Performing a traditional exorcism ritual, a group of Thao Aborigines yesterday protested against a build-operate-transfer (BOT) resort project near Sun Moon Lake on Thao traditional lands, for which the government gave initial approval without consulting them.
Sprinkling self-brewed alcohol into the sky with her fingers while reciting spells, an elderly Thao shaman performed the traditional ritual to drive away evil spirits in front of the Executive Yuan.
“The evil is in there,” she said, pointing at the Executive Yuan compound.
Photo: CNA
Following the shaman were dozens of Thao Aborigines in their traditional dress, holding banners accusing the government of exploiting the Thao and urging the government to return their traditional domains to them.
“Sun Moon Lake and the surrounding areas are traditional territories of the Thao, but now the government is introducing Chinese capital to build a resort without having consulted us as the Aboriginal Basic Act [原住民族基本法] requires,” Thao National Assembly Speaker Banu Bagamumu told reporters.
While the government promised that the resort would bring jobs to locals, Banu Bagamumu said that Chinese tour agencies always bring along their own business partners and “the project will not benefit us at all.”
He called on the Executive Yuan to nullify its initial approval for the project and suspend all BOT plans before a program to revive traditional Thao culture is in place.
Indigenous Peoples’ Action Coalition secretary-general Omi Wilang, an Atayal, said that currently, there are only a few thousand Thao left in the country, who are struggling to keep their tribe and their culture alive.
“What the government should do for an ethnic group that is in such a disadvantaged position is protect, not to accelerate its peril,” Omi Wilang said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said that besides assessing the impact of the development project on the environment, the government “should equally assess its impact on the Thao culture.”
The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration Office and the Nantou County Government are planning to work with a developer to build a four-star resort hotel costing more than NT$2 billion (US$66 million) near the lake.
The project is financed by Hong Kong’s Bonds Group. If it goes ahead as planned, the resort will be completed and opened in 2017.
Thao Aborigines and their supporters are expected to protest in front of the Environmental Protection Administration in Taipei on Friday.
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
TRADE: A mandatory declaration of origin for manufactured goods bound for the US is to take effect on May 7 to block China from exploiting Taiwan’s trade channels All products manufactured in Taiwan and exported to the US must include a signed declaration of origin starting on May 7, the Bureau of Foreign Trade announced yesterday. US President Donald Trump on April 2 imposed a 32 percent tariff on imports from Taiwan, but one week later announced a 90-day pause on its implementation. However, a universal 10 percent tariff was immediately applied to most imports from around the world. On April 12, the Trump administration further exempted computers, smartphones and semiconductors from the new tariffs. In response, President William Lai’s (賴清德) administration has introduced a series of countermeasures to support affected
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
CROSS-STRAIT: The vast majority of Taiwanese support maintaining the ‘status quo,’ while concern is rising about Beijing’s influence operations More than eight out of 10 Taiwanese reject Beijing’s “one country, two systems” framework for cross-strait relations, according to a survey released by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday. The MAC’s latest quarterly survey found that 84.4 percent of respondents opposed Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formula for handling cross-strait relations — a figure consistent with past polling. Over the past three years, opposition to the framework has remained high, ranging from a low of 83.6 percent in April 2023 to a peak of 89.6 percent in April last year. In the most recent poll, 82.5 percent also rejected China’s
RSS