Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Repatriated indigenous bones and justice

Chang Lien 張璉

Recently, four tribal warrior skulls of the indigenous Paiwan people were finally returned, having been in exile thousands of miles away for 150 years. This is yet another case of repatriation: the return of cultural property or indigenous remains to their original country that had been looted or obtained in wars through illicit means.

The return of the Paiwan warrior skulls from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland is an important page in the history of the indigenous people of Taiwan.

In May, before the coronation of King Charles III, indigenous leaders representing 12 Commonwealth nations demanded that the new king should apologize for the violence and brutality perpetrated by the British crown. They also called for the return of stolen cultural property and ancestral bones.

New missiles can travel 2,000km: source

Taipei Times

The air force has received domestically developed supersonic cruise missiles with a range of 2,000km, a source said on Saturday.

The Ching Tien (擎天) missile, which can hit targets north of Beijing, is being deployed by the air force and has entered mass production, the source said.

The addition of the Ching Tien means that the military now has four missile types with ranges of more than 1,000km, including an extended-range variant of the Hsiung Feng IIE, the source said.

Contrasting ideologies of the DPP and TPP

Lin Han 林志翰

Ukraine-born Taiwanese entertainer Larisa Bakurova obtained her national ID card and became a “new Taiwanese resident” in 2019. After marrying a Taiwanese and founding the Rising Star Rhythmic Gymnastics Association in 2020, she has dedicated her time to tutoring local gymnasts.

In July, she led young gymnasts to participate in international competitions in Turkey and Spain, bagging 19 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze medals.

Bakurova was reportedly being considered by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for a legislator-at-large seat, but according to the Nationality Act (國籍法), new residents have to undergo the naturalization process for more than 10 years to be eligible for running for legislator.

Lack of accountability powers Ko

Chang Yueh-han 張約翰

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Tuesday last week made a controversial remark, saying that he does not waste food at meals. His remark caused a stir on social media.

This is classic Ko, making a gaffe and not owning up to the mistake.

Pundits have commented on the definition of food waste, given deep analyses of people with a propensity for misspeaking and delved into food waste policy.

However, what is remarkable and disturbing is that Ko seems to be able to keep on making off-the-cuff remarks while not losing any support.

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