Tonga: getting uglier

Things are getting ugly in Auckland over the Tongan strike, with clashes yesterday between police and protestors outside the king's residence there. And they're getting uglier in Tonga, with one of the king's houses being torched overnight and the government drawing up plans to sack striking workers and punish those who return to work. This sort of escalation is not good news, and decreases the chances of a peaceful resolution to the crisis.