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Tonga police commander Sinilau Kolokihakaufisi said today that six bodies were found in a fire debris following Thursday's riots in the capital Nuku'alofa.

Around 30 Chinese-owned stores were trashed over the last 24 hours, and the Chinese embassy is scrambling to protect the Chinese in the country.

"More than 25 percent of Chinese stores here were looted or burned yesterday, causing big losses to the owners," said Hu Yeshun, Chinese ambassador to Tonga.

"We've received over 150 people, whose houses or stores were destroyed by the mobs," Hu told Xinhua News Agency, adding the embassy staff are trying to contact with all Chinese residents to make sure they are safe.

Witnesses said the protestors yesterday set fire to buildings, overturned cars, looted a supermarket, and threw stones at the Prime Minister's Office, in a dispute with the cabinet over reform issues in the 10,000-strong South Pacific island monarchy.

The rioting started after the government deferred its final sitting day for the year, as thousands of protestors demanded that a vote on the reforms take place before the house rose.

A reporter from the local news agency, Tonga Now, described looting to Chinese stores earlier.

"Nuku'alofa is an inferno. Shoreline headquarters is gone, the Leiola Duty Free Store, Pacifica Royale (hotel), and major Chinese outlets are up in smoke. Chinese stores were smashed and empty, save for mobs to carry booty of everything from toilet paper to boxes of chicken," said the Tonga Now reporter.

Huang Yuguo, a trade department official at the Chinese embassy, drove around the city this morning, seeing some Chinese stores burned down with those remaining barred shut.

"It's disastrous for many Chinese having lived here for generations," said Huang.

Running stores has been a traditional trade for Chinese since earlier immigrants came to the South Pacific island. The hard-working owners usually preferred to expand their numbers of stores with saved money. Now Chinese-owned property accounts for a major proportion of stores in Nuku'alofa, most subjected to looting in the riots.

Over 500 Chinese live in Nuku'alofa, many of them having taken Tonga for their only homes. Hu Yeshun said so far the Chinese embassy has not received any report of Chinese being seriously hurt.

"We are making utmost efforts to avoid any further looting to the Chinese residents here," said Hu, adding he has repeatedly urged Tongan security departments and the police to tighten measures and protect Chinese people who have contributed a lot to the island country and their property.

He said Tongan army and police today enforced martial law in some areas and beefed up traffic checks in the city to rein in the situation.

He said an emergency plan had been worked out by the Chinese embassy in case of further rioting, including withdrawing the Chinese population if the situation becomes out of control. "We see it seems to be getting better now," he added.

The total damage of the riot is estimated to be in the millions of dollars. Radio New Zealand International reported that Tonga Prime Minister Feleti Sevele has asked for help from Australia and New Zealand.

He said the request details would be announced after a cabinet meeting this afternoon.
 
Sevele declared most of the capital a "proclaimed area" under the country's Public Order Preservation Act, "into which movement is severely restricted," government spokesman Lopeti Senituli said. However, he added that is not yet a state of national emergency, according to Australian Associated Press.

In a relevant development, local media reported the government has shifted its stance to agree to electoral changes for the elections in 2008.

An urgent meeting was held by the cabinet last night, Tonga Now reported.

The news service said representatives leading the protest went on radio to announce last night that they have made an agreement with the government to hold elections in 2008 and that there will be 21 members of parliament to be fully elected by the people and nine Nobles Representatives to be elected by the nobility for a total of 30 members, down from the current 34.

"They (Peoples Representatives) have announced that they have won the struggle and now calling for the people and rioters to refrain from committing further damage," said Tonga Now.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2006)