Taiwan's master on Aug 11, 2004

What makes one Taiwan's master?

By Chen Mao-hsiung

Members of the Aboriginal community have been led in protests on Ketagalan Boulevard twice by politicians who demanded apologies from President Chen Shui-bian and Vice President Annette Lu regarding comments that Lu had made.

Though many people support these demonstrations, more condemn them. Most people think the government should take care of ethnic minorities, but they dislike demonstrations.

Had the Aboriginal community not protested, most people would not be aware of the preferential treatment it receives.

In the wake of the Aboriginal protests, the media made such treatment known to the public, including provisions for a 33 percent mark-up in high school and university entrance exams, job training provided by the government, protection of work rights and subsidies for home purchases. Though most people normally have no problem with these benefits, in times of conflict their attitude may change.

Due to the fierce ideological confrontation in political circles, minority groups have become key voters that all political parities want to attract.

Usually, people who belong to the majority are not united and do not pay attention to the advantages enjoyed by the key minorities. Yet in a confrontation, the majority may be motivated to unite against the benefits minority groups enjoy.

With the end-of-year legislative elections approaching, politicians attempt to win over the Aboriginal voters by creating conflicts between them and other groups.

By so doing, the politicians may be elected but the Aboriginal communities fall victim to their political gain. Unless Aboriginal people are able to seize political power themselves, they tend to be the ones exploited in such confrontations.

The politicians who create conflicts may act as if they are guardians of the Aboriginal communities. In fact, they do nothing but harm them.

Aborigines have been oppressed for hundreds of years by other ethnic groups, but in today's society, in which human rights are highly valued, Aboriginal people should be respected.

Most people find it unobjectionable that other people strive for their own interests, but they cannot tolerate that other people stand in their way.

In last year's civil service exam-inations, a number of questions appeared in Hoklo (more commonly known as Taiwanese). They turned out to be additions by the professor who made the questions and had not been approved by the Examination Yuan, let alone the ruling party. Later the examination authorities made appropriate remedies.

The presidential election campaign was going on at that time. Some Hakka-speaking groups used the incident to create a political storm. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Lien Chan also harshly criticized the Hoklo questions in the civil service exam. The pan-blue strategists thought that blaming the incident on the ruling party would be good for them.

Yet most Hoklo speakers supported the promotion of not only their own dialect but also the native languages of other ethnic groups. The pan-blue camp's resistance to the exam questions in fact stimulated the Hoklo speakers to unite and work together.

Misled by the politicians, the Aboriginal communities misplaced their focus this time.

They should have focused on disaster relief and avoided being involved in political confrontation. Society tends to care about and support issues put forward by minority groups. The two street demonstrations staged in such a domineering way only invited a backlash.

The politicians who took the lead in the protests emphasized that Aborigines are the true masters of Taiwan. As a matter of fact, studies have shown that human beings originally came from Africa and residents of Taiwan all migrated from somewhere else.

Therefore, whether one is a master of Taiwan depends on whether he identifies himself with Taiwan.

As Taiwan has people, land, a government and sovereignty, those identifying themselves as Taiwanese naturally recognize Taiwan as a country.

Those who do not think that Taiwan is a country may either be ruled by other countries or do not know anything about nations, only tribes.

If the Aboriginal politicians think that they are ruled by other countries, then they are the ruled, not the masters of the country. If they do not have any conception of nations, they can only be viewed as masters of tribes.

Obviously, only those who identify themselves with the nation of Taiwan are the masters of Taiwan. Who arrived earlier or later is not an issue.

American Indians lived in the US before white and black Americans arrived. Despite this, neither American Indians nor white or black Americans are considered the master of the US. Only those US citizens who recognize the country as a nation are considered the masters. People who do not recognize the US' national status may only identify with tribal concepts and cannot be referred to as masters of the country. Those who think that where they live is only part of another country are viewing themselves as the ruled. How are they likely to be master of the country?

This not only applies to countries but also to corporations. If someone does not think that the place where he works is a company but is part of another company, then he is by no means master of the company. As he does not even identify with the company, how can he be master of the company?

For a period of time during the Qing Dynasty, when women were not allowed to immigrate, male immigrants could only marry female Aborigines.

Their descendents adopted the Han Chinese culture, thus being treated as Han Chinese.

If only the Aborigines are counted as masters of Taiwan, how about these tens of thousands of Han Chinese who are also part Aboriginal?

Independent Legislator May Chin falls in this category. Interestingly, before her entry into politics, she never declared herself an Aboriginal. By her logic, she was not a master of Taiwan before, but she has become one since she started participating in politics. Does this make sense?

Obviously, only those who recognize Taiwan as a nation are its true masters.

Though quite a few members of the Aboriginal community share this view, most Aboriginals identify themselves with foreign rulers and don't recognize Taiwan's national status. They thus deny themselves of their role as masters of the country.

Those advocating Taiwan's independence should denounce these Aboriginal people's status as masters of Taiwan.

It is interesting that these Abo-riginal people in turn accuse the long-time dwellers of Taiwan of not being masters of Taiwan. The politicians who led the Aboriginal community in street demonstrations should ask themselves: Do I recognize Taiwan as a country? Am I qualified to be the master of Taiwan?

Chen Mao-hsiung is a professor at National Sun Yat-sen University.