Aboriginal groups yesterday filed a petition to the Control Yuan accusing the government of illegally declaring some Aboriginal areas “special zones” with bans on certain human activities.
The government earlier this month released a list of Aboriginal “special areas” that were not safe for habitation after Typhoon Morakot wreaked havoc in the south and east last August.
The designation became effective for the first three Aboriginal villages in Taitung and Pingtung Counties yesterday.
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
Aboriginal groups protested outside the Control Yuan and filed a formal complaint.
“A clause in Article 20 of the Post-Typhoon Morakot Reconstruction Special Act [莫拉克颱風災後重建特別條例] stipulates that governments — central or local — should negotiate with residents and reach a consensus before restricting residence or evacuating villages,” Hsiao Shih-huei (蕭世暉), a member of the Association for Taiwan Indigenous Peoples’ Policies, said at the demonstration.
“The same law also calls for governments to follow the Indigenous Peoples’ Basic Law [原住民族基本法] when dealing with Aboriginal domains, and [that law] requires that the government get consent from Aboriginal residents before making a decision that affects Aboriginal domains,” Hsiao said.
Hsiao said the Post-Typhoon Morakot Reconstruction Commission did not reach a consensus with Aborigines before announcing its list of “special zones.”
“Did the government act according to the Indigenous Peoples’ Basic Law? No! Was there consensus before the special zone designation? No! Did the government act according to the reconstruction act? No!” Hsiao said. “This is a serious violation of the law and an abuse of power.”
Wutu Micyang, representative of the Taiwan Alliance of Aboriginal Communities for Action, echoed Hsiao’s view.
“The government not only did not reach consensus with Aborigines, it tried to trick us when it explained to us what ‘special zones’ were. They tried to hide the negative side of the policy and told us only good things about it,” Wutu said. “They said only what compensation and assistance Aborigines can receive once their land is declared a special zone, and even said the designation won’t affect our rights at all.”
“If special zones won’t affect our rights, then why does the government want them?” Wutu questioned.
Aboriginal rights activist Omi Wilang questioned why parts of Taichung County that were not affected by Morakot had been included on the list of restricted zones and wondered whether some areas were put on the list to make way for corporations to build resorts or recreational parks.
Control Yuan member Yu Teng-fang (余騰芳), who sits on a special panel that is investigating the government’s response in the aftermath of Morakot, accepted the petition and promised to launch a probe into it.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and