A member of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) Central Standing Committee recently caused a stir with his suggestion that the nation’s Aborigines should marry within their own ethnic group to preserve the purity of Aboriginal bloodlines.
The suggestion came to light when a KMT lawmaker revealed in a post on Facebook that during a committee meeting on Wednesday last week, in which Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Sun Ta-chuan (孫大川) gave a presentation, committee member Liao Wan-lung (廖萬隆) proposed the idea to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九).
According to the post, Ma, who presided over the meeting in his capacity as the KMT chairman, responded by saying that “love and marriage are personal liberties,” adding: “I’m sorry, but I cannot take the suggestion.”
Liao’s proposal has nonetheless caused a stir among some netizens, who slammed the idea as “totally ridiculous.”
Commenting on the issue, Sediq KMT Legislator Kung Wen-chi (孔文吉) said he was surprised anyone would still make such a suggestion, as marriage between Aborigines and non-Aborigines helped keep the different ethnicities at peace, adding that trying to stop inter-communal marriages hinted at repression, not progress.
KMT Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明), a member of the Paiwan tribe, added that it was “inhuman” to interfere in the freedom of marriage.
Protection of cultures did not necessarily need to start by avoiding marriage between Aboriginal and Han peoples, said Chien, whose view was echoed by Sun.
Other Aboriginal leaders also said it was ludicrous, laughable, an infringement of human rights and inhumane.
Independent Legislator May Chin (高金素梅), who is half-Atayal and represents an Aboriginal constituency, wondered why Liao still subscribed to the outdated concept of blood and racial purity.
Liao yesterday clarified that his intent had been to preserve Aboriginal languages and cultures. Such things cannot be forced and must be encouraged by policies, he added.
The central government’s policies on the preservation of Aboriginal culture are insufficient, causing their gradual assimilation and the loss of Aboriginal languages, Liao said.
“There might not be a pure-bred Aborigines anymore if this continues,” Liao said.
Government policies must protect the vulnerable and the central government should draw up regulations that encourage young Aborigines to return to their native homes to carry on their own cultures, which are an important part of Taiwan’s culture, he added.
According to the Aboriginal Identity Act (原住民身分法) amended in January 2001, people who are half Aborigine can obtain Aborigine status.
As a result, whereas the Aboriginal population was 420,000 in 2002, as of last month a total of 514,000 individuals nationwide were classified as Aborigines.
‘CROWN JEWEL’: Washington ‘can delay and deter’ Chinese President Xi Jinping’s plans for Taiwan, but it is ‘a very delicate situation there,’ the secretary of state said US President Donald Trump is opposed to any change to Taiwan’s “status quo” by force or extortion and would maintain that policy, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the Hugh Hewitt Show host on Wednesday. The US’ policy is to maintain Taiwan’s “status quo” and to oppose any changes in the situation by force or extortion, Rubio said. Hewitt asked Rubio about the significance of Trump earlier this month speaking with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) at the White House, a meeting that Hewitt described as a “big deal.” Asked whether the meeting was an indication of the
‘RELATIVELY STRONG LANGUAGE’: An expert said the state department has not softened its language on China and was ‘probably a little more Taiwan supportive’ China’s latest drills near Taiwan on Monday were “brazen and irresponsible threats,” a US Department of State spokesperson said on Tuesday, while reiterating Washington’s decades-long support of Taipei. “China cannot credibly claim to be a ‘force for stability in a turbulent world’ while issuing brazen and irresponsible threats toward Taiwan,” the unnamed spokesperson said in an e-mailed response to media queries. Washington’s enduring commitment to Taiwan will continue as it has for 45 years and the US “will continue to support Taiwan in the face of China’s military, economic, informational and diplomatic pressure campaign,” the e-mail said. “Alongside our international partners, we firmly
KAOHSIUNG CEREMONY: The contract chipmaker is planning to build 5 fabs in the southern city to gradually expand its 2-nanometer chip capacity Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the world’s biggest contract chipmaker, yesterday confirmed that it plans to hold a ceremony on March 31 to unveil a capacity expansion plan for its most advanced 2-nanometer chips in Kaohsiung, demonstrating its commitment to further investment at home. The ceremony is to be hosted by TSMC cochief operating officer Y.P. Chyn (秦永沛). It did not disclose whether Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) and high-ranking government officials would attend the ceremony. More details are to be released next week, it said. The chipmaker’s latest move came after its announcement earlier this month of an additional US$100 billion
Authorities yesterday elaborated on the rules governing Employment Gold Cards after a US cardholder was barred from entering Taiwan for six years after working without a permit during a 2023 visit. American YouTuber LeLe Farley was barred after already being approved for an Employment Gold Card, he said in a video published on his channel on Saturday. Farley, who has more than 420,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, was approved for his Gold Card last month, but was told at a check-in counter at the Los Angeles International Airport that he could not enter Taiwan. That was because he previously participated in two
RSS