At a press conference yesterday in Taipei to announce that Aug. 1 will be henceforth be "Indigenous People's Re-designation Day," Premier Frank Hsieh (
"I have no idea which tribe my great-grandmother belonged to," the premier said. "However, I think she must have been Bunun because whenever I hear Bunun music, I become excited and emotional."
The Cabinet has set aside the special day to accentuate its determination to preserve Aboriginal cultures and ways of life and to boost their well-being.
PHOTO: LO PEI-DER, TAIPEI TIMES
Many members of Taiwan's indigenous tribes were called "mountain people," which carried a derogatory connotation. They were not re-designated as "indigenous peoples" to appropriately reflect their ethnic origins until the 1990s.
Hsieh showed up at the press conference in the Tsou Tribe's traditional outfit. In the meantime, a Tsou tribal chieftain decorated the premier with a headband and a special knife. The Tsou chieftain also gave Hsieh a Tsou tribal name.
Many other Cabinet members attending the news conference yesterday were also given a Tsou tribal name.
Indigenous people were forced to take Mandarin names and were deprived of other rights during the martial law era of Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) rule. Hsieh said that the government has been working hard to correct past wrongs and make sure they are never repeated.
The premier promised that the Cabinet will continue to improve welfare services for Aborigines in line with the principle of "giving priority to caring for the underprivileged."
NEW AGREEMENT: Malaysia approved imports last year after nearly two years of negotiations and inspections to meet quarantine requirements, officials said Up to 3.6 tonnes of pomeloes from Taiwan cleared Malaysian customs on Friday, in the first shipment of Taiwanese pomeloes to Malaysia. Taiwan-grown pomeloes are popular in domestic and overseas markets for their tender and juicy taste, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency said. The fruit is already exported to Japan, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Philippines, it added. The agency began applying for access to the Malaysian market in 2023, compiling data on climate suitability, pests and diseases, and post-harvest handling, while also engaging in nearly two years of negotiations with Malaysian authorities and submitting supplementary
PEAK MONTHS: Data showed that on average 25 to 27 typhoons formed in the Pacific and South China seas annually, with about four forming per month in July and October One of three tropical depressions in the Pacific strengthened into a typhoon yesterday afternoon, while two others are expected to become typhoons by today, Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecaster Lee Ming-hsiang (李名翔) said yesterday. The outer circulation of Tropical Depression No. 20, now Typhoon Mitag, has brought light rain to Hualien, Taitung and areas in the south, Lee said, adding that as of 2pm yesterday, Mitag was moving west-northwest at 16kph, but is not expected to directly affect Taiwan. It was possible that Tropical Depression No. 21 would become a typhoon as soon as last night, he said. It was moving in a
One of two tropical depressions that formed offshore this morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said today. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. It is expected to move in a northwesterly direction as it continues building momentum, possibly intensifying into Typhoon Mitag this weekend, she added. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is expected to approach southeast of Taiwan on Monday and pass through the Bashi Channel between Tuesday and Wednesday,
About nine Taiwanese are “disappeared,” detained, or otherwise deprived of freedom of movement in China each month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Between Jan. 1 last year and Aug. 31 this year, 188 Taiwanese travelers went missing, were detained and interrogated, or had their personal freedom restricted, with some questioned in airports or hotel lobbies, the council said. In a statement ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the council urged people visiting China for any reason to be highly vigilant and aware of the risks. Of the reported cases, 50 people were “disappeared” after entering China, 19 were detained and 119 had