President Chen Shui-bian (
Delivering the keynote speech at the conference, Chen said that a "new constitution [for Taiwan] must include a special clause" enshrining indigenous rights.
He expressed support for panelists' objective of granting indigenous peoples a level of autonomy that would allow their tribes to become "nations within a nation."
"The guarantee of indigenous rights, including the right of self-determination ... must be addressed by a special [constitutional] clause," Chen said, adding that an equal "partnership between the government and indigenous peoples" and a recognition of indigenous peoples' sovereignty and "natural rights" were core values in his vision of a new constitution.
Council Minister Walis Pelin, meanwhile, praised Chen for his endearing support of indigenous peoples, citing proposed constitutional revisions by Chen and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) that would guarantee indigenous rights.
The tone of the conference, however, changed dramatically once Chen and Walis had left.
Leading scholars of indigenous rights-related issues who were not present during Chen's remarks took the stage, slamming the president for failing to deliver on campaign promises to further indigenous rights.
"Of course, [Chen] is not running for office again, so he is not under pressure [to make good on his promises]," said Shih Cheng-feng (
"Well, Chen said some off-the-cuff remarks and now he's gone," Shih added, saying that the president was probably uncomfortable with the word "Chinese" in "Chinese Cultural University," where the conference was held.
Shih then told participants that he had once recommended to Chen that he establish an "autonomous region" for indigenous peoples but that the president had probably forgotten about it.
Shih also accused constitutional scholars of possessing a "kindergarten-level" understanding of the Constitution as it pertains to indigenous rights.
Kao The-li (
"I feel like our feelings are getting toyed with," Kao, who also boasts an indigenous heritage, said.
"Our high hopes and expectations [for more rights and autonomy] have gone unmet," Kao added.
The two professors as well as other panelists called on the government to revise its indigenous rights-related laws so that they would be more in line with how Canada, the US and Latin America treat their indigenous populations.
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Taiwan's Gold Apollo Co (金阿波羅通信) said today that the pagers used in detonations in Lebanon the day before were not made by it, but by a company called BAC which has a license to use its brand. At least nine people were killed and nearly 3,000 wounded when pagers used by Hezbollah members detonated simultaneously across Lebanon yesterday. Images of destroyed pagers analyzed by Reuters showed a format and stickers on the back that were consistent with pagers made by Gold Apollo. A senior Lebanese security source told Reuters that Hezbollah had ordered 5,000 pagers from Taiwan-based Gold Apollo. "The product was not
COLD FACTS: ‘Snow skin’ mooncakes, made with a glutinous rice skin and kept at a low temperature, have relatively few calories compared with other mooncakes Traditional mooncakes are a typical treat for many Taiwanese in the lead-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, but a Taipei-based dietitian has urged people not to eat more than one per day and not to have them every day due to their high fat and calorie content. As mooncakes contain a lot of oil and sugar, they can have negative health effects on older people and those with diabetes, said Lai Yu-han (賴俞含), a dietitian at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare. “The maximum you can have is one mooncake a day, and do not eat them every day,” Lai
RSS