Operation Tokoni

Operation Tokoni

Introduction

Following rioting in Tonga in November 2006, Australian military and police officers were deployed to the capital Nuku’alofa. The AFP deployment was codenamed Operation Tokoni.

Government sources:

Civil unrest in Tonga, AFP website

On Saturday 18 November 2006, the AFP deployed 34 members to Tonga in response to a call for assistance from the Government of the Kingdom of Tonga, after riots and destruction broke out in Nuku’alofa.

The deployment, named Operation Tokoni (Tongan for friend), arrived with a mission to support the Tonga Police Force (TPF) in re-establishing law and order and to support the massive investigation into the destruction that occurred during the riots.

The AFP team was made up of: members from the International Deployment Group (IDG) including Headquarters, Operations Response and Lateral members about to deploy to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI); a specialist forensic team; a PSO Advisor and the AFP’s Pacific Islands Police Advisor.”

AFP joins co-operative effort after Tonga riots, Platypus magazine No.93 December 2006, p3

On 18 November, 35 AFP personnel left Canberra followed by seven forensic and technical specialists just days after….the prompt response by Australian and New Zealand police and defence personnel provided an immediate impact on assisting the Tongan police to restore law and order as part of Operation Tokoni (Tongan for helping).”

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