Ruler - Agent of Change

His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V was born on May the 4th, 1948, in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. He is the son of the late Monarch of Tonga, HM King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV and HM Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho.

His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V holds all three ancient Kingly lines of Tonga; the oldest and most sacred of these being the Tu'i Tonga title. The last formal holder of this title was Laufilitonga who was defeated by Tupou I, holder of the Tu'i Kanokupolu title, at the battle of Velata in Ha'apai. The Tu'i Tonga title effectively became amalgamated into what is now the Hau or ruling House of Tupou (1).

The King's grandmother Queen Salote's marriage to Tungi Mailefihi, a Tu'i Ha'atakalaua Chief from Mu'a, completed the union of the three kingly lines of Tonga. His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V is the undisputed Hau of Tonga in every sense of the word.

As the eldest of the late King's four children, He was conferred with the heir apparent title of Tupouto'a. Tupouto'a is now the Heir apparent title but has its origins in the progenitor of the current line of the Hau of Tonga (2). His Majesty has only one sister, HRH Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita, and two brothers, the Hon Ma'atu formerly known as HRH Prince Fatafehi Alaivahamama'o Tuku'aho (3) who passed away in 2004. His youngest brother is HRH Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka, who is the new Heir to the Tongan throne.

His Majesty King Siaosi Tupou V went to Primary School in Tonga and received further education in Switzerland and at Kings College in New Zealand. The new King has been criticised by some because of his overseas schooling and exposure to Europe. A former Kings College Master was quoted in a newspaper recently as criticising the late King's choice of schools for his heir apparent son, stating that He had "grandiose ideas" for aiming 'higher' than Kings College, a private school in South Auckland.

This begs the rhetorical question, as to how one would prepare and educate a King for leadership in the 21st century? It is certainly not a decision lightly made, when one has the best interests of the people at heart - even when a country is as small as Tonga. The late King was the first Tongan ever to receive a university degree, he in fact gained two i.e. BA/LLB. The late Monarch watched the world change considerably within his lifetime. In many respects, with increasing technology and improved transport, the world became smaller and the idea of a global village was realised.

Schooled by Missionaries in Tonga initially, the late King chose to send his son much farther abroad than Australia, where He was sent towards the end of his secondary schooling. After studying in Switzerland and New Zealand, the Crown Prince was sent by his father to the prestigious Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS) spending three years there. Prince William of Wales is currently in his third term at RMAS. Sandhurst has a distinguished alumni including Sir Winston Churchill. It was this training that consolidated a keen interest in military strategy, tactics and modern armaments. The new King is currently Colonel-in-Chief of the Kingdom's battalion-sized military, the Tonga Defence Services. The Tonga Defence Services has served in Iraq, and deployed peace-keeping missions in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville, making an active contribution to the region.

HM King Siaosi Tupou V has served as a Minister in Tongan Government for over twenty years, gaining considerable insight into the affairs of state. It was well known that He was the only member of the Royal Family to publicly express disapproval of less progressive measures taken by the Government, until His cousin HRH Prince Tu'ipelehake took on the mantle of seriously campaigning for political reform. When moves were made to curb media freedoms in Tonga, as Crown Prince, the current King publicly stated in a television interview that he was against the amendment to the constitution. He went as far as to say that this was a mistake by government.

The new King was an advocate of the National Committee for Political Reform (NCPR), informally known as the Tu'ipelehake Committee. He has also been credited with strongly influencing the appointment of successful businessman and pro-democracy supporter Dr Feleti Sevele as Prime Minister. As Crown Prince, He made recommendations for a more democratic approach by the late Monarch over appointments to Cabinet. These were accepted, marking an important shift in power.

Being the first among the Royal Family to acknowledge the need for reforms, it should not be surprising that in His first detailed proclamation, HM King Siaosi Tupou V has promised to hasten appropriate changes to the system of government in response to the democratic wishes of the people.

The Report of the National Committee for Political Reform was presented to the late Monarch weeks before His passing. In many ways, it was part of the inheritance of the new King, who has pledged commitment to the reform process. He has supported a process whereby extensive public consultation will inform the basis for change.

The NCPR report revealed that a majority of Tongans wanted the traditional social structure of the king, nobles and the people to remain untouched, "but there must be changes to the structure of government and how government is administered." In His first public address to the people of Ha'apai, HM King Siaosi Tupou has signalled considerable changes will be made to Government in Tonga. He also restated his commitment to democratic reform.

Being a keen businessman and displaying considerable acumen in the area of business, it is also not surprising that His Majesty the King views strengthening private enterprise as critical to lifting Tonga's standards of living. It is fair to say that the new King's personal business interests have been an issue of concern for some. His first proclamation on the death of His father was to renounce all personal business interests and focus instead on the leadership, duties and responsibilities of Kingship. His business acumen and experience of running successful and profitable businesses may indeed be a considerable asset for the Kingdom as it moves into a new era. All countries are looking to increase exports, discover new markets and improve gross domestic product. HM King Siaosi V has identified that reform of the civil service, improvements to infrastructure, and making the most of information technology opportunities will be key drivers.

Fluent in several languages, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs and a graduate of the Oxford University Foreign Service Programme, the King will be an advocate for Tonga in the new global village era. His many connections and friendships with world leaders and royalty abroad can only have positive spin-offs for the small Kingdom.

Thanks to growing information technology, ironically, it seems the world is even smaller, yet Tonga - with its diaspora spread throughout the world - has somehow got larger. Certainly, the expectations of Tongans have grown considerably and the desire and calls for democratic change have become demonstrably stronger and louder. This is something that the new King has been acutely aware of - for a long period of time. He believes strongly that Tonga's political system has not evolved commensurate with economic development.

After all, as noted by HM King Siaosi Tupou V Himself, all the great Kings of Tonga were agents of change. The Kingdom and people of Tonga look forward to Him realising that legacy.

[1] The former holders of the Tu'i Tonga title now hold the noble title and estates of Kalaniuvalu.

[2] Tupouto'a married Taufa Hoamofaleono, a daughter of Ma'afu and their son was King Siaosi Tupou I, known as the founder of modern Tonga.

[3] Tuku'aho is also a title connected to the ascension of the ruling House of Tupou. Finau Tuku'aho was a Tu'i Kanokupolu and the father of Tupouto'a. His assassination in 1799 sparked the long and bloody civil war that followed.

Speech from the Throne by His Majesty King George Tupou V at the Opening of Parliament 2007

Mr. Speaker,

We give thanks to the Almighty that he has kept you, the Lords of the Nobility, the Ministers of the Government and those chosen to represent the People in his care in the past.

We are grateful that progress has been made in rebuilding our capital city and although there has been little physical evidence which can be perceived from the outside, the long and involved process of planning is under way with the different authorities charged with this task.

The reconstruction is the largest public works programme to have been adopted by Our Government for the next five years and it shall require the cooperation and active support of the parliament in providing the necessary legal framework to facilitate this process.

Security of lives and property shall be of primary importance in the design and we are grateful for the assistance which friendly countries, according to their means, have been able to offer through different services. Our Government, therefore, as an initial step in securing the necessary financing for the reconstruction, has negotiated the first of several loans with the People's Republic of China.

We look forward to the employment opportunities which these works shall provide for our people and enterprises.

Government reserves have been severely strained by the civil service wage and redundancy settlements but Our Government has seen the urgency of revitalising the economy and, in spite of the disruptions last year, the economy remains more robust than at first expected and this is due to the strength and confidence of the private sector. We expect a positive growth in the economy in the next financial year and our foreign exchange reserves have stabilised at the equivalent of 4 months of imports. Our government shall introduce new tax and customs legislation this year designed to boost our economic growth rate by implementing private sector-led growth initiatives.

The main areas of focus shall be Tourism, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Fisheries and Infrastructure. To this end, a private initiative has concluded with the commitment by important foreign investors to invest in a Resort Hotel in Vava'u.

Our Government's Foreign Policy for the past 100 years has been founded on the cultivation of friendly relations with every nation and respect for the conventions of diplomatic practice which govern the exchanges between civilised countries. We have established Diplomatic missions to the Court of St. James, the United States of America and the People's Republic of China. As there is now a growing number of our people who have migrated to both the Commonwealth of Australia and to New Zealand, Our Government intends to establish similar Diplomatic Missions in Canberra and Wellington respectively.

Our Government attaches much importance to reforming our education system which, as one of the longest established compulsory education systems in the Pacific, is one of the bequests left us by His Late Majesty King George I. Over the years though, our countries circumstances and population have undergone such rapid changes that the original framework is no longer adequate for the demands of the modern age. Our Government shall therefore consider lowering the starting age from 6 to 5 years old and raising the leaving age to 18. It is the intention that within the next 3 years, 60% of school leavers shall be accepted into institutions of higher learning, technical and vocational training and within 5 years, 90%. The mechanics of this new policy shall be announced with the intention that the new system be introduced in 2008.

In commending you to the care of Almighty God, I wish to reassure you of the support of all the forces at the disposal of our Government in your difficult task of guiding the deliberations of the house as well as preserving its dignity.

King George Tupou V

Source: Palace Office, the Kingdom of Tonga, 2007

Information on Tonga

External links

The Official Site of the Tongan Monarchy Government Of Tonga Matani Tonga Online News

Bhutan's Royal Family