Tonga Military

Tonga is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean and is known for its strong military and defense. The Tongan Defence Services (TDS) is the military branch of the country and consists of three branches: Army, Navy, and Air Force. The total active personnel stands at around 1,200 with an additional reserve force of around 1,000 personnel. Tonga has a lower defense budget compared to its GDP as it spends about 3.2% of its GDP on defense. The country also imports weapons from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, China, and India. Tonga also has strong ties with other countries in the region such as Samoa which allows them to cooperate militarily when needed. As a result of this strong military presence in the region Tonga has become an important regional player in security issues and is able to maintain peace and stability within the South Pacific effectively. See naturegnosis to learn more about the country of Tonga.

Defense

Tonga (2009) has no military means to support its security. To see related acronyms about this country, please check ABBREVIATIONFINDER where you can see that TON stands for Tonga.

Tonga Army

In February 2004, Bogdonoff agreed to pay $ 1 million. US $ to bring his balance with Tonga out of the world.

In May, the national airline, Royal Tongan Airlines, closed, as it did not have enough finances to pay for necessary repairs to the company’s aircraft.

In a surprising political maneuver, Ata ‘Ulukalala announced in November the extension of the 2-member government from March 2005.

In the March 2005 parliamentary elections – in which only 33 noblemen had the right to vote – nine of them were elected to parliament. It is already divided into three with 12 ministers appointed by the king, 9 representatives of the people 9 for the nobility. Seven of the nobility’s 9 seats went to sympathizers with the pro-democracy movement.

A strike among public servants demanding wage increases paralyzed the country in July-August 2005, and was also marked by violent clashes between protesters and police in the capital. Despite an agreement with the government in early September, the demonstrations continued anyway, but now with demands for democratic reforms.

  • COUNTRYAAH: Do you know where is Tonga on the world map? Come to see the location and all bordering countries of Tonga.

After a decade of negotiations, Tonga was admitted to the WTO in December. The organization’s secretary general Pascal Lamy stated that it would continue its work towards “an efficient integration of small economies like Tongas into the organization’s work”. The formal accession to the WTO took place in July 2007.

As a result of the popular protests demanding reform and greater openness from the royal family, Prince Ulukalala Lavaka Ata resigned from the post of prime minister, and for the first time in the country’s history elections were held. It was won by Feleti Sevele, who in March 2006 took over the post.

King Tupou was crowned on August 1, 2008. Three days earlier, he transferred part of his power to Prime Minister Sevele as part of the 2010 transition to parliamentaryism.

In 2010, the Brigadier General and Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces, Tauʻaika ʻUtaʻatu, signed an agreement in London pledging 200 soldiers to the UK Occupation Force in Afghanistan (ISAF). Tonga has also provided soldiers and police to the Bougainville conflict, Papua New Guinea conflicts and to the Australian-led RAMSI force in the Solomon Islands. A parade was held for the ISAF soldiers when they returned to Tonga in April 2014.

In December 2010, Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō was elected prime minister by secret ballot, receiving 14 votes against his opponent’s 2. It was the first time in the country’s history that the prime minister was not nominated by the king but by secret ballot.