The Truku (太魯閣) people of Hualien County were recognized as the nation's 12th indigenous tribe at a ceremony yesterday following a controversial, decade-long effort by activists.
Representatives of Nantou County's Sedeq people, also categorized by academics as a distinct part of the overarching Atayal (
"How can a tribe with the same culture, language and way of life be split in two? It makes no sense," said Wadann Sumigh (洼旦.蘇密), a member of the Sedeq.
PHOTO: CNA
"The government should have conducted more genealogical, demographic, cultural and linguistic research before rushing to this decision," he said.
Wadann Sumigh alleged that the Cabinet's decision was made out of political considerations.
"It's a bid to woo the 13,000 Truku that live in Hualien County. They don't really care what the 7,000 Sedeq in Nantou County think," he said.
"It's the saddest day in the history of the tribe," he said.
Wadann made the remarks during the ceremony held at the Executive Yuan yesterday morning. About 150 Truku and 60 Sedeq were in attendance.
Describing government recognition of the Truku as a milestone, Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday took the opportunity to lambaste a campaign promise to establish an Aboriginal autonomy zone proposed by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan (連戰).
"It's outdated and incorrect to create a single Aboriginal autonomy zone for each of the nation's 12 indigenous tribes," Yu said.
"The `ethnic assimilation' [stated in the policy] is better described as `ethnic cleansing' if the process is to be sudden and compulsory," he said.
While the KMT trumpeted the principle of ethnic assimilation, Yu said, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) embraced ethnic equality, harmony and pluralism.
Yu said that the DPP's Aboriginal policy was being applied from the grass roots up, rather than the other way around.
He said the DPP welcomed indigenous ambitions to establish autonomy zones, and that a bill currently before the legislature on the establishment of Aboriginal autonomous zones (原住民族自治區法) would facilitate this.
"We don't mind seeing one tribe establish three autonomous regions or three different tribes settle in one autonomous zone, as long as the decision is based on the free will of tribal people," Yu said.
"In some countries it might take decades and even considerable bloodshed to reach this point. Here in Taiwan, Aborigines don't have to go through this ordeal because of the initiative President Chen [Shui-bian (陳水扁)] took to sign an agreement with indigenous people."
Chen signed an accord with Aboriginal activists while campaigning for the presidency in 1999. In the agreement, he pledged to establish an autonomous region for Aborigines as well as formalize other rights, such as use of natural resources and land ownership.
Truku representative Lee Chih-shoon (
"It's a sacred moment, and it is for us the highest honor ... today we are proud to call ourselves Truku," Tera said.
"We'll continue to negotiate with our brothers, the Sedeq in Nantou, and work toward holding a peace ceremony with them in the near future," he said.
Truku activists started campaigning for official recognition in 1996. In June last year, Truku tribal leaders submitted a petition with 972 signatures to the Cabinet-level Council of Indigenous Peoples asking for recognition.
In July last year Truku activists petitioned Chen when he traveled to Hualien County. The DPP's Central Standing Committee, of which Chen is the chairman, later passed a resolution supporting the campaign.
In 2001 the government recognized the Thao (
An undersea cable to Penghu County has been severed, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said today, with a Chinese-funded ship suspected of being responsible. It comes just a month after a Chinese ship was suspected of severing an undersea cable north of Keelung Harbor. The National Communications and Cyber Security Center received a report at 3:03am today from Chunghwa Telecom that the No. 3 cable from Taiwan to Penghu was severed 14.7km off the coast of Tainan, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said. The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom began to monitor the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai (宏泰)
EVA Air is prohibiting the use of portable chargers on board all flights starting from Saturday, while China Airlines is advising passengers not to use them, following the lead of South Korean airlines. Current regulations prohibit portable chargers and lithium batteries from check-in luggage and require them to be properly packed in carry-on baggage, EVA Air said. To improve onboard safety, portable chargers and spare lithium batteries would be prohibited from use on all fights starting on Saturday, it said. Passengers are advised to fully charge electronic devices before boarding and use the AC and USB charging outlets at their seat, it said. South
WAR SIMULATION: The developers of the board game ‘2045’ consulted experts and analysts, and made maps based on real-life Chinese People’s Liberation Army exercises To stop invading Chinese forces seizing Taiwan, board gamer Ruth Zhong chooses the nuclear option: Dropping an atomic bomb on Taipei to secure the nation’s freedom and her victory. The Taiwanese board game 2045 is a zero-sum contest of military strategy and individual self-interest that puts players on the front lines of a simulated Chinese attack. Their battlefield game tactics would determine the theoretical future of Taiwan, which in the real world faces the constant threat of a Chinese invasion. “The most interesting part of this game is that you have to make continuous decisions based on the evolving situation,
Actor Lee Wei (李威) was released on bail on Monday after being named as a suspect in the death of a woman whose body was found in the meeting place of a Buddhist group in Taipei’s Daan District (大安) last year, prosecutors said. Lee, 44, was released on NT$300,000 (US$9,148) bail, while his wife, surnamed Chien (簡), was released on NT$150,000 bail after both were summoned to give statements regarding the woman’s death. The home of Lee, who has retreated from the entertainment business in the past few years, was also searched by prosecutors and police earlier on Monday. Lee was questioned three