And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] (S.I.S.I.S.) writes: :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:Forwarded message:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 22:54:30 +0800 From: Mark Munsterhjelm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Canadian govt First Nations propaganda in Taiwan Greetings, Please circulate widely. The Canadian govt is currently engaged in a propaganda campaign in Taiwan using Canada's First Nations. On Saturday March 20 1999 a Canadian govt representative appeared on a aboriginal affairs program on Taiwan's Public Television System. Today (March 22, 1999, pg. 2) the China News, Taiwan's largest English language daily, printed the following article from the Taiwan government's Central News Agency: Title: "Taiwan to work with Canada to preserve aboriginal culture" Premier Vincent Siew yesterday presided over the opening of an exhibition of Inuit and Taiwan aborigines at the National Museum of History, kicking off the inaugural Taiwan-Canadian Aboriginal Cultural Festival. The festival is the first cooperative program undertaken since the signing of a memorandum of understanding late last year to further strengthen cooperation in aboriginal affairs and exchanges of indigenous cultures. The memorandum of understanding was signed jointly by David Mulroney, director of the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei, and Hua Chia-chih, chairman of Taiwan's cabinet-level Council of Aboriginal Affairs, on Nov 20, 1998. It took effect on Dec 20 and will remain valid for 10 years. Under the memorandum of understanding, the two sides will alternately hold traditional festivals, activities promoting handicraft and marketing and contests in traditional skills. Taiwan and Canada will alternate hosting workshops on issues involving the educational, cultural, economic and social development of Canadian and Taiwanese aboriginal populations. The workshops will also focus on protection of the environment. In his opening address, Premier Siew said since the beginning of this century, modernization and changes in the world have irreversibly impacted the cultures, languages, lives and economies of the indigenous peoples around the globe. The changes have forced aborigines to face contradictory ideas between tradition and creation and issues of adaptability and integration, he noted. Siew said the problems occurred not only in Taiwan, but around the world. Aboriginal issues are global concerns and should be tackled not just by indigenous peoples themselves but by the governments and all sectors of societies as well, he added. Taiwan has around 380,000 aboriginal people scattered around the island. Siew said they seemed to have drifted into the back winds of Taiwan society. They have become groups of least privileged, and face crises of tribal extinction, population outflow and cultural obsolescence, he continued. To tackle the trend, Siew said, the government last year promulgated a development package for aboriginal people in Taiwan to focus governmental attention on special groups. The government also revised articles in the Constitution to protect job opportunities, educational, and political rights of aboriginal peoples. In the coming century, globalization and localization will be two major streams of development, Siew noted. Now it is a crucial and imperative task for the government and the public to help preserve aboriginal populations, their cultures and legacies. Although the aborigines have no written languages to record their traditions, they have managed to conserve their legacies via totem poles, paintings, songs and vocal history, he said End of article. I have already written a letter to the editor of the China News at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] So if you feel upset about this article and want to help set the record straight please send your opinion to the above address. Make sure to write in the subject header: "Letters to the Editor". I would like your help to fill his mailbox since he often doesn't print my letters anymore. I'd also like to help counter the Canadian and Taiwan govt propaganda that is being released in the Taiwan media. Sincerely yours, Mark Munsterhjelm Shihlin, Taipei, Taiwan e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TAIWAN IS ABORIGINAL LAND. THE ONE CHINA POLICY IS A LIE. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: >>>>>>>>>>Protest Canada's global neo-colonialism<<<<<<<<<< Canada's Secretary of State (Asia-Pacific) Hon. Raymond Chan mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Canada's Minister of Indian Affairs Jane Stewart mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: S.I.S.I.S. Settlers In Support of Indigenous Sovereignty P.O. Box 8673, Victoria, "B.C." "Canada" V8X 3S2 EMAIL : <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> WWW: http://kafka.uvic.ca/~vipirg/SISIS/SISmain.html SOVERNET-L is a news-only listserv concerned with indigenous sovereigntist struggles around the world. To subscribe, send "subscribe sovernet-l" in the body of an email message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information on sovernet-l, contact S.I.S.I.S. :-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:
