The People Against Switching Sides (PASS) have expressed serious concerns over the role of Police in the lead up to and at yesterday’s march. Roina Vavatau, a PASS spokesperson said:

0. “Recent actions taken by Police in the past several days have been the cause of some serious concern and have infringed on our Constitutional rights to freedom of speech. These actions by Police lead us to question – what sort of country are we living?” 


0. “On Friday last week, Police took away crosses on the side of the road that were part of the march. These were subsequently recovered – but what was the role of the Police in taking away the signs and who ordered the Police to do this?” 


0. “During yesterday’s march, a member of the PASS Committee was physically manhandled by Police without cause for the act of simply standing up – since when is it illegal to stand up in a crowd? Police also took away a sign about ‘China’ and also a sign held by a matai saying ‘Change the Prime Minister’. Since when have these been illegal? We now appear to be quashing our democratic rights of freedom of speech guaranteed under the Constitution – and the role of the Police yesterday is therefore of very serious concern. We are beginning to resemble other countries where the Police are used as the instruments to impose someone’s political agenda. This must stop now.” 


The Chairman of PASS, Toleafoa Solomona Toailoa said:

0. “We are very disappointed by the conduct of the Police in the past week. We will be making an appointment with the Commissioner of Police to discuss and record these concerns. We will also consider lodging a formal complaint against the Police officers that set on a member of the PASS Committee and consider whether charges of assault against these officers are warranted.” 


PASS also expressed deep concern over the Samoa Shipping Services Corporation’s cancellation of the Lady Samoa services on Monday. The cancellation appears to have been an attempt to stop people from Savaii from participating in the march and which succeeded. The PASS Chairman said:

“On Monday, a number of people from Savaii intending to march were unable to come to Apia to march due to serious disruptions to the ferry services. These very clearly appear to have been aimed at stopping people from Savaii from marching. The ferry maintenance takes place on a Tuesday, yet, on the day of the march, it was brought forward to Monday and this seriously affected the ability of marchers being able to attend. Perhaps the General Manager of the SSC can answer this question – and who gave the direction – because there are many people in Savaii who are unhappy and the SSC should have facilitated their coming to the march and not made it more difficult. Is the Government now enforcing its will through its control of public corporations – I hope not!”

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Comments (15)

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Freedom of Speech threatened indeed.
written by Sam Afa, April 16, 2008

I was horrified to hear some of the reports coming out of Apia regarding Monday's march. Removing signs, manhandling of a marcher, and to top it off, the more than convenient scheduled maintenance for the ferry? Who is giving the executive order for this? Please I ask you to follow through on your investigation. Esp to the CEO of Samoa Shipping and the Commissioner of Police. If Govt can halt a social service the people have the right to, to journey across to Upolu to express their voice. Then that is the equivalent of gagging them of their free speech. And removing signs? I expect to read news like that from China or Myanmar. Maybe too much bi-lateral relations with China is beginning to rub off on some. These are tell tale signs of Govt with too much power coupled with insecurities and paranoia which history has shown is a recipe for disaster.

...
written by samalo, April 16, 2008

Aua le popole, e aliali lava i luga e le mafai na natia mea sese. Ua tatau na aua le fia faaalia le fia tama malolosi o leoleo o Samoa ma soona tafai tagata.
Faafetai o le na e iloa e tagata o le atunuu faaaloalo ma lotomaualalo, ae o le a avea ma mea e faaali ai le fia malosi aisea? E leai se mea o le a nonofo ai fua tagata i luga o le mutia i Tiafau, a na finagalo tagata savavali e tutu ma faalogo i taualumaga sa fai, e leai lava se mea e afaina ai fua. Ave le malosi lena o leoleo e faaali i Iraq la le tau, e le manaomia i Samoa. O tatou, o si faaaloalo lava , ava fatafata ma le alu i lalo e manuia ai, e le manaomia la ni fia faalala mai o le fia tama paoa o ni leoleo.

Aloha Kakou
written by Dexter Tuigamala, April 16, 2008

Ia o lea lava ua taunu'u le mea sa mana'o iai le Palemia o samoa,ia nonofo vevesi tagata o samoa.O le tulafono,e mafai ona solo tete'e tagata nu'u o samoa e fa'ailoa ai lo latou fa'atu'uese i mataupu o le palemene ma le palemia.O le aia tatau lea o so'o tagata,people have the right to have a peaceful protest. ....fa'afetai i le afioga i le loia ia Toelafoa i le ta'ita'iina o le savaliga o le atunu'u aemaise ai nai tama ma tina matutua ma le mamalu lasilasi i le atunu'u pele i tupu ma e'e, tamali'i ma failauga,faletua ma tausi fa'apea le malosi lautele o le atunu'u.
(edited)

Communist Samoa
written by lomi, April 16, 2008

What is now happening in Samoa worry most of us here on foreign soil. What are we to do to help our people, our families and friends back home. Samoa is a country that does not know which way to go. We have gone from Chiefs ruling individual families and villages to government superiority. The voice of the people have been neglected and need to be heard, if the government does not respect that then what. Its always been the people that decide on major issues, and I would say that this is a major issue and more are saying NAY than YEA to this matter. There are lives at stake. This issue will make its mark on the history of the country, GOOD ro BAD it will be remember. I do believe Samoa will see major changes is the way certain things are handle before this is resolved.

I think many of us would never like to think of our country as a communist country but we all know that it is true in most ways. From what was experienced in this peaceful protest, the government showed thier muscle and put a stop to the loudest voice and the loudest sign. Constitutional rights are disrupted when those is any government interfere in any way shape or form, with any person expressing his concerns in writing or in speech. In the case of this protest someone's right was violated.
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Sa ou nofo ma le fa'amoemoe o le a i'u manuia le taumafai o tagata to'atele o le atunu'u, ia taofi le liliuina o auala. Ua tu nei i o tatou luma le ata o le filifiliga a le Palemia. Ua ia taofia uma leo o e ua tete'e. Oute iloa e le tatau ona taofia lava se tasi o lo'o mana'o e fa'ailoaina lona leo i se mea lava a le malo e fai, aua e a'afia ai uma tatou. O fea la e a gata mai ai leo malosi a tagata o le atunu'u sa fausia ai Samoa mai i le amataga, Leai se aoga o Matai ma Taule'ale'a uma ma latou pulega ae manumalo le Palemia e to'atasi ia.

Oute ofo fo'i a'u ia ae i'u lelei nei fuafuaga. O le ata o le lumana'i o le atun'u o le a tu mai pe a i'u le nei mea, Tele fo'i ni soifua o le a afaina ai. Ae o le a lava le iuga, leilei po'o le leaga, o le lumana'i o Samoa o le suiina mo le lelei, o le a auliina ai nifi magumi o i luma. Fa'amoemoe o le i'u manuia meai uma ma fuafuaga mo le lelei o le atunu'u.

...
written by teine mai meleke, April 16, 2008

Talofa e, i le mamalu o le atunuu ma le latou taumafaiga sa alo atu iai i le Aso Gafua na tea nei. Se faamalo le tauivi i mea lelei, malo le manatu i tagata lautele o lo o aumau i le atunuu. Ae paga le le manuia o tala aave mai o gasologa o le solo. Kalofa e, afai lava o le pulepule tutuina le taitaiga a le malo ua tulai mai loa iina le matua leai o se ava ma se faaaloalo o aupega ia e sologa lelei ai se mataupu o lo o fetosoai solo. LE ITU O LO O TETEE I LE TULAFONO, TULAI MA LE LOTOTELE E TAU LE TAUA IA MANUMALO. O OUTOU MAMA NA.

A tumu loa le ipu; ua masa'a le vai...
written by Jack, April 17, 2008

O Samoa o se atunuu alofa ma le faaaloalo. O ona tagata e faigofie o latou ala ma faamalie gofie pe a faia mea uma ma le faaaloalo ma le alofa. Ae aua nai galo o tagata Samoa foi e vave lava le liliu ese ma avea ma se fili e faigata ona faamalie ma faamagalo.
O lea la ua uma tulaga filemu ma tausaafia a le atunuu ae popoe le mafaufau i le mea e soso pe a le faalogo le malo i le finagalo o le atunuu. Ae tatou tapuai pea mo le manuia o le tatou atunuu...

tuu ia le faitio
written by samoa citizen, April 17, 2008

na ala ona totofi e samoa le malo o loo iai nei ona o le talitonu o tagata e lava ma totoe le uta ma le faautauta a le malo e faatautaia ai fuafuaga uma mo le manuia lautele. Oute manatu a'u e leai se mea ole a vevesi vale ai fua tagata lautele i lea mataupu, seivaga ose aafiaga o le au faipisinisi e alagatatau. Oute lagolagoina le malo i le liliuina o taavale ile rhd mo le alualu i luma ole development ole tatou atunuu. O le taimi muamua lava e tupu ai se mea fou ile olaga nei e usually lava e faigata, ae a tino mai loa ua matua matagofie ma manaia. Afai e manuia le faamoemole lea ole sui ole rhd e sili le taugofie ole olaga aua e latalata mai NZ ma Fiti e faatau mai ai taavale nai lo ole faatau mamao mai US ma Hawaii. Soia tou te faitio ae talia se galuega o fuafua e le malo ma tatalo ia manuia. Ua leiloga se taumafaiga a le malo e le faitioina. Ae pe aisea na mafuli ai le manatu ole atunuu e toe tulai mai le malo pe afai e tou te faitio ma muimui soo.

O a'u lenei
written by Dexter Tuigamala, April 17, 2008

Fa'amolemole atu i le au faitau ma'i latou o lo'o faia lenei web site o le samoalivenews po'o lea le mea ua outou tapeina ai nisi o o'u tusitusiga sa ou tusi i luga o le mataupu e uiga i le aso ananafi. Sa ou ta'u atu ai le tagatavaleina o le afioga o le minisita LEVAULA ae sa ou fa'atulou atu lava i le pai'a ma le mamalu o le aiga sa LEVAULA, oute le'i iloa ina e fa'asa i luga mataupu tusitusia aua o le aia tatau lea o tagata. In case you don't know, let me remind you about the freedom of speech and the freedom of press. Aua le aveifoina le tulaga o le fa'aaloaloga fa'asamoa ma mea ua taofia ai le aia tatau o tagata e fa'aali ai lagona o tagata ta'ito'atasi.E toute manana'o la e gatia le mea moni ae fai le mea pi'opi'o....let me remind you also that the case like this also had happen to the president of the united states, the supreme court threw the case outside because it's the freedom the people.Ia oute matua'i fa'atu'iese lava ia latou na aveesea la'u tusitusiga ananafi.E fai atu a o lo'o faigaelo mai le palemia ia te'i tatou ai fai lava,mea na ua tele na le manuia ai mea a samoa,ae afai e le tusitusia i lalo lagona ia ona sili ai ona aua ne'i toe fa'aauauina lo outou porokalame...a'e musu fo'i e tusi mai i luga o le web site lea ona tusi mai lea i mle la'u e-mail le na This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

...
written by Ruben Ortiz, April 18, 2008

He used his power to order the police to manhandle people around. Don't give into these idiots and their plans. People of Upolu and Savaii stand up for your rights as citizens of Samoa. It's time for the Prime Minister to step down. Ruben

...
written by Dexter Tuigamala, April 19, 2008

Finally the prime minister and his cabinet are now laughing and mocking us through this whole week of suffering and sweating of the people of Samoa for their effort and their strong determination about this bill so that it won't become a law,now the minister is now saying that the people are the winners through this matter,that is truly a laughing and a mocking in our face...go ahead laugh my friend at the expense of our people of Samoa and to make sure that we continue on praying so that these people we call our leaders would end this kind of behavior and this kind of attitude. ....god bless the people of SAMOA and especially those who were against this new law.

WHAT IS GOING ON????
written by wildhamo, April 21, 2008

WHAT IN THE NAME IS GOING ON???....SURELY THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO HANDLE PEOPLE AND PEOPLE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS..BUT I ADMIRE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN AND FOR WHAT THEY KNOW IS RIGHT..AND TO WHAT THEY STAND UP FOR...ITS NOT LIKE EVERYDAY THESE PEOPLE GET TO EXPRESS BUT I JUST HOPE NO HAS RECIEVE ANY SERIOUS INJURIES FROM THIS MANHADLING...IA MALO FINAU...IA TALOSIA E LE O LAVEVEA GI TAGATA I LE AU ALII IA...LET THE GOVERNMENT MAKE THE DECISION AND WELL LETS HOPE THEY TAKE YOUR MARCH AGAINST THIS BILL SERIOUSLY...AND PLUS THEY SHOULD CONSIDER THE PEOPLES DECISON AS WELL..

Mr
written by Moe Fonoti, April 22, 2008

Fa'amalo lava Samoa le taputapuai, I ole matua'i lei loa lava le sa'o o lenei mea ua tupu i si o tatou Atunu'u, talosia ia au ne'i ia se isi e Oti mai.... Fa'amalo lava Samoa i lau Tapuaiga i lenei aso...

ITS A BIG MESS
written by Bush, April 22, 2008

I am totally concerned what is going on to our country. It is a big mess. We got to do something because our nation is heading to a wrong direction. This is not democracy.... I hope and pray this is not going to cost any lives in the future basically the government is not listening to the people concerns. I am with you folks

It's time for change
written by Bush, April 22, 2008

Ruben... I am with you. It is time for the Prime Minister to stepdown and I will lead our nation after I done here in the US.

ITS TIME FOR THE PM TO RESIGN
written by Savaii kid, April 22, 2008

I feel sorry for those who support PASS from Savaii for not participating because HRPP appeared to have changed the ferries scheduled. Remember HRPP is in control of all departments and that was planned. It is sad and thats why I think the people of Samoa should fight to remove the PM. This is all his planned and poor district representatives are just seat warmers and could be scared of him. Anyway Please do not delete this Samolive. We want the people in Samoa to know that we are with them and we are concerning about the future of our islands

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