Aborigines have warned they will set fire to the Macau National Park mountain if the Ministry of Interior's NT$40 million budget to establish the Macau National Park in Ilan County is passed in the legislature.
Many Aborigines live around the region where the MOI plans to establish the national park.
"The MOI announced the area of the national park in July last year without negotiating with us. We were very angry," a high-ranking aboriginal leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, was quoted in the Chinese media as saying on Tuesday. "If it goes ahead, we will set fire to the mountain in the park."
"We are not opposed to the establishment of the national park, but the government must negotiate with us before deciding to set up the park," the leader said.
The leader was also quoted as saying that the Aborigines consider the MOI's sending of the budget to the Legislature as another act of disrespect toward them.
"No one knows the mountain more than us. If the government continues toignore our pleas for talks, we will give the government a hard time," the leader said.
"We will launch a protest when the legislature reviews the budget next week," he said.
If the budget is passed, Taiwan will have its seventh national park.
The establishment of Macau National Park is one of the campaign pledges of President Chen Shui-bian (
The current six national parks are Kenting National Park, Mount Snow National Park, Yangmingshan National Park, Taroko National Park, Shei-pa National Park and Kinmen National Park.
Macau National Park will cover 21, 449 hectares. The region is famous for its ancient hinoki cypress forest.
Aborigines also vowed to set up traps in the mountain if the budget is passed.
Meanwhile, PFP aboriginal lawmaker May Chin (高金素梅) said yesterday that Macau National Park borders many aboriginal reserves.
"Aborigines' lives are closely connected with the forest. The national park will seriously disturb their lives," Chin said.
Chin also pointed out the MOI's project to build up the park has not had careful consideration.
"One of the park's major aims is to preserve hinoki cypress. However, a field worker has discovered the park does not cover the area where a 1,000-year-old hinoki cypress aged more than 1,000 is located," Chin said.
MOI officials did not comment on the Aborigines' protest yesterday.
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