Aboriginal rights activists and politicians yesterday clashed with police as they tried to get into the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus office to deliver a petition voicing their opposition to the Executive Yuan’s draft Aboriginal autonomy bill.
“[KMT caucus whip] Lin Yi-shih (林益世) come out! Lin Yi-shih, come out!” dozens of Aborigines shouted as they protested outside the KMT’s caucus office.
They were eager to get into the office to deliver a petition to voice their opposition to the draft bill, which they consider a “fake autonomy bill” as it gives Aborigines neither a budgetary increase nor the right to land and natural resources.
Although the caucus office eventually allowed them in, no one was there to take their petition and several protestors with KMT membership threatened to withdraw from the party.
Things went more smoothly when they visited the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) caucus office, as DPP Legislator Lin Shu-fen (林淑芬) received them and promised to stand with them on the autonomy issue.
Outside the Legislative Yuan, there were hundreds of other protestors.
“We are here to defend our rights,” former DPP legislator Payen Talu of the Atayal tribe told the crowd that represented all 14 officially recognized Aboriginal tribes in the country.
“What good would an autonomy bill do us if it will not give us the right to fully manage our own traditional domains and natural resources within — as the Aboriginal Basic Act [原住民族基本法] promises — and will not allow autonomous regions to receive budgets directly from the central government?” Payen said.
Payen and the demonstrators were upset because the Executive Yuan’s version of the draft bill keeps major decision-making powers in the hands of existing central and local government organizations, leaving mostly culture-related policy-making power to Aboriginal autonomous regions.
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