Peace Corps Volunteer Jim Jawn in Tonga: I'm not allowed to express my opinion in any manner, shape, fashion or inkling about anything politcal here in Tonga



Its one of the things that bothers me about the Peace Corps' policy, but, having been here for almost two years and being a volunteer, I understand the precariousness of the Peace Corps' tenure if all of its volunteers rose up and helped organize a workers' strike or helped the government run their programs as scabs.

Peace Corps Volunteer Jim Jawn in Tonga: I'm not allowed to express my opinion in any manner, shape, fashion or inkling about anything politcal here in Tonga

The Palangi Files
8.13.2005 - On the strike and my constitutional right to free speech...
Sadly, Nicole, as I'm a Peace Corps volunteer, I'm not allowed to express my opinion in any manner, shape, fashion or inkling about anything politcal here in Tonga, especially the Tongan Government Workers Strike. In fact, almost two weeks after the strike started we received some updated guidelines reminding us that we are not allowed to express any local political views at all. Its one of the things that bothers me about the Peace Corps' policy, but, having been here for almost two years and being a volunteer, I understand the precariousness of the Peace Corps' tenure if all of its volunteers rose up and helped organize a workers' strike or helped the government run their programs as scabs. Pretty much everyone here feels one way (I'm sure you can figure it out) but we can't really say anything about it. Its sucks too, because I had a pretty sweet post about the strike that I can't publish because its too opninionated. I'll publish it later.

Tiny Update Out.

Simi

PS - Check out Matangi Tonga for real, honest up-to-date information about Tonga and the Strike

When this story was posted in August 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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