Playboy king's Scottish holiday sparks anger

Published on Wednesday 12 August 2009 22:07

AS HE stands in the Royal Box taking the salute at the Edinburgh Tattoo tomorrow night, the king of Tonga will make history as the first sovereign from the South Pacific to attend Scotland's annual showpiece military event.

But back home, tension is rising over the decision of King Siaosi (George) Tupou V to leave Tonga for an extended holiday in Scotland shortly after one of the greatest tragedies in the nation's history.

Last Wednesday night, the ferry Princess Ashika sank shortly after sending out a mayday signal 86km off the coast of Nuku'alofa, the Tongan capital, leaving 93 people missing, presumed dead.

Among them is Daniel MacMillan, 48, from Islay, who had been living in New Zealand for five years.

The king, 60, who has holidayed in Scotland on previous occasions, staying with Highland landowners such as Lord Glenarthur on Royal Deeside, received a 21-gun salute before flying out of Tonga for his four-month visit.

He is due to visit Edinburgh Castle ahead of his appearance at the Tattoo, where he will be shown the Honours of Scotland and the National War Museum.

Later he will be greeted by Tonga's Royal Corps of Musicians, who are taking part in the Tattoo and who will perform a Royal Salute when the king arrives at the Castle Esplanade.

Tattoo chief executive and producer Euan Loudon said: "It is a very great honour to welcome His Majesty King Tupou V to the Tattoo, where I look forward to introducing him to some of the outstanding performers we have this year, as well as some of the remarkable individuals involved in its annual delivery."

But in Tonga, the king's continued presence in Scotland is less welcome in the aftermath of the tragedy.

Yesterday search vessels and divers from the New Zealand and Australian armed services located the ferry. Rescuers say 54 passengers and crew survived.

Many islanders have become impatient waiting for King Tupou, who inherited an almost feudal-style monarchy in September 2006, to implement promised democratic changes.

Heilala Delasau, a Tongan human rights activist, said: "The king is partly to blame and should be held liable.

He should have stayed to help. He is a leader and should be helping his people at this time."

Sitiveni Lilo, a retired Tongan journalist living in Wellington, New Zealand, said: "Tonga is not a full democracy and people are afraid to speak out.

"People are concentrating on their loss, but there is also deep anger that the king left instead of staying to command the rescue operation and attend memorial services."

Protesters say they are exasperated by the wealthy playboy king, who earned the nickname "Oddball" because of his habit of riding around his Pacific island nation in a London taxi.

With his penchant for elaborate uniforms and remote-controlled boats and toys, Tupou has a reputation as an eccentric out of touch with reality.

In November 2006, eight people were killed in riots during pro-democracy protests.

In 2006, a report by Australia's Centre for Independent Studies revealed that the king controlled Tonga's electricity generation, its beer company, half its unexplored oil supply, one of its mobile phone companies, a cable TV company and the rights to its internet domain suffix, "earning a multimillion-dollar income".

PROFILE

TONGA is an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean consisting of more than 170 islands. It has a population of about 102,000.

A former British protectorate, Tonga became fully independent in 1970, although it was never formally colonised. It is the last Polynesian monarchy.

It is also known as the Friendly Islands due to the welcome given to Captain Cook on his first visit in 1773.

A deeply conservative, Christian country, it is ruled by a king supported by hereditary noblemen who together have a perpetual majority in parliament, electing or appointing 21 of its 30 members.

Tonga has no strategic or mineral resources and relies on agriculture, fishing and the money sent home by Tongans living abroad, many of them in New Zealand. Unemployment is high, especially among the young.