Australia donates police cars to Tonga ahead of Pacific leaders’ meeting

The Australian Government today donated 25 police vehicles and two minibuses to Tonga valued at 3.6 million Tongan Pa’anga at a formal handover ceremony at the Tongan Police Headquarters in Rongorongo.

The two vehicles were presented to Prime Minister Huakavameliku (who is also Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services) by the Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, His Excellency Mr Blake Bartley.

The donation will strengthen Tonga’s security infrastructure in preparation for the upcoming Pacific Leaders Meeting in late August. The double cab vans will assist in escorting Pacific leaders and ensure smooth operations during this high-profile event. The new vehicles are expected to replace several older police vehicles, some of which are more than 15 years old and several of which have accumulated more than 500,000 kilometres.

“These 27 vehicles will replace a number of obsolete police vehicles and will make a significant contribution to Tonga’s efforts to ensure a safe and successful Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting,” said Tonga Police Commissioner Shane McLennan, who stressed the importance of reliable vehicles to maintain effective policing.

Related news: Earlier this year, a delegation from China’s Ministry of Public Security visited Tonga to discuss assistance for the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting. The delegation of six officials from Shandong Province focused on providing support to the Tongan police, including resources such as vehicles and motorcycles, but these resources have not yet arrived.

China’s support also includes possible training for the fleet, as well as assistance for venue refurbishment, VIP transportation and audio-visual equipment. Tonga Police Commissioner Shane McLennan said China’s assistance is mainly to ensure the safety of the event and its smooth running. So far, China’s support for the Pacific Forum Conference has been to speed up the construction of the Tonga High School Auditorium and rugby field, the two main venues for the leaders’ meeting.

Prime Minister Huakahuameliku welcomed China’s support and believed that China’s donation was of great significance to the successful holding of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Meeting.