By Cindy Trinh
Impunity Watch Reporter, Oceania
NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga – Two teenagers from Tonga have appealed a court ruling ordering them to be whipped. Supporters are calling the punishment inhumane and a form of torture.
The two teenagers had long records of petty criminal offenses. They escaped from prison and stole food and other goods while they were fugitives. The Supreme Court judge Robert Shuster sentenced each boy to 13 years in prison and six lashes from a “cat-o-nine-tails” whip.
The “cat-o-nine-tails” whip is a knotted whip with nine strands that are soaked in water overnight. The prisoner is then held down by guards and whipped across the buttocks with great force.
The ruling has prompted protests from Tonga’s Law Society and others who contend that the punishment is brutal and “archaic.” They stated that this form of punishment has not been used in decades.
The President of the Tonga Law Society, Laki Niu, said that whipping is “barbaric,” even if it is a deterrent.
He further stated in an interview with New Zealand’s TVOne News: “I think it is inhumane. I think it is a form of torture.”
Niu warns that the punishment is so intense that it is often hard for the prisoner to remain conscious.
Former Tongan police officer, Kei Iongi, admitted to whipping men in the past. He revealed that the prisoners suffered greatly during the whippings, but he believes that it is an effective punishment.
During his interview with TVOne, Iongi stated: “I think it’s good for the punishment of the Tongan men.”
Former Tongan police minister and current MP, Clive Edwards, says that the sentence imposed on the two young teenagers is cruel and that the law needs to be repealed.
Edwards says that while whipping appears to have been used as a deterrent, it is inhumane on top of a 13 year sentence for escaping from jail and stealing while on the run.
He stated: “I do not support or believe that our young people like that who are over 21 years of age should be whipped while serving a very severe sentence. I think it’s a bit cruel.”
Edwards further stated that he would support legislative change to eliminate whipping plus the death sentence in Tonga.
Under Tongan law, the South Pacific nation’s Cabinet has to approve a whipping sentence, which would then be carried out by the police. Prime Minister Feleti Sevele said he would not discuss the case because it was still before the court.
For more information, please see:
ABC News International – Tongan Teens Appeal Against Court-Ordered Flogging – 18 February 2010
The Associated Press – Tongan Teens appeal against court-ordered flogging – 18 February 2010
Radio New Zealand International – Whipping as punishment for crimes in Tonga should be wiped – 18 February 2010
The New York Times – Tongan Teens Appeal Against Court-Ordered Flogging – 18 February 2010
