Aborigines block grab for land

Aboriginal protesters from Hsinchu and Hualien counties march on the Executive Yuan yesterday, demanding the Ministry of the Interior preserve laws restricting ownership of Aboriginal reservation land to Aboriginal people. PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES

An Aboriginal protest yesterday seemingly prevented a Ministry of the Interior (MOI) meeting scheduled for Tuesday from ratifying crucial changes to a law guaranteeing Aboriginal ownership and use of Aboriginal reservation land.

Led by Aboriginal independent Legislator May Chin (高金素梅), a small contingent of Aboriginal protesters in yellow raincoats marched to the main entrance of the Executive Yuan, chanting the slogans "Give us back our reservation land!" and "The MOI knows the law and is breaking it!"

The meeting, now canceled, had been expected to approve revisions to the Mountain Slope and Conservation Law (山坡地保育利用條例) proposed by the Promotion of Rights of Plains People Living in Mountain Districts, or Pingquanhui (平權會) for short, and certain Aboriginal groups in February. The revisions sought to give non-Aboriginal people illegally using or living on reservation land prior to 1995 rights equal to those of Aboriginal people.

The Pingquanhui has used virulently racist language to attack Aboriginal people, and has attempted to discredit Aboriginal claims to traditional lands by ridiculing the historical origins of Aboriginal people.

In Section 37 of the law, Aboriginal people who cultivate land within reservation zones for five years are guaranteed cultivation rights, land surface rights and lease rights to that land. The section also states: "Land ownership transfer is limited to Aboriginal people."

During the rally, Chin met with Vice Minister of the Interior Lin Join-sane (林中森), who promised not to proceed with the revisions without the full support of Chin and other Aboriginal representatives.

Earlier, Chin held a public hearing where she and other Aboriginal legislators denounced the attempt to implement the revisions.

"The MOI's actions clearly violate the Mountain Slope and Conservation Law. Although the revision obviously falls outside the limits set by the law, the MOI is using its power to manipulate the situation," she said.

Chin and the other Aboriginal representatives questioned the integrity of President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration.

"The MOI's actions make me wonder: Is the government challenging the rights of Aboriginal people?" she asked.

"In 2000, Chen signed an agreement to respect the rights of Aboriginal people and help us regain our lands. However, this revision is plainly against the spirit of that agreement. It contradicts his promise to us," she said.

An editorial published in yesterday's China Times by Pu Chung-cheng (浦忠成), vice chairman of the Council of Indigenous Peoples and a member of the Tsou tribe (鄒族), discussed in detail the dilemma facing Aboriginal people today.

Many "plains people" (non-Aboriginal people, ie, Han people) have lived in mountainous and rural areas traditionally seen as Aboriginal territory for several generations, and likewise for Aboriginal people living in the plains, he said, with both groups having developed social and economic ties in those areas.

However, Pu said, much of the land set aside as Aboriginal reservation land has been and is being illegally used by plains people or has been illegally sold to them by Aboriginal people through deception or because of serious financial need.

The government, he said, needed to do more to actively restore this land to Aboriginal people.