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.
Former Czech Republic-based Taiwanese researcher Cheng Yu-chin (鄭宇欽) has been sentenced to seven years in prison on espionage-related charges, China’s Ministry of State Security announced yesterday. China said Cheng was a spy for Taiwan who “masqueraded as a professor” and that he was previously an assistant to former Cabinet secretary-general Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰). President-elect William Lai (賴清德) on Wednesday last week announced Cho would be his premier when Lai is inaugurated next month. Today is China’s “National Security Education Day.” The Chinese ministry yesterday released a video online showing arrests over the past 10 years of people alleged to be
THE HAWAII FACTOR: While a 1965 opinion said an attack on Hawaii would not trigger Article 5, the text of the treaty suggests the state is covered, the report says NATO could be drawn into a conflict in the Taiwan Strait if Chinese forces attacked the US mainland or Hawaii, a NATO Defense College report published on Monday says. The report, written by James Lee, an assistant research fellow at Academia Sinica’s Institute of European and American Studies, states that under certain conditions a Taiwan contingency could trigger Article 5 of NATO, under which an attack against any member of the alliance is considered an attack against all members, necessitating a response. Article 6 of the North Atlantic Treaty specifies that an armed attack in the territory of any member in Europe,
LIKE FAMILY: People now treat dogs and cats as family members. They receive the same medical treatments and tests as humans do, a veterinary association official said The number of pet dogs and cats in Taiwan has officially outnumbered the number of human newborns last year, data from the Ministry of Agriculture’s pet registration information system showed. As of last year, Taiwan had 94,544 registered pet dogs and 137,652 pet cats, the data showed. By contrast, 135,571 babies were born last year. Demand for medical care for pet animals has also risen. As of Feb. 29, there were 5,773 veterinarians in Taiwan, 3,993 of whom were for pet animals, statistics from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency showed. In 2022, the nation had 3,077 pediatricians. As of last
XINJIANG: Officials are conducting a report into amending an existing law or to enact a special law to prohibit goods using forced labor Taiwan is mulling an amendment prohibiting the importation of goods using forced labor, similar to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) passed by the US Congress in 2021 that imposed limits on goods produced using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. A government official who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday that as the US customs law explicitly prohibits the importation of goods made using forced labor, in 2021 it passed the specialized UFLPA to limit the importation of cotton and other goods from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur region. Taiwan does not have the legal basis to prohibit the importation of goods