Taiwan's Aboriginal people are the victims of political wrangling between Aboriginal legislators, the head of the Council of Indigenous Peoples said yesterday, citing as proof the recent difficulties establishing an Aboriginal television channel.
"The past two and a half years have been really difficult for the Council of Indigenous Peoples," said Chen Chien-nien (
"Out of the 10 Aboriginal lawmakers in the legislature, nine are from opposition parties. Because non-Aboriginal legislators don't tend to concern themselves with Aboriginal issues, these issues all end up being controlled by the 10 legislators," Chien said at the forum, which was sponsored by the political think tank Taiwan Advocates and the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan.
Chien said that the presence of only one ruling party Aboriginal legislator, Chen Tao-ming (陳道明), leaves the council struggling to pass bills against attacks from the majority of the Aboriginal legislators each legislative sitting. As a result, Aboriginal people have fallen between the cracks, he added.
Chien cited difficulties establishing an Aboriginal television channel as an example.
"The budget for the television channel has been going around the legislature for two years now because of disagreements from opposition party Aboriginal legislators," Chien said.
The television station, a brainchild of the council, was originally slated to begin broadcasting next month, but the project became stalled in the last legislative session. While the establishment of the channel has already been approved, funding for the channel has been withheld because of concerns about low reception rates among Aboriginals in mountain areas and a lack of trained personnel.
During his speech yesterday, Chien said that reception rates and staff deficiencies are not serious enough problems to merit not broadcasting.
The council has already collaborated with the Government Information Office (GIO) to make the satellite television signals available throughout Taiwan and set up satellite dishes in mountainous communities, Chien said.
Further, personnel problems can be easily solved over time, he said.
"A certain legislator said that the channel must have a 100 percent Aboriginal staff before broadcasting can begin. That makes no sense; if there is not enough trained personnel, then we can borrow manpower from other places at first and still begin broadcasting," he said, later identifying the opposition legislator as independent May Chin (
Greenpeace yesterday said that it is to appeal a decision last month by the Taipei High Administrative Court to dismiss its 2021 lawsuit against the Ministry of Economic Affairs over “loose” regulations governing major corporate electricity consumers. The climate-related lawsuit — the first of its kind in Taiwan — sought to require the government to enforce higher green energy thresholds on major corporations to reduce emissions in light of climate change and an uptick in extreme weather. The suit, filed by Greenpeace East Asia, the Environmental Jurists Association and four individual plaintiffs, was dismissed on May 8 following four years of litigation. The
STAY AWAY: An official said people should avoid disturbing snakes, as most do not actively attack humans, but would react defensively if threatened Taitung County authorities yesterday urged the public to stay vigilant and avoid disturbing snakes in the wild, following five reported snakebite cases in the county so far this year. Taitung County Fire Department secretary Lin Chien-cheng (林建誠) said two of the cases were in Donghe Township (東河) and involved the Taiwan habus, one person was bit by a Chinese pit viper near the South Link Railway and the remaining two were caused by unidentified snakes. He advised residents near fields to be cautious of snakes hiding in shady indoor areas, especially when entering or leaving their homes at night. In case of a
A tropical disturbance off the southeastern coast of the Philippines might become the first typhoon of the western Pacific typhoon season, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The system lacks a visible center and how it would develop is only likely to become clear on Sunday or Monday, the CWA said, adding that it was not yet possible to forecast the potential typhoon's effect on Taiwan. The American Meteorological Society defines a tropical disturbance as a system made up of showers and thunderstorms that lasts for at least 24 hours and does not have closed wind circulation.
DIPLOMACY: It is Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo’s first visit to Taiwan since he took office last year, while Eswatini’s foreign minister is also paying a visit A delegation led by Guatemalan President Bernardo Arevalo arrived in Taiwan yesterday afternoon and is to visit President William Lai (賴清德) today. The delegation arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 4:55pm, and was greeted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). It is Arevalo’s first trip to Taiwan since he took office last year, and following the visit, he is to travel to Japan to celebrate the 90th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Arevalo said at the airport that he is very glad to make the visit to Taiwan, adding that he brings an important message of responsibility
RSS