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Council to push for new Hakka cultural regions

Minister of the Council for Hakka Affairs Lee Yung-teh (李永得) yesterday vowed to push for the establishment of special cultural regions to ensure sustainable development of the Hakka language once it becomes an official language.

Lee made the remarks during a keynote speech on Hakka policies at the 2007 World Hakka Culture Conference, which opened yesterday in Sansia (三峽), Taipei County.

More than 300 Hakka community leaders from 20 countries around the world attended the conference, council spokeswoman Huang Hsiao-yi (黃孝怡) said.

"Without promotion or economic benefits attached to it, the Hakka language, will still be threatened by the dominant [Mandarin] language even if it becomes an official language," Lee told the Taipei Times in a telephone interview.

The Cabinet has drafted a National Languages Development Law (國家語言發展法) that aims to give all languages spoken in Taiwan -- Hakka, Hoklo, Mandarin and Aboriginal languages -- official status.

The draft bill was submitted to the legislature for review earlier this year but remain stalled in the legislature because of pan-blue objection, Lee said.

"Setting up special Hakka cultural regions is one of our Hakka cultural development strategies," he said.

Under the council's plan, townships where Hakka comprise more than 50 percent of the population or make up a simple majority can be designated as "special Hakka cultural regions" through referendums.

"In these regions, all public services will be rendered in Hakka, all public servants have to pass a Hakka proficiency test and all students have to learn Hakka at schools," Lee said. "Only when the `needs' are created can Hakka become a mainstream language in these regions."

Lee added that services in Hakka language should be available in all public domains in accordance with the National Languages Development Law.

"Of course the same logic applies to Hoklo and Aboriginal languages, too," he said.

Hakka leaders from various countries also discussed developments in Hakka studies, business and community.
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