Amis Aborigines yesterday protested outside the legislature against a proposed development law and development projects in traditional Amis areas along the east coast, plans for which they claimed local residents were not consulted.
“We demand that Aborigines be consulted and involved in any development projects undertaken on traditional Aboriginal lands as the Aboriginal Basic Act (原住民族基本法) stipulates,” Kawlo Iyun Pacidal, a member of the Amis Defense Alliance, told reporters at the demonstration.
“We also demand that a co-management mechanism between locals and the operator of any development projects be established,” Pacidal said. “Based on the first two demands, we are asking for a halt to the planned Baosheng [Aquarium Park] project.”
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
Four tourism facilities, including theme parks, resorts and hotels, are to be built around the Sansiantai (三仙台) area in Taitung County, a traditional Amis domain known by the tribe as “Pisiliang.”
The Baosheng project has attracted special attention because construction was scheduled to start on Monday, though it was postponed indefinitely because of strong opposition from local residents, said Namoh Nofu Pacidal, another member of the Amis Defense Alliance.
“The developer [of the Baosheng project] called a meeting with local residents on May 30, but did not allow the locals to talk and the purpose of the meeting was only to announce that construction was to begin within a week,” Namoh Nofu Pacidal said. “When they made their presentation, the locals requested Amis interpretation because many elders could not understand Mandarin, but the request was rejected.”
While the situation remains unresolved, the alliance called on the government and developers to abide by the Aboriginal Basic Act, and refrain from development projects without consent from Aborigines.
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