Kamina Johnson wishes people of Tonga on 52nd Emancipation Day

Jamaica: The Senator and Minister of Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith, has extended wishes and greeted the people of Tonga on the occasion of 52nd Emancipation Day.

Kamina Johnson has been candidature for the position of the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth 2022 from Jamaica.

She noted that, “Today the people of #Tonga mark the attainment of 52 years of independence! I take this opportunity to wish them a wonderful #EmancipationDay and weekend of positive reflections rolling into Monday’s commemoration! #KJSforCSG.”

Emancipation Day in Tonga 2022-

This year’s June 4th public holiday falls on Saturday, so it is moved to be observed on Monday, June 6th 2022, in accordance with a Public Holiday Act.

The Kingdom of Tonga celebrates Emancipation Day on June 4th every year. While referring to the Public Holiday Act, if Emancipation Day comes on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or either Sunday, the public holiday shall be celebrated on the next coming Monday; and if it comes on either Tuesday or Wednesday, the public holiday is observed on the Monday before.

This holiday noted the dissolution of slavery in Tonga in 1862. Emancipation Day describes a turning point in Tongan history: commoners were released from the virtual ownership of chiefs.

Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom, which is located in the Pacific Ocean, 1,250 miles north of New Zealand. It comprises of more than 170 South Pacific islands, of which only around 36 are inhabited.

In some of the nations, specifically those in the Caribbean, Emancipation Day means the dissolution of slavery by the EU colonial forces in the early part of the 19th century.

Moreover, Emancipation in Tonga refers to the dissolution of the system of serfdom that the local chiefs had used for centuries as means of forced labour.