Aborigines left homeless by Typhoon Morakot said they have decided to file a complaint with the UN against President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) for not respecting their rights.
Aborigines are “disappointed” with the government’s response to their call for the right to decide how they should rebuild their homes, said Oto Micyang, who is in charge of liaison affairs for the Indigenous Peoples Action Coalition, which organized an overnight protest in front of the Presidential Office on Saturday.
More than 600 Aborigines from the Tsou tribe in Chiayi County, the Bunun in Kaohsiung County, the Pingpu from Kaohsiung County’s Siaolin Village (小林) and the Paiwan and Rukai tribes in Taitung and Pingtung counties, joined the rally to protest against forced resettlement.
They appealed to the Ma government to stop forcing Aborigines to move into so-called “permanent houses” that have been built outside their homelands and constructed in a way that does not reflect traditional Aboriginal lifestyles and culture, Micyang said.
Although the government said it had never forced Morakot victims to move into new settlements, Micyang said it never offered any other options.
“When tribal elders selected a safe place for their new settlement, government officials just called it unsafe, without offering scientific evidence,” he said.
The protesters said rehabilitation should be done step by step. The government, however, was so eager to permanently resettle Morakot victims who lived in mountainous areas, it failed to see their needs and respect their different lifestyles and cultures, they said.
Micyang said the Indigenous Peoples Action Coalition had launched a petition drive, and once it has collected enough signatures it will file a complaint with UN-affiliated organizations advocating human rights and the interests of indigenous peoples.
Morakot devastated portions of southern Taiwan in August last year, triggering massive flooding and landslides that left more than 700 people dead or missing.
SPACE VETERAN: Kjell N. Lindgren, who helps lead NASA’s human spaceflight missions, has been on two expeditions on the ISS and has spent 311 days in space Taiwan-born US astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren is to visit Taiwan to promote technological partnerships through one of the programs organized by the US for its 250th national anniversary. Lindgren would be in Taiwan from Tuesday to Saturday next week as part of the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ US Speaker Program, organized to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said in a statement yesterday. Lindgren plans to engage with key leaders across the nation “to advance cutting-edge technological partnerships and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers,”
UNREASONABLE SURVEILLANCE: A camera targeted on an road by a neighbor captured a man’s habitual unsignaled turn into home, netting him dozens of tickets The Taichung High Administrative Court has canceled all 45 tickets given to a man for failing to use a turn signal while driving, as it considered long-term surveillance of his privacy more problematic than the traffic violations. The man, surnamed Tseng (曾), lives in Changhua County and was reported 45 times within a month for failing to signal while driving when he turned into the alley where his residence is. The reports were filed by his neighbor, who set up security cameras that constantly monitored not only the alley but also the door and yard of Tseng’s house. The surveillance occurred from July
A Japan Self-Defense Forces vessel entered the Taiwan Strait yesterday, Japanese media reported. After passing through the Taiwan Strait, the Ikazuchi was to proceed to the South China Sea to take part in a joint military exercise with the US and the Philippines, the reports said. Japan Self-Defense Force vessels were first reported to have passed through the strait in September, 2024, with two further transits taking place in February and June last year, the Asahi Shimbun reported. Yesterday’s transit also marked the first time since Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi took office that a Japanese warship has been sent through the Taiwan
‘SAME OLD TRICK’: Even if Beijing resumes individual travel to Taiwan, it would only benefit Chinese tourism companies, the Economic Democracy Union convener said China’s 10 new “incentives” are “sugar-coated poison,” an official said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese businesses see them clearly for what they are, but that Beijing would inevitably find some local collaborators to try to drums up support. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, made the remark ahead of a news conference the General Chamber of Commerce is to hold today. The event, titled “Industry Perspectives on China’s Recent Pro-Taiwan Policies,” is expected to include representatives from industry associations — such as those in travel, hotels, food and agriculture — to request the government cooperate with China’s new measures, people familiar with
RSS