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Aborigines protest renaming plan
NOT SO? :
While Aborigines called Taipei City's plan an affront to their dignity, the city government contended that the plan was to reflect values shared by everybody
By Mo Yan-chih
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, May 30, 2007, Page 3
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A group of Aborigines protest in front of Taipei City Hall yesterday against the renaming of Ketagalan Boulevard.
PHOTO: CNA
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Shouting "give me back Ketagalan Boulevard" in front of Taipei City Hall, a group of Aborigines yesterday protested against the Taipei City Government's plan to rename a section of the boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square."
Led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Ying (陳瑩) and City Councilor Hsu Chia-chin (徐佳青), the group condemned the city government for ignoring the symbolic meaning of the boulevard's name and the dignity of Aboriginal people, urging Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) to rescind the measure.
"We ask that the city government rescind this measure and respect the name ... Hau should apologize to all Aborigines," Mayaw Kumud, an Aboriginal priest and Aboriginal movement activist, said yesterday in front of City Hall.
The city government renamed Chiehshou Road (介壽路) Ketagalan Boulevard in 1996 to demonstrate its goodwill toward the Aborigines.
The city government said last Tuesday it would rename the section of Ketagalan Boulevard situated between Gongyuan Road (公園路) and Jingfumen (景福門) "Anti-Corruption Democracy Square," denying the measure was related to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall name change.
Calling Hau's move greatly humiliating to Aborigines, protesters threatened to hold another protest if the city government failed to issue a public apology to the Ketagalan Tribe and all Aborigines, and to respond to their request within three days.
"The name `Ketagalan Boulevard' was a symbol of the rebirth of Aboriginal dignity. The new name can only have a negative effect on the reputation of our group," Mayaw said.
Chen and Hsu later clashed with police while attempting to walk into City Hall to discuss the issue with Hau. They were eventually allowed to meet Taipei City Government Secretariat Director Lee Sush-der(李述德) to communicate the protesters' position.
Lee said the city government respected Aboriginal tribes and valued the various opinions on the renaming tissue.
Taipei City Government director of information Yang Hsiao-tung (羊曉東) said the city government would not "rename" Ketagalan Boulevard.
"There is no `renaming' or `name change.' We are simply going to add the name to the road sign at or near the square," Yang said.
Yang said that the policy reflected the will of the people to highlight the "universal value" of fighting corruption and embracing democracy.
"We are sorry that the public distorted the city government's policy. The naming of the area was to remind the people of those values and we don't know why they would make such accusations," he added.
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