Besides the semi-official alliance treaty he signed with 11 major aboriginal representatives for his campaign on Orchid Island on Sept. 10, 1999, President Chen Shui-bian (
It is the worst kind of environmental racism to force our tribe to live with the dangers of nuclear waste simply because no one else will. Indigenous advocates are currently lobbying the Legislature for a bill that will state simply, "Nothing is to be manufactured, used, or reproduced in Taiwan that cannot be safely disposed of." Is that too simple a thing for a legislator to understand? Probably it is, but it makes sense, doesn't it?
The government indigenous people for several reasons: their lands are some of the most isolated, they are some of the most impoverished and, consequently, most politically vulnerable.
We indigenous peoples have a sacred obligation to our fellow creatures. For this reason, it is both painful and disturbing that the government and the nuclear power industry seem intent on forever ruining what little land we have left.
As a native person, I am concerned about the survival of our people just as Mother Earth is concerned about the survival of her children. There is legislation, however, that would allow new buildings if arrangements are made for the waste. Is this the legacy that we want to leave for our children and for our Mother Earth? The Iroquois say that "in making any decision one should consider the impact for seven generations to come."
How ironic that, after centuries attempting to avoid and destroy it, the government is suddenly interested in promoting indigenous peoples' sovereignty -- just so it can dump its lethal garbage. All negotiations between the government, whether it is KMT or DPP, and indigenous peoples have been broken. Today's indigenous peoples remember the broken promises. Today's political situation in Taipei is an example of how volatile Taiwan policy decisions can be.
Indigenous peoples' rights have assumed an important place in international human rights law. The UN Sub-Commission for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights approved the draft UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 1994.
All governments, in furtherance of their Rio earth summit commitments and human rights obligations, must move towards its early adoption by the General Assembly. This is a major political goal within the UN Decade for Indigenous Peoples (1995-2004), and an important activity under Agenda 21, "Strengthening the Role of Indigenous People and their Communities" for World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002. Its achievement will signal a real openness and seriousness by governments to enter into a "New Partnership" with indigenous peoples for sustainable development.
At the sixth Asian-Pacific Non-governmental Organization Conference on the Environment, Chen declared that "Taiwan will firmly anchor itself within the world community by shouldering its share of international responsibility on environmental concerns."
Therefore, for its fulfillment of international obligations, Taiwan government will need to implement and make political reforms toward nuclear abolition.
We should stop generating it. We should keep it where it is generated. Store the material at the plants. This material is too dangerous to be transported on our highways and railways, thereby exposing others to the hazards.
Tsai Chih-wei is an Aboriginal who belongs to the Taruku tribe.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then
RSS