Vote-buying in indigenous communities a serious problem, says PCT

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

3125 Edition

January 16-22, 2012

Headline News

Vote-buying in indigenous communities a serious problem, says PCT

Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong

Written by Lydia Ma

To stop the unhealthy culture of vote-buying in indigenous communities, PCT 
Indigenous Committee and Chinese Regional Bishops’ Conference Indigenous 
Committee called a press conference on January 11, 2012 to voice their 
opposition to vote-buying. The two religious committees are influential among 
indigenous communities and the press conference was called as a response to 
instances of vote-buying in some communities, which had resulted in some people 
being investigated and others being detained.

The day following this press conference, a rally was held on Ketagalan 
Boulevard and many indigenous organizations took part in that rally to make a 
stand against vote-buying. Some representatives urged indigenous peoples to 
reject vote buying because it would compromise their rights to self-rule. “In 
the past, candidates supported by corporations and political parties lied to us 
using money. To make things worse, our future is now in their hands,” said 
singer-actress Paicu Yatauyungana of the Tsou tribe, who is better known by her 
Chinese name Kao Hui-chun.

Out of the 6 seats reserved for indigenous representatives, this election 
yielded 4 legislators from the KMT, 1 legislator from the Non-Partisan 
Solidarity Union (NPSU), and 1 legislator from the People’s First Party. Mayaw 
Biho, a prolific Aboriginal documentary filmmaker, who contested and lost in 
this election as a NPSU representative, alleged that indigenous peoples are 
often offered an amount ranging from NT$500 to NT$2,000, and sometimes even 
more, when vote-buying occurs in indigenous towns. “Vote-buying certainly isn’t 
an indigenous tradition!” he said angrily. “It was brought in by the Han 
civilization. It’s not indigenous peoples’ fault, but an evil practice brought 
in from the outside by the KMT!”

PCT General Assembly Indigenous Ministry Committee Secretary Omi Wilang, who is 
also Secretary of Indigenous Peoples Action Coalition of Taiwan, underscored 
that some indigenous candidates who won in this election were not only familiar 
faces, but also among those under investigation for vote-buying. “For this 
reason, I’m concerned about the future of indigenous peoples,” he said.

Omi Wilang added that all pastors must play a proactive role in stopping 
vote-buying. He explained that vote-buying is especially prevalent among 
wealthy indigenous people who have been seduced by rewards from the KMT and 
some of them may even be church elders with the authority to hire and fire 
pastors. For this reason, he urged pastors to be courageous and to exercise 
good judgment even if it means risking their jobs. 

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