TT: You just mentioned the amendments to the National Park Law have made many significant breakthroughs. Could you elaborate more on this?
Lin: The current National Park Law prohibits such unauthorized behaviors as hunting, farming, construction and plucking or harvesting of vegetation within the national park's borders. It has been highly criticized by Aborigines who live inside the national parks and have to carry on with their traditional hunting activities or habits of harvesting plants for tribal medication and food.
To make the law more down-to-earth and to preserve the lifestyle of the Aborigines, the amendments would allow such activities with the consent of the consultation committee. A national park would have a consultation committee if half of the park area covers an Aboriginal administrative zone.
The amendments would also stipulate that half of the committee members have to be local Aborigines while the other half academics or experts.
TT: What do you think of the criticism that the establishment of the park would disturb the lifestyle of the Aborigines and affect their livelihood?
Lin: Although I don't deny that tourism is one of the main reasons behind the establishment of the Makao National Park, it's not the most important one. One thing I'd like to make clear here, however, is that all future tourism activities have to be ecology- or conservation-oriented. We'd like to minimize the impact on the everyday life of the Aborigines to the lowest level possible.
As for the impact on their livelihood, there's no doubt that we'll do our best to preserve and safeguard it. By the same token, we won't allow any illegal acts such as poaching or deforestation to take place inside the park.
TT: Let's talk about the joint management mechanism. Opposition groups have questioned how much say Aborigines would have in the joint management mechanisms with the government. What's your reaction to this?
Lin: This brings us back to the amendments to the National Park Law, which would allow the setup of a consultation committee if half of the park area covers an Aboriginal administrative zone.
The amendments would also stipulate that committee members have to be half local Aborigines and half experts and academics.
In a bid to have more Aborigines participate in the management of the park, we also propose in the park's planning proposal that Aborigines would comprise half of the park's administrative management team and two thirds of the park's policing team.
TT: Yes, but this would pose two potential problems. One is that they have to be civil servants to be qualified for the job. Secondly, as not many Aborigines meet the requirements, they may not be locals or even reluctant to relocate to that area.
Lin: It's truly a problem but there's nothing much we can do about the employment system of civil servants. The only way we can think of to deal with the problem is to let them gradually climb up the bureaucratic ladder. I'm sure that the problem will be fully resolved as time goes on.
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