TSU legislator threatens to cut Academia Sinica budget

Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Chien Lin Hui-chien (錢林慧君) yesterday threatened to cut the annual budget for the Institute of Linguistics at the Academia Sinica, because the draft budget plan the institute has prepared did not include any funds for studies about Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), but the Academia Sinica said that this was merely the result of a misunderstanding.

Chien Lin's threat was backed up by several social groups promoting the language, and the groups voiced strong dissatisfaction toward the country's top academic institute.

The Academia Sinica, on the other hand, said the institute did prepare funds for studies on the language, but because the budget plan was not written in detail, the dispute was a misunderstanding.

Chien Lin, in a written statement yesterday, pointed out that while the institute is engaged in several projects on languages used by Han peoples, and languages derived from these -- including dead and rare languages -- it was not prepared to spend any funds for the study of the Taiwanese language next year.

"I will demand cutting the annual budget for the institute, except the budget for Hoklo and Aboriginal languages, when the legislative committee reviews the annual budget for the Academia Sinica on Nov. 1," Chien Lin said in the statement.

"I will also try to seek support to make a resolution demanding the Academia Sinica distribute a certain amount of money for studies on Taiwanese, Hoklo and Aboriginal languages in the future," she said.

Chien Lin said that since Academia Sinica's budget came out of taxpayers' pockets, it ought to study the languages used in Taiwan.

Several social groups yesterday also demanded that Academia Sinica review its budget.

"We are voicing our dissatisfaction, but we are not making a protest. A protest would be made by minority groups, but we are the majority in Taiwan. The Academia Sinica is backtracking with its neglect of the Taiwanese language, and it does not respect the local culture," said Chang Shu-fen (張淑芬), chairwoman of the Taiwan Mother Tongue Education Association (台灣母語教育學會).

Chang said that according to the official budget plan, while the institute has seven major research areas, Taiwanese was just one subject under one area, and Taiwanese was referred to as "a dialect" instead of properly called a "national language." She also said that according to the Academia Sinica's Web site, the institute was holding a seminar on the languages used within China next month.

"Does the Academia Sinica consider Taiwan situated within China? Shouldn't it move to China, then?" Chang said.

In response to the accusations, Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) said yesterday that it was all a misunderstanding.

"The Institute of Linguistics has distributed funds for the study of the Taiwanese language next year, but since our budget plan has not listed the budget distribution in detail, the funds for the Taiwanese language studies are not reflected in the budget plan," Lee said.

Lee said that Academia Sinica would communicate with the Legislative Yuan about the misunderstanding before its budget plan gets reviewed on Monday.