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Aboriginal groups lash out over ‘minorities’ moniker

By Loa Iok-sin
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Aug 08, 2008, Page 3

Aboriginal groups and churches yesterday condemned China’s reported plan to label a Taiwanese Aboriginal group performing at the opening of the Beijing Olympics today as “minority peoples from Taiwan” and urged Non-Partisan Solidarity Union Legislator May Chin (高金素梅), the organizer of the team, to protest.

“We are the indigenous peoples of Taiwan and have lived on this island for a long time, and will stay here for as long as we can,” said Tibusungu ’e Vavayana (Wang Ming-huey, 汪明輝), chairman of the Taiwan Aboriginal Society.

“We are happy to be friends and have cultural exchanges or even intermarry with anyone who respects us,” he said. “But all such interactions should not be based on twisting our ethnic identity or name.”

“We are Taiwanese Aborigines, we are citizens of the Republic of China. We are Taiwanese, but we are not Chinese. And we are not Chinese minorities,” Tibusungu said yesterday.

His statement came in response to recent reports that Chinese officials have called members of the Aboriginal performing team organized by Chin “minority peoples from Taiwan.”

“The Beijing Olympics is the dream of all Chinese people in the past hundred years. The cultural performance organized by Chin is the best proof that our fellow countrymen in Taiwan pay a lot of attention and fully support the Beijing Games,” China’s State Ethnic Affairs Council Chairman Yang Jing (楊晶) was quoted by the state-owned Xinhua news agency as saying. “I believe that the performance by minority groups from Taiwan will make the opening ceremony so much more eye-catching.”

“We are Taiwan’s indigenous peoples, the first residents of Taiwan. We’re not ‘minorities,’” Aboriginal pastor Sudu Tada said. “We hereby urge Chin to lodge a protest with the Chinese government and media, and ask them to make corrections.”

Wutux Lobak, head of the Presbyterian Church’s Atayal subcommittee, said: “It’s shameful to be part of the same tribe as Chin.”

Chin’s mother is an Atayal.

Meanwhile, Pasang Tali, a representative of the Association of Taiwan Indigenous People’s Policies, called on Chin to “apologize to all Aborigines, ask China to make corrections, or resign as a legislator.”

Chang Chun-chieh (張俊傑), leader of the Aboriginal group in Beijing, dismissed the comments.

“We’ve never heard Chinese officials call us ‘minorities from Taiwan.’ They all address the group as ‘Taiwanese Aborigines’ as agreed upon in March,” Chang told the Taipei Times by telephone.
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