The 10 pingpu (平埔) Aboriginal tribes yesterday launched a signature drive to petition for the establishment of a pingpu Aboriginal tribe committee under the Executive Yuan to preserve their languages and heritage.
"Our ancestors came to this island about 4,000 years ago, about 3,600 to 3,800 years earlier than the Han and Hakka people," said Stephen Pan (
restructuring
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Tsai Huang-liang (
"While the Executive Yuan is trying to streamline itself from the current 36 entities down to 22, I thought it'd be a better idea to establish the committee under the proposed culture and sports ministry instead of as a new commission," he told the Taipei Times.
Chanting "pingpu people are the mother of Taiwanese people" and "we want to live here forever," about 20 pingpu Aborigines gathered in downtown Taipei yesterday afternoon to call on the Executive Yuan and Legislative Yuan to support their cause.
The Chinese immigrants used the terms pingpu fan (
Unlike the kaoshan Aborigines, whose livelihood depended on hunting, the pingpu Aborigines are described in historical documents as fishermen, with few agricultural skills.
Over the centuries, the pingpu interbred with Han Chinese and most of their language and customs have been lost.
Like the kaoshan Aborigines' 10 sub-tribes -- all of which have already been recognized as official tribes -- the pingpu people also consist of 10 sub-tribes.
The 10 recognized kaoshan Aboriginal tribes are the Atayal, Saisiyat, Bunun, Tsou, Paiwan, Rukai, Puyuma, Amis, Tao and Thao. The 10 pingpu tribes are the Kavalan, Siraya, Makatao, Hoanya, Babuza, Kakabu, Pazeh, Papora, Ketagalan and Taokas.
recognition
In 2001, the DPP-led government recognized the Thao (
The Truku (太魯閣) people of Hualien County were recognized as the nation's 12th indigenous tribe in January this year following a controversial, decade-long effort by activist Pan Wen-kuei (潘文貴) of the Makatao tribe from Pingtung County. Pan said that if the DPP government really means what it says about "localization," it should make efforts to establish the pingpu Aboriginal tribe committee.
"The government should face the issue fair and square," he said. "I'm afraid if we don't do it now, it'll be too late."
TRAFFIC SAFETY RULES: A positive result in a drug test would result in a two-year license suspension for the driver and vehicle, and a fine of up to NT$180,000 The Ministry of Transportation and Communications is to authorize police to conduct roadside saliva tests by the end of the year to deter people from driving while under the influence of narcotics, it said yesterday. The ministry last month unveiled a draft of amended regulations governing traffic safety rules and penalties, which included provisions empowering police to conduct mandatory saliva tests on drivers. While currently rules authorize police to use oral fluid testing kits for signs of drug use, they do not establish penalties for noncompliance or operating procedures for officers to follow, the ministry said. The proposed changes to the regulations require
The Executive Yuan yesterday announced that registration for a one-time universal NT$10,000 cash handout to help people in Taiwan survive US tariffs and inflation would start on Nov. 5, with payouts available as early as Nov. 12. Who is eligible for the handout? Registered Taiwanese nationals are eligible, including those born in Taiwan before April 30 next year with a birth certificate. Non-registered nationals with residence permits, foreign permanent residents and foreign spouses of Taiwanese citizens with residence permits also qualify for the handouts. For people who meet the eligibility requirements, but passed away between yesterday and April 30 next year, surviving family members
Taipei, New Taipei City, Keelung and Taoyuan would issue a decision at 8pm on whether to cancel work and school tomorrow due to forecasted heavy rain, Keelung Mayor Hsieh Kuo-liang (謝國樑) said today. Hsieh told reporters that absent some pressing reason, the four northern cities would announce the decision jointly at 8pm. Keelung is expected to receive between 300mm and 490mm of rain in the period from 2pm today through 2pm tomorrow, Central Weather Administration data showed. Keelung City Government regulations stipulate that school and work can be canceled if rain totals in mountainous or low-elevation areas are forecast to exceed 350mm in
China Airlines Ltd (CAL) yesterday morning joined SkyTeam’s Aviation Challenge for the fourth time, operating a demonstration flight for “net zero carbon emissions” from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Bangkok. The flight used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at a ratio of up to 40 percent, the highest proportion CAL has achieved to date, the nation’s largest carrier said. Since April, SAF has become available to Taiwanese international carriers at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport), Kaohsiung International Airport and Taoyuan airport. In previous challenges, CAL operated “net zero carbon emission flights” to Singapore and Japan. At a ceremony at Taoyuan airport, China Airlines chief sustainability
RSS