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Dignity of Aboriginal culture put in danger

On Saturday, Aboriginal tribes from all over Taiwan took part in a march for their rights. At the same time, the pan-blue and pan-green camps continue to stereotype Aborigines and exploit their cultural symbols. Most disturbingly, in the last couple days, the media has extensively reported that Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), with the support of certain Aboriginal religious and tribal groups, has been appointed the so-called "head chief" of the Aboriginal tribes.

The support of particular parties or politicians by individual Aborigines, or by Aboriginal organizations or religious groups, is part of their freedom of expression and a manifestation of an open, liberal and diverse society that respects the civic rights of individuals or groups to political participation.

Yet, why should the head-dress and staff, which represent tribal authority, be given to a colonial Han regime as an expression of these democratic political rights?

The leaders of Aboriginal groups and Aboriginal politicians should be extremely careful to avoid letting their individual political positions and loyalties violate the basic rights and the dignity of Aborigines.

Furthermore, today, when Aboriginal rights awareness is becoming increasingly widespread and when the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples has been passed, it is both sad and revolting to see the return of such feudal and authoritarian behavior as the crowning of a "father" of the Aborigines and a "mighty and enlightened chief."

Political parties and Aboriginal politicians should prudently determine whether their personal behavior infringes on the rights and the dignity of all Aborigines.

Unfortunately, Han politicians often play to the masses and rather than exercising self-control and maintaining their place, they cross the border of Aboriginal dignity. This kind of infringement occurs whenever elections take place or when Aboriginal tribes hold important ceremonies.

The collective support of parties or candidates by Aboriginal civic or religious groups would be commendable if it had been subject to thorough internal discussion and was based on their organizational principles, the expression of their religious beliefs and the realization of their goals in social development. Unfortunately, media coverage have not shown that this was the case.

The positions of Aboriginal groups are not differentiated from that of other civic groups or political parties and there is even the emergence of slogans proclaiming "absolute loyalty" to Ma, the "head chief," and the tendency to deify political figures. This is a violation of the basic theology of Aboriginal beliefs.

The political participation of Aboriginal civic and religious groups should hold the principles of self-government and self-determination at its core and the realization of a political society should be founded on equal "state to state" relations as advocated by Aboriginal rights movements around the world, while also reflecting the spirit of the "new partnership" proposed by the UN.

Aboriginal group leaders who hold positions that put their words and actions in the public spotlight should exercise even more prudence to avoid damaging the dignity of their tribes.

Han politicians, whether pan-blue or pan-green, should also know their place. Anyone who destroys ethnic equality and infringes upon Aboriginal dignity should be spurned by the public.

Isak Afo is a member of the Amis tribe and spokesperson for the Taiwan Indigenous Association.

Translated by Angela Hong
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