Aborigines yesterday protested against the host of the Double Ten National Day ceremony using a ridiculous phrase to introduce the nation’s 16 recognized Aboriginal tribes, saying it was demeaning and made Aborigines the butt of a joke.
Host Ho Wei-lun (何偉綸) said “ Shao Tai tai da ka, A sa bu lu ge, bei xia de pao zou la” (邵太太打卡，阿薩不魯哥，被嚇得跑走啦). The term "A sa bu lu ge" means “ill-behaved” in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese).
Aboriginal groups said the incident showed the government was not serious about its commitment to lift the oppression of Aborigines.
Photo: CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Sufin Siluko, who is an Amis, said the act was disrespectful and went against the olive branch President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) extended toward Aborigines when she made a formal apology to them on behalf of the government in August.
Sufin Siluko said he was “very unhappy” to hear about the incident, especially given the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) continuous reiteration that it wants to implement transitional justice for Aborigines.
The Tsai administration should seek to “transition” itself to justice and remove the ethnic Han chauvinism that is ubiquitous in government, he said, adding that only then will the government finally have respect for Aborigines.
Legislative Speaker Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said that no event should ever turn ethnicity into a joke and he would be making a formal apology to all Aborigines on behalf of the government and would be asking the National Day Preparation Committee to make a formal apology as well.
As legislative speaker, Su was in charge of the organizing committee.
The committee said it came up with the phrase to highlight Taiwan’s acceptance of multiple ethnicities and wanted the public to be aware that Aboriginal culture is unique and treasured in Taiwan, adding it had not meant disrespect by what it thought was an opportunity for creative teaching.
The committee offered its apologies and said it would ensure that there would not be a repeat of the incident.
Premier Lin Chuan (林全) yesterday afternoon told lawmakers that that he had not noticed the phrase during the ceremony because the event was very noisy.
Lin made the comment in response to KMT Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明), who had asked him if he agreed with the phrase.
Lin said that at the time he did not understand the meaning of the phrase and only realized that it was very disrespectful toward Aborigines after the incident was reported by the media.
That such a phrase would be used on such a solemn occasion as the National Day ceremony was inappropriate, Lin said.
Asked how the government should change after several incidents of mishandling commentary about Aborigines, Lin said the government should change its attitude and try to learn about different cultures.
Additional reporting by CNA
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