Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Tonga's land tenure system is unique in the Pacific and probably the world. In 1862 Tonga's first king, George Tupou I, abolished a system of semi-serfdom and declared all land to be the property of the Crown. Thirty three nobles were granted estates and commoner males were guaranteed a garden and town plot. It's a system that remains virtually unchanged to this day.

Earlier this year the recently crowned King George Tupou V announced the establishment of a Royal Land Commission which will spend the next two years reviewing the laws surrounding land tenure. In the second of a three part series of Tonga Ideas hears that some people fear the changes will see Tongan land falling into the hands of foreigners for the first time in history.

Presented by Chris Laidlaw
Produced by Jeremy Rose

The pre-historic Ha'amonga archealogical site in Tonga. A permanent reminder that land in Tonga has been the property of the Kings.