Disappointed by the performance of the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), pan-blue Aboriginal lawmakers said yesterday they were planning to restart the Aboriginal caucus.
The decision came despite reported opposition from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus leadership.
“It’s been a year since CIP Minister Chang Jen-hsiang [章仁香] took office, yet the council’s administrative efficiency is well below our expectations and it really needs improvement,” KMT Legislator Chien Tung-ming (簡東明) of the Paiwan tribe told reporters at the legislature.
“Since Aboriginal legislators are in the minority, we can’t accomplish much if we each work on our own,” Chien said. “That’s why we need a caucus to unite Aboriginal lawmakers across party lines for the welfare of all Aboriginals.”
Currently, there are a total of seven Aboriginal lawmakers belonging to the KMT, the Democratic Progressive Party, the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union, and the People First Party (PFP).
The Aboriginal caucus has existed since the fourth legislature but gradually ceased to operate during the sixth legislature because of internal conflicts.
As the CIP under the present KMT government has failed to live up to the expectations of Aboriginal lawmakers, we believe it’s about time to restart the caucus, Chien said.
“With such a platform, we can work together to talk about Aboriginal issues and monitor the government’s policy implementation,” said KMT Legislator Yang Jen-fu (楊仁福), an Amis and co-founder of the Aboriginal caucus.
“In the caucus, Aboriginal welfare is more important than the welfare of political parties,” he said.
Yang admitted that the KMT caucus leadership opposed the plan.
“Although we’re not seeking to establish an official caucus to go against any party caucus, they [the KMT caucus] said they don’t want to see any secondary groups,” he said.
KMT caucus whip Lin Yi-shih (林益世) denied reports that he had voiced opposition to the Aboriginal legislators’ plan, calling a story in the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister paper) an “exaggeration.”
“There is no plan to reinstate the sub-group. It’s impossible for me to oppose something that doesn’t exist,” he said.
Lin said the lawmakers were simply trying to push a draft bill on establishing an autonomous region for Aboriginals.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FLORA WANG
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or