Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

On May 5, 2016, the Council of Indigenous Peoples announced the Executive Yuan’s draft regulations governing the establishment of organizations for Aboriginal communities as public juristic persons based on the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act (原住民族基本法). The regulations are intended to enable Aboriginal communities to establish legal entities to allow them to gain the experience and ability needed to enhance their autonomy.

On Aug. 15 that year, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) visited Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and reiterated the pledge to implement autonomy for Aboriginal communities and allow them to become legal entities entitled to exert their collective rights.

The “launch” on Tuesday of a new maritime route between Kaohsiung’s Cijin District (旗津) and Wenzhou, China, took the nation by surprise. The move constituted aggression to some and a danger to others, but turned out to be a hoax.

The creation of a new “small three links,” if it were true, would have been foolish. The idea that someone could simply create a maritime route to China without being subject to the Maritime and Port Bureau’s rules defies common sense, but apparently the firm that held the launch ceremony thought it was possible.