Pro-Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members of Taiwan's 12 Aboriginal tribes yesterday formed an "Aboriginal Knights of the Round Table" to support President Chen Shui-bian's (
Hundreds of tribal representatives gathered yesterday in Taipei to express gratitude to President Chen for implementing policies promoting the welfare of Aboriginal communities during his time as president.
Dressed in rain shoes and headscarves, the representatives said they wanted to acknowledge the president's sincerity in visiting each of the tribes.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
"We are here to announce that President Chen is a member of each tribe and that all 12 tribes will honor the president with a name in each of our languages," said an Aboriginal elder.
Amis representatives granted the president the name of "Mahengheng," which means a warrior who never concedes defeat and always triumphs in battle. Atayal representatives chose "Qebuta," which means a hero who leads the people to a new paradise, while Paiwan representatives selected "Tanuvak," used to mark a warrior who excels in defense.
Bunun representatives chose the name "Kavaslavian," which signifies a hero who hunts the heads of enemies and advances the tribe, while Rukai representatives called the president "Pacak," honoring him as a supreme king.
Tao representatives offered the name "Simagalelaw" in praise of the president.
Peinan representatives called the president "Kelalaw," the Tsou representatives used the name "Avay," and the Taroko tribe selected "Watan-rulung," each meaning that Chen was a brave warrior.
Saisiat representatives called the president "Kalahayta-in," meaning a master of supernatural power, while Kavalan representatives gave Chen the name "Padada-mes" in approval of his dedication to the country.
Finally, Thao representatives named Chen "Yaminasaw," meaning that the president was a member of their tribe.
"I am proud of being accepted as a member of your tribes today with these titles of honor. They illustrate the vitality of Taiwan's diverse cultures, and these are the most valuable assets the country possesses," Chen said.
Chen vowed to continue protecting Aboriginal cultures and to help Aboriginal people recover their tribal dignity.
"The more we value Aboriginal history and achievements, the sooner this country will reach a state of ethnic harmony," he said.
"And it is my duty to maintain an equilibrium between all tribes as well as other ethnic groups in the country to build a future for all," Chen added.
Chen then presented purple suits to the representatives to mark the founding of the organization.
A small number of Taiwanese this year lost their citizenship rights after traveling in China and obtaining a one-time Chinese passport to cross the border into Russia, a source said today. The people signed up through Chinese travel agencies for tours of neighboring Russia with companies claiming they could obtain Russian visas and fast-track border clearance, the source said on condition of anonymity. The travelers were actually issued one-time-use Chinese passports, they said. Taiwanese are prohibited from holding a Chinese passport or household registration. If found to have a Chinese ID, they may lose their resident status under Article 9-1
Taiwanese were praised for their composure after a video filmed by Taiwanese tourists capturing the moment a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Aomori Prefecture went viral on social media. The video shows a hotel room shaking violently amid Monday’s quake, with objects falling to the ground. Two Taiwanese began filming with their mobile phones, while two others held the sides of a TV to prevent it from falling. When the shaking stopped, the pair calmly took down the TV and laid it flat on a tatami mat, the video shows. The video also captured the group talking about the safety of their companions bathing
PROBLEMATIC APP: Citing more than 1,000 fraud cases, the government is taking the app down for a year, but opposition voices are calling it censorship Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday decried a government plan to suspend access to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (小紅書) for one year as censorship, while the Presidential Office backed the plan. The Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited security risks and accusations that the Instagram-like app, known as Rednote in English, had figured in more than 1,700 fraud cases since last year. The company, which has about 3 million users in Taiwan, has not yet responded to requests for comment. “Many people online are already asking ‘How to climb over the firewall to access Xiaohongshu,’” Cheng posted on
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake yesterday struck off the coast of Hualien, causing brief transportation disruptions in northern and eastern Taiwan, as authorities said that aftershocks of magnitude 5 or higher could occur over the next three days. The quake, which hit at 7:24pm at a depth of 24.5km, registered an intensity of 4 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. In Taipei, the MRT railway’s operations control center received an earthquake alert and initiated standard safety procedures, briefly halting trains on the Bannan (blue) line for about a minute.
RSS