Aboriginal rights activists and politicians yesterday clashed with police as they tried to get into the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus office to deliver a petition voicing their opposition to the Executive Yuan’s draft Aboriginal autonomy bill.
“[KMT caucus whip] Lin Yi-shih (林益世) come out! Lin Yi-shih, come out!” dozens of Aborigines shouted as they protested outside the KMT’s caucus office.
They were eager to get into the office to deliver a petition to voice their opposition to the draft bill, which they consider a “fake autonomy bill” as it gives Aborigines neither a budgetary increase nor the right to land and natural resources.
Although the caucus office eventually allowed them in, no one was there to take their petition and several protestors with KMT membership threatened to withdraw from the party.
Things went more smoothly when they visited the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus office, as DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) received them and promised to stand with them on the autonomy issue.
Outside the Legislative Yuan, there were hundreds of other protestors.
“We are here to defend our rights,” former DPP legislator Payen Talu of the Atayal tribe told the crowd that represented all 14 officially recognized Aboriginal tribes in the country.
“What good would an autonomy bill do us if it will not give us the right to fully manage our own traditional domains and natural resources within — as the Aboriginal Basic Act [原住民族基本法] promises — and will not allow autonomous regions to receive budgets directly from the central government?” Payen said.
Payen and the demonstrators were upset because the Executive Yuan’s version of the draft bill keeps major decision-making powers in the hands of existing central and local government organizations, leaving mostly culture-related policy-making power to Aboriginal autonomous regions.
Civil society groups yesterday protested outside the Legislative Yuan, decrying Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) efforts to pass three major bills that they said would seriously harm Taiwan’s democracy, and called to oust KMT caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅?萁). It was the second night of the three-day “Bluebird wintertime action” protests in Taipei, with organizers announcing that 8,000 people attended. Organized by Taiwan Citizen Front, the Economic Democracy Union (EDU) and a coalition of civil groups, about 6,000 people began a demonstration in front of KMT party headquarters in Taipei on Wednesday, organizers said. For the third day, the organizers asked people to assemble
Taipei is participating in Osaka’s Festival of Lights this year, with a 3m-tall bubble tea light installation symbolizing Taiwan’s bubble tea culture. The installation is designed as a bubble tea cup and features illustrations of Taipei’s iconic landmarks, such as Taipei 101, the Red House and North Gate, as well as soup dumplings and the matchmaking deity the Old Man Under the Moon (月下老人), affectionately known as Yue Lao (月老). Taipei and Osaka have collaborated closely on tourism and culture since Taipei first participated in the festival in 2018, the Taipei City Department of Information and Tourism said. In February, Osaka represented
POOR IMPLEMENTATION: Teachers welcomed the suspension, saying that the scheme disrupted school schedules, quality of learning and the milk market A policy to offer free milk to all school-age children nationwide is to be suspended next year due to multiple problems arising from implementation of the policy, the Executive Yuan announced yesterday. The policy was designed to increase the calcium intake of school-age children in Taiwan by drinking milk, as more than 80 percent drink less than 240ml per day. The recommended amount is 480ml. It was also implemented to help Taiwanese dairy farmers counter competition from fresh milk produced in New Zealand, which is to be imported to Taiwan tariff-free next year when the Agreement Between New Zealand and
Taiwanese professional baseball should update sports stadiums and boost engagement to enhance fans’ experience, Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) commissioner Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌) told the Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) in an interview on Friday. The league has urged Farglory Group and the Taipei City Government to improve the Taipei Dome’s outdated equipment, including relatively rudimentary television and sound systems, and poor technology, he said. The Tokyo Dome has markedly better television and sound systems, despite being 30 years old, because its managers continually upgraded its equipment, Tsai said. In contrast, the Taipei Dome lacked even a room for referees
RSS