Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Assignment #13

Ma comment sparks Aboriginal fury

KMT presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou is involved in a controversy over his recent and remarks about the Aborigines of the Amis tribe in Taipei County.

Ma's comments, which several political observers yesterday described as "dumbfounding," were made on Dec. 8 during a campaign platform presentation in Sindian City (新店), Taipei County, when a Sijhou woman pleaded for "President Ma" to prevent the community's relocation.

"If you come into the city, you are a Taipei citizen; I see you as a human being, I see you as a citizen, and I will educate you well," Ma said, adding: "Aborigines should adjust their mentality -- if you come into the city you have to play by its rules."

The incident was exposed when an anonymous source sent video footage of it to Chinese-language Liberty Times on Saturday.

In response to Ma's comments, Sijhou Community Self-Help Association executive director Osay Saoma said that the Sijhou community felt "humiliated."

"The tribe is not happy. Does [he] mean that we were not treated like humans before?" he asked.

More than 200 members of the Sijhou community have resided at their current location at the left bank of the Sindian River for 30 years, but now face relocation since their houses are built on a flood area.

"The Amis people are heroes behind the modern development of cities like Taipei, being migrant workers and helping with its construction," Saoma said. "But now we are being kicked out of our homes in return."

When approached for his response, Ma's campaign spokesman Su Jun-pin yesterday said the media took Ma's remarks out of context and misinterpreted his meaning.

He disputed Saoma's remarks and said Ma had always been well-received in Aboriginal communities.

Questions:
1. What do you think about Mr. Ma's comments?
2. What do you think about the reaction to his comments?
3. Do you think political candidates pay attention to the needs of the Aboriginal community?

For the real article:
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/12/26/2003394156

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

1.What did Mr. Ma mean by "human being"?
His speaking was so...amazing.
Mr. Ma is now a presidential candidate. If he really thinks he is superior than Aboriginal Commuity, at least he can "pretent" at a public place! How could he say something like this? What did this show? Didn't it mean that he actually thought he did a "condescending" speaking?

Ma has come to Taiwan for so many years. Until now, he even couldn't speak Taiwanese well. (Many foreign workers speak good Taiwanese in short time.) I don't think he really puts himself into the group, the group of Tiawan.
We both know that he has a great family backward. Didn't his family backward make him feel ascendant?
Did he really try to understand Tiawan citizens?
Mr. Ma's speaking was actually expose his silly ethnocentrism.

However, we can't be so black and white, either.
Just like Su said, the person who disclosed the media obviously wanted to hurt Ma's fame. Has the meaning been misinterpreted or took Ma's remark out of context?

But you know, it was still not good to say something like this.
(sighs~)
How can we know the fact? The politic people are hurting each others. And those really been hurt are citisens.
(sigh again)

2. The reaction was normal. What else could Aborigines say after hearing this? Were they going to say they were so happy?

3. People know that most of political candidates only pay attention on how much power can they get from winning the vote, but what bad if they "pretent" they care about us?
They will say something for us, do something for us, whether they actually care about or not. At least, they are all good actors.
(Mr. Ma just got a "NG"....=,=)

p.s hahaha~ being the first one again!! by Carrie

William said...

Well, I don't really understand what this article is talking about. But, I can answer the third question.


"I don't know if the political candidates are paying any attention to the needs of the Aboriginal community, but they SHOULD pay attention to the citizen's needs."

*Political "candidates" should be "candid." Indeed." :)