Taiwan Church News
3296 Edition
April 27 – May 3, 2015
Church Ministry
Rev. Kavas Refuses To Shake Hands With President Ma Ying-jeou
Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong
On April 22, the Earth Day, several environmental protection groups went to visit President Ma Ying-jeou as usual. Some 40 conclusions of the 12th National NGO Environmental Meetings were proposed to the President, expecting the related legislature of critical laws could be efficiently passed to maintain an everlasting and sustainable environmental development in Taiwan.
Rev. Kavas, pastor of Litu Church from PCT’s Bunun Presbytery, made a straight critique before the President on government’s failure to enforce The Indigenous Peoples Basic Law and pay no respect to their traditional territories. Against this accusation, President Ma retorted that the policy of so-called “self autonomy in trial” had been proceeded well by the government for years, meaning that these should not be a problem at all.
Rev. Kavas felt more humiliated and furious about such remarks from the President, as these words exposed his hidden colonial mindset toward the indigenous peoples. So, expressing his utmost protest, Rev. Kavas pulled out his I.D. card and said it should be returned back to the head of the state. At that very moment, the President just thought he was kidding. Even, at the end of meeting, when the President came to him and tried to shake hands with him with a good will, Rev. Kavas still refused to give his hand out.
After the visit of the Presidential Office, Rev. Kavas remarked that the ROC government should apologize to the indigenous peoples because they dictatorially changed the nationality and traditional territories of the indigenous people without their agreement. He hoped President Ma Ying-jeou could receive the strong protest and complaints from the indigenous peoples, when he wished to give back his I.D. card to the head of a state.
Translated by Peter Wolfe
