Here’s the untold story of the tiny country of Tonga, with a population of 100,000 spread over 171 islands and a monarchy that refuses to reform itself.

The past several months have been tense. Thousands of people are organizing and protesting for democracy. The government is coming under intense pressure, but the church is serving to prop up the regime. Oppositions MPs demanded the king begin reforming the government by Dec. 5, which would include popular election of all parliamentary deputies, choosing of the prime minister by the parliament, and the reduction of the king to a ceremonial role. When the king didn’t respond, the opposition took to the streets in the thousands and faced off with a smaller crowd of counter-protestors.

Protesters have again taken their demands for democratic reform of Tonga????????s absolute monarchy to the grounds surrounding the king????????s palace in Nuku????????alofa.

A crowd of 5,000 pro-democracy activists gathered at a park near the royal palace, where they became involved in an angry face-off with supporters of King Taufa????????ahau Tupou IV, according to reports by Radio New Zealand International (RNZI).

The 87-year-old ruler was leading a 2,000-strong march organised by the Methodist Church when the group was confronted by demonstrators and angry exchanges were made.

???????It was a very delicate scene when the two groups exchanged some hard words and the police were there to stop them from changing sides or getting into a physical conflict,??????? RNZI????????s correspondent said.

December 5 was the deadline set by Tonga????????s pro-democracy movement for King Tupou to begin reforming the government to introduce greater popular participation in the nation of 100,000 people.

At present, the king appoints the government, which is led by his youngest son, and the majority of the nation????????s parliament.

Of the 30 members of parliament, only nine are elected by the people.

The remaining 21 are appointed by the king and nobles.

Just two of the elected members have a place on the government????????s cabinet, a minor reform agreed to earlier this year.

On September 6, an estimated 4,000 Tongans staged a protest where organisers handed the king a petition with 20,000 signatures supporting the push for change.

Pro-democracy MPs are now planning to present King Tupou with a document outlining steps to amend Tonga????????s constitution and reduce the monarchy to a ceremonial role.

With public momentum building firmly behind them, the opposition has now presented the list of proposed constitutional amendments to the king.

This is the latest development following massive strikes and protests against the government and its monopoly control over the electric industry, which has led to shortages and the price of power going up. They also protested against huge bonuses for executives in state-run enterprises while workers were being paid very little. The monarchy had to give in when over 10,000 people, roughly 10% of the population, participated.

It’s a real people power movement, but in a country that most people have never even heard of that maintains one of the last feudal systems in the entire world. In essence, this is the first time that the people of Tonga have begun to realize that they have strength in numbers. Their ongoing victories over the monarchy have begun reinforcing a change in perception to what power actually is, how it is obtained, and how it should be used. What is always striking about witnessing such events unfold is the thematic similarity in which they do so. People everywhere, not just in the West, want their rights. And by the looks of it, the people of Tonga might be getting them soon.