Editorial: Enough of the arrogance

      Taiwan Church News

      3049 Edition

      August 2~8, 2010

       

       

      Editorial: Enough of the arrogance

       

      Translated by Lydia Ma

       

       



      On August 8, as Taiwan remembered the first anniversary since Typhoon 
Morakot, many 

      social organizations staged concerts and events to remember this tragedy 
and reflected on 

      how we could’ve responded better as a nation 

       



      Led by PCT leaders and pastors volunteering at various PCT rebuilding 
centers, PCT 

      members were gathered at National Nei-Pu Senior Agricultural-Industrial 
Vocational High 

      School in Pingtung County for a memorial service filled with music. There 
was much 

      introspection and discussion on the many challenges facing typhoon 
victims as rebuilding 

      efforts continued.

       



      Besides hosting this event, PCT leaders also took part in an overnight 
rally outside of the 

      Presidential Palace on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei. They’re concerned 
the Ma 

      administration’s “Special Statute for Reconstruction for Post-Typhoon 
Morakot Disaster” 

      policy is becoming a form of bloodless genocide against Aborigines.

       



      It is PCT’s conviction that the Ma administration’s insistence that 
Aborigines leave their 

      homes and reservations because the land needs to rest awhile and 
landslides have made 

      these areas too dangerous doesn’t hold water, even though it may sound 
rational.

       



      First of all, not all mountainous areas are unsafe for living and there 
are various examples 

      proving this point. For instance, when Typhoon Morakot made its landfall, 
Bunun Aborigines 

      living in Nansalu in Namasiya Township followed their pastor’s lead and 
climbed up a 

      mountain to take refuge in a region their ancestors used to live. These 
people weathered the 

      storm safe and sound.

       



      In another instance, Aborigines living in Kucapungane in Pingtung County 
discovered that 

      though their homes were utterly destroyed by the typhoon, “Old 
Kucapungane” – the 

      reservation where their ancestors had lived – was barely touched by the 
typhoon.

       



      These two instances prove Aborigines’ ancestral homes are still safe and 
viable places to 

      live. In contrast, the more recent places Aborigines have been living in 
after Japanese and 

      KMT occupation of Taiwan forced them out of their ancestors’ dwelling 
places have actually 

      put their lives in jeopardy. 

       



      When the Ma administration began searching for alternative shelters for 
Aborigines whose 

      homes were destroyed by the typhoon, it consulted experts and scholars to 
enquire whether 

      the places they had in mind were safe. Unfortunately, it left out a 
critical party in the 

      consultation process: Aborigine leaders and representatives.

       



      PCT firmly holds that policies on post-Morakot reconstruction must 
incorporate input from 

      Aborigine leaders. We must respect Aborigine culture and age-old wisdom 
and we must 

      decide the future of Aborigine reservations together. It is not our place 
as city-dwellers to 

      impose our opinions and values on Aborigines.

       



      It is disappointing to see a lack of introspection on the part of 
government officials in the 

      aftermath of the typhoon for all the damages they’ve wrought on the 
nation’s forests and 

      mountains over the years. We could say that 10% of deforestation in 
Taiwan occurred during 

      Japanese colonization while the remaining 90% happened under KMT’s watch. 
Massive 

      deforestation in the past 50 years has precipitated drought and 
landslides today.

       



      In contrast, Aborigines’ traditions teach them to protect the environment 
because of the 

      interdependent relationship they have with it. We suggest that if the 
government really cares 

      about environmentalism and preserving Taiwan’s mountains, it should 
consider hiring 

      Aborigines to be guardians of our forests and mountains and encourage 
them to stay in their 

      reservations to do that.

       



      It is our hope the Ma administration will tone down its arrogant 
rhetoric, take back the now 

      infamous “I see you as humans” comment about Aborigines, and agree that 
Aborigines are 

      also masters of this country. Aborigines have a rich heritage and culture 
and they, too, 

      contribute toward making Taiwan a flourishing country.

       



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