Draft:Kalafi Moala
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Kalafi Moala | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1947 or 1948 (age 76–77)[1] |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 1989–present |
| Employer | Radio New Zealand |
| Known for | Founder of Times of Tonga |
Kalafi Moala is a Tongan journalist.
Biography
[edit]Before becoming a journalist, Moala worked as a Christian missionary in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Japan and Papua New Guinea.[1]
In 1989, Moala founded the Times of Tonga, an independent newspaper, becoming its majority shareholder and editor-in-chief.[1][2] In 1996, the Legislative Assembly of Tonga sentenced him and his deputy editor-in-chief to one month in prison for contempt of parliament, after the Times of Tonga published the text of a no confidence motion against justice minister Tevita Poasi Tupou.[3][4][5] Pro-democracy politician ʻAkilisi Pōhiva was given the same sentence for proposing the motion in parliament and delivering its text to the Times of Tonga. Amnesty International subsequently called for their release, describing them as prisoners of conscience.[3][4] While in prison, Moala continued to write articles on toilet paper to smuggle out to visitors for publication.[2][4] The three were released four days early after the Chief Justice of Tonga ruled that their imprisonment was unconstitutional.[4]
In 2003, the Times of Tonga was banned by the government from being distributed in Tonga. 'Eseta Fusitu'a, the government spokesperson, maintained that the newspaper was legally a foreign product as Moala was at the time based in New Zealand and had US citizenship. Moala took issue with the government's description, describing it as "crazy" and "quite insulting" to him as a native Tongan.[2][6] The ban was lifted in 2004.[7] In 2009, Moala acquired the Tonga Chronicle, the country's oldest newspaper, from the state.[2][8]
In 2014, Moala launched a talk radio station known as Leʻo ʻo Tonga ("Voice of Tonga"), which he said would be a "pro democracy station".[9] He briefly worked as a media adviser to Pōhiva and his Democratic Party of the Friendly Islands, which gained power at the end of the year.[10][11] Moala later distanced himself from Pōhiva's government, calling for his resignation in 2017 for "incompetence" and attacks on the media.[11]
In 2019, Moala sold his newspaper and radio station to go into what he described as "semi-retirement".[12] He later joined Radio New Zealand, becoming its Tonga correspondent.[5][13] In 2021, he founded Talanoa ‘o Tonga, an investigative journalism website.[14][15] In March 2024, Moala described King Tupou VI's revocation of the appointment of Siaosi Sovaleni as armed forces minister as a "retrograde step".[16]
In September 2024, Moala was elected president of the Pacific Islands News Association, a regional association of media outlets in the Pacific region.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Tonga's newest paper". The Pacific Islands Monthly. 59 (18): 46. July 1989. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Kalafi Moala". Reporters Without Borders. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Kingdom of Tonga: Two journalists and a parliamentarian jailed over media criticism of Government Minister". Amnesty International (in French). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d Field, Michael (November 1996). "Sign of the times?". The Pacific Islands Monthly. 66 (11): 25–27.
- ^ a b "Journalists around region mark progress but warn of potential new barriers". RNZ. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Publisher of banned Tongan paper objects to being labelled a foreigner". RNZ. 28 February 2003. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Taimi 'o Tonga newspaper to go back on sale in Tonga". Matangi Tonga. 12 October 2004. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Tonga's Taimi Media Network to take over Tonga Chronicle on Friday". RNZ. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Tonga gets new talk radio station". RNZ. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Tonga's new PM being sworn in". RNZ. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ a b "Former adviser calls for Tongan PM to resign". RNZ. 29 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Tongan journalism stalwart steps down". RNZ. 4 June 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ Wiseman, Don (1 May 2025). "Calls for Tonga to rethink Sabbath observance laws". RNZ. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
We asked our Tonga correspondent Kalafi Moala what prompted the recent concern.
- ^ "State of the Pacific 2021". Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ Webmaster (26 May 2023). "About Talanoa O Tonga - Your Trusted Source for Tonga & Pacific News". Talanoa ‘o Tonga. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "King's move takes Tonga back to the 'dark ages' - democracy campaigner". RNZ. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
- ^ "Kalafi Moala elected new PINA President as new board takes shape at Niue summit". Post Courier. 27 September 2024. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
