wfn.org | PCT pastors oppose ECFA for Aborigines’ and farmers’ sake

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3044 Edition

>June 28~July 4, 2010

PCT pastors oppose ECFA for Aborigines’ and farmers’  sake

>Reported by Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

Many Aborigine pastors were present at the “Referendum on  ECFA” march on June 
26, 2010.

PCT Indigenous Ministry Committee Program Secretary Rev. Omi  Wilang emphasized 
that, if

signing an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with  China will 
devastate

many Taiwanese industries, then, many Aborigines who work as  manual laborers 
can expect

their livelihoods to be severely threatened as well.

During an interview, Omi Wilang highlighted Aborigine  people’s worries about 
ECFA. He was

joined by West Amis Presbytery’s Rev. Kino Lafin who pointed  out that signing 
an ECFA

would make Aborigines’ lives even harder than before because  they would be 
further marginalized.

Kino Lafin underscored that ECFA would allow Chinese produce to  flood Taiwan’s 
market,

which would harm Aborigines who make a living by selling their  crops.

He added that Aborigines used to grow and sell fresh produces such  as 
mushrooms,

tremellas, and flammulinas. But when Chinese imports of these  produces were 
allowed in

Taiwan, Aborigines produces were no longer able to compete in  price and as 
result lost their

>market to Chinese businesses.

If such a scenario took place long before an ECFA was signed, one  can only 
imagine how

Aborigines will be devastated once ECFA becomes a fait accompli.  Kino Lafin 
listed as

example that Aborigines usually sell their peaches for  approximately NT$120 to 
NT$130 per

600 gram, but peaches from China can average as low as NT$30 to  NT$40 per 600 
gram.

Opening the floodgates to all Chinese products will surely lead to  mass 
unemployment among

Aborigines and pose great challenges to ordinary Taiwanese farmers  as well, 
said Kino Lafin

Such grave concerns are what prompted many members from Tainan  Presbytery to 
rent a bus

and travel to Taipei to take part in this march and voice their  displeasure. 
Many PCT pastors

from local churches in Taipei joined them at this march as well.

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