The skulls of four Paiwan warriors that were taken by the Japanese during an 1874 punitive expedition known as the Mudan Incident and which are currently housed at Edinburgh University in Scotland are soon to be returned to Taiwan, the Mudan Township Office said.
In a statement yesterday, the office said that according to historical records, the skulls of 12 Paiwan warriors were taken from the Shimen battlefield in Pingtung County by the Japanese in 1874 and taken to Japan and the US.
Four of the skulls eventually ended up in the collection of Edinburgh University, which has indicated in recent years that it would be willing to return them, the office said.
Photo: Taipei Times
Following a series of meetings between local Paiwan groups and the Council of Indigenous Peoples, a delegation including Mudan Township (牡丹) Mayor Pan Chuang-chih (潘壯志), tribal and spiritual leaders, and historians traveled to the UK to inspect the skulls, and a traditional ceremony to mark their return is now being planned, the office said.
A person with knowledge of the matter, but who wished to remain anonymous, said the four skulls were expected to be returned to Taiwan on Sunday.
After their arrival, they are to be sent to the Tainan branch of the National Museum of Prehistory for DNA profiling so that more information about their identities can be discovered, the source said.
The Mudan Incident refers to an 1874 punitive expedition launched by the Japanese in response to the massacre of 54 shipwrecked Ryukyuan sailors by Paiwan warriors three years earlier.
After a major battle with the Paiwan at Shimen in today’s Mudan Township, the Japanese gained the upper hand in the fighting and the Paiwan retreated to the mountains to fight a guerrilla war.
After many Japanese soldiers began coming down with illnesses in the unfamiliar climate, the two sides agreed to a ceasefire and the war came to an end.
The Shimen battlefield site now hosts a memorial park.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
ALIGNED THINKING: Taiwan and Japan have a mutual interest in trade, culture and engineering, and can work together for stability, Cho Jung-tai said Taiwan and Japan are two like-minded countries willing to work together to form a “safety barrier” in the Indo-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) yesterday said at the opening ceremony of the 35th Taiwan-Japan Modern Engineering and Technology Symposium in Taipei. Taiwan and Japan are close geographically and closer emotionally, he added. Citing the overflowing of a barrier lake in the Mataian River (馬太鞍溪) in September, Cho said the submersible water level sensors given by Japan during the disaster helped Taiwan monitor the lake’s water levels more accurately. Japan also provided a lot of vaccines early in the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic,
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
RSS