Ethnocentrism in Taiwan VP Aboriginal rights remarks

[Mark Munsterhjelm <gustav88@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Aboriginals in Taiwan are from abroad like all the other immigrants
to the island," Lu said. "We should learn to share this land together
? racial conflicts should be avoided."


Source: Taipei Times, May 18, 2001

Title:
Critics object to Lu's remarks on
Aboriginal rights

AUTONOMY: The vice president spoke out for Aboriginal rights
yesterday but critics said her comments still reflected what they
call Han ethnocentrism
By Chuang Chi-ting
STAFF REPORTER

Vice President Annette Lu (§f¨q½¬) spoke out for Aboriginal rights at
a public hearing held by the human rights advisory committee to the
president yesterday, but participants said they were surprised at
hints of ethnocentrism in her remarks.

Such a mentality, they said, is considered a major obstacle to
Aboriginals' promotion of self-determination through autonomy,
which was the subject of yesterday's hearing. Some scholars and
Aboriginals present requested autonomy with sovereignty equal to
the state government rather than in the form of decentralization.

"Aboriginals in Taiwan are from abroad like all the other immigrants
to the island," Lu said. "We should learn to share this land together
? racial conflicts should be avoided."

"The fact that Aboriginals came to the island much earlier than Han
Chinese is overlooked. They could have lived a happy life with the
right to self-government were it not for colonial intrusion," said Shih
Cheng-feng (¬I¥¿¾W), associate professor of public administration
from Tamkang University.

Lu said that she supports promoting indigenous peoples' dignity.
"After an athletic event I held for Aboriginals from all over the
island, the chiefs came to me with tears in their eyes and almost
knelt down in appreciation for the event which made them feel so
proud," Lu said.

Shih and others, though recognizing the DPP government's efforts in
promoting indigenous autonomy, said Lu's remark reveals how Han
ethnocentrism still prevails in society. "She is more progressive
than others ? yet she still showed the belief that people should
worship the sovereignty of the Han regime," they said.

President Chen Shui-bian (³¯¤ô«ó) promised autonomy for
Aboriginals by signing the New Partnership Between Aboriginals
and the Government of Taiwan when he was a DPP presidential
candidate. Promoting such autonomy is also part of in the DPP's
party platform.

Chen's 1999 endorsement of "the new partnership" defines
Aboriginal relations with the central government as being "nation-
to-nation" in nature and also recognizes their natural sovereignty.

Yet currently the draft of the Indigenous Peoples Autonomy Law is
based on Constitutional provisions that guarantee racial equality.
The draft, therefore, recognizes the supreme sovereignty of the
state government rather than that of indigenous peoples as
recognized by many in the international community.

Representatives at the hearing yesterday requested genuine
recognition of sovereignty rather than decentralization of the
government in the implementation of autonomy to ensure
self-governing.


URL=[http://www.taipeitimes.com/news/2001/05/18/story/0000086191]



Copyright © 1999-2001 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.