To Mr. Shea Chang-ting,Chairman of the Taiwan Executive Council
Numerous organizations have voiced out their ideas against the Nantou County Government¡¦s order to demolish the Thaos¡¦ cultural revival area which was built after the 921 earthquake. The Nantou government obviously is problematic and we shall voice out again for what is right:
1) The SunMoonLake is Thao¡¦s traditional land, so, the resources of tourism (including natural and human resources) and the rights of management belong to the Thao. The ¡§Indigenous People Basic Law¡¨ has made clear how to distinguish ¡§city¡¨ and ¡§non-city¡¨ areas. The Nantou government¡¦s plan of tourism has obviously not followed this related laws, because the plan did not involve the participation of the Thao, it did not even let them know what was happening. According to the Law, the whole plan must be reviewed thoroughly, including the ¡§Sun Moon Lake Hotel BOT¡¨.
Does such plan really protect the natural and cultural resources and bring about ¡§sustainable development¡¨? Or does it bring about harm to the treasurable cultural resources (the Thao culture) of Taiwan and the whole world? Is it worth to benefit the corporations with a price like this? According to experiences and theories concerning sustainable development, the non-local management usually brings long-term destruction to the local cultural and natural resources. According to all these, the BOT is against the Indigenous People Basic Law, and it is obviously not a win-win plan.
2)The Nantou government said that according to official record, the land which the BOT would place itself belongs to the government. This argument is problematic for two reasons.
Firstly, the land registration process obviously neglected the right of the Thao, neglected their voices, or even the whole process is a bit trickery. The ¡§official land record¡¨ itself is a wrong one and needs a review and also it was really wrong for the last land registration process did not treat this land as a Thao cultural revival area. Before this review is conducted, any change of land use according to the BOT is obviously against the number 22 and 23 of the Indigenous People Basic Law.
Secondly, even the ¡§official record¡¨ has not been reviewed, the government should always give the rights of the people and public good the first priority in setting up any kind of plan. The concerned land has always been recognized by the public as a land to protect the Thao culture. Therefore, the government has a responsibility to protect it. Moreover, it is a public good issue for two reasons: a) the land concerns the living or death of the Thao culture which is a public property of the whole Taiwan society, b) foreign investment would benefit foreign corporation rather than local people.
3)The Nantou government argues that it has planned the ¡§Thao Cultural Revival Area¡¨ has an area of 150 hectare, the BOT plan situates within this area with an area of 2.5989 hectare, the BOT planned land does not belong to the Thao Cultural Revival Area and would not affect the life of the Thaos. However, the regional development by nature affects people living in it¡Xthis should be a common sense! Moreover, the so-called planned ¡§Thao Cultural Revival Area¡¨ is still a ¡§plan¡¨. At present, the cultural revival area set up by the Thao people on their own is the best ¡§Thao Cultural Revival Area¡¨, although the government does not recognize it. How is it possible that people would believe in the sincerity of the Nantou government to reserve the Thao culture?
The Nantou government said that the government-planned ¡§Thao Cultural Revival Area¡¨ would do a literature review concerning the Thao culture, to summarize the importance of the revival plan¡Xthis kind of plan seems more like a big museum of the Thao culture after it is destroyed! A culture would not exist and grow without it embodying, living society. The present attitude of the Nantou government towards the Thao cultural area built and planned by the Thaos is so bad, how could the county ever ¡§prove¡¨ its sincerity of continuing the Thao culture in the Thaos¡¦ spirit?
4) The Nantou government said that it would rehabitat the Thaos who would be removed by the planned hotel. The government must think that this would legalize the demolition. However, as we have said for numerous times before: this self-built cultural revival area of the Thaos is the last chance of the continuation of their culture, if this place is to be demolished to give way to a tourist hotel, the community would be dispersed and the culture would vanish.
5)As the Nantou government itself said that the revival of Thao culture is given a first priority in its town planning, the Nantou government should review all those actions and rules which violate this principle. All the problems which violate the cultural rights of all Taiwanese we have mentioned above, are not just the responsibilities of the Nantou government, but also the central government and all relevant departments. If the government fails to correct its mistake and help saving these Thao cultural capitals which belong not only to Taiwanese, but to the entire world, the Taiwan would become a sinner of history and culture.
Yang Chi-wai
Chairman,
Association of the Taiwan Indigenous People Policy
Tel: (886-02)25959029
Fax: (886-02)25959028
E-mail: atipp.taiwan@msa.hinet.net