Taiwan Church News 3007 Edition October 12~18, 2009
Reported by Chiou Kuo-rong. Written by Lydia Ma

When Premier Wu Den-yih and other cabinet members gave a report on budget allocations for post-Morakot reconstruction efforts on October 6, they were also questioned about how they would respond to Aborigines who wanted government to provide temporary housing instead of permanent housing. The new premier replied that he didn't support temporary housing for those who had lost their homes during Typhoon Morakot.

"Permanent housing" would allow typhoon victims (mostly Aborigines) to rebuild their homes or communities on government-owned lands and settle indefinitely. However, Aborigines won't hold rights or ownership over these lands or houses though they may live there for a long time. "Temporary housing" on the other hand would provide Aborigines with a comfortable place to settle down for the time being so that they can find the means, time, and space to rebuild their old homes or think about where they want to resettle in the long run.

According to Wu, building permanent housing was a highly effective policy and the government wanted to finish reconstruction projects as soon as possible. Therefore, it wouldn't support temporary housing because such an option would further delay decision-making on the part of Aborigines. Wu also said if building temporary housing was deemed a more appropriate option in some cases, he would reconsider it on a case-by-case basis.

Many pastors and Aborigines are disappointed at Premier Wu's decision as they had hoped he would respect Aborigines' preference for temporary housing instead of insisting on permanent housing as the sole policy alternative. But Wu's decision to continue what his predecessor, Liu Chao-shiuan, started shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone. Despite a recent cabinet reshuffle, the gist of the Ma administration's policies remains unchanged.

The government's Post-Morakot Reconstruction Committee announced in the beginning of October that typhoon victims could live in military barracks until the government finishes building permanent housing for them. In the meantime, it will issue stipends to cover victims' room and board and food expenses while staying at these barracks. However, temporary housing wasn't mentioned at all during recent government newsletters on reconstruction plans.

Though the Reconstruction Committee has always maintained its goal is to help Aborigines move away from dangerous areas while keeping their communities or way of life intact, Rev. Lituan from Kaohsiung Presbytery isn't convinced. He pointed out that communities in Namasiya have been bombarded by Buddhist organizations such as Tzu-Chi and other government agencies with offers to relocate and build permanent housing even as World Vision has begun offering temporary housing for typhoon victims.

Rev. Lituan explained that one key aspect differentiating temporary housing from permanent housing is location. Temporary housing is located in the mountains near the site of Aborigines' old homes, but permanent housing is located in the valleys or plains and far away from the site of Aborigines' old homes. Hence, though the government maintains that Aborigines are free to choose where they want to resettle, all government policies on reconstruction efforts clearly favor permanent housing away from the mountains.

Rev. Abus from South Bunun Presbytery remarked that it felt odd to have Tzu-Chi build their new homes and new churches. Since religion and church life are important aspects of Aborigines' life, it would be very difficult for Aborigines to get used to the idea of having a Buddhist organization build their church - an intimate place where they gather to worship God. That is partly the reason why they later sought Christian organizations such as World Vision for help in building temporary housing instead.

According to one Namasiya resident, when her family evacuated during the typhoon, they had signed up for permanent housing offered by Tzu-Chi and temporary housing offered by World Vision simultaneously. Because of the government's intense marketing strategies, coupled by concerns that living closer to the city might offer better job opportunities, the whole family decided initially to forego temporary housing.

However, after the dust settled and this family had time to think more thoroughly about what they wanted, they ultimately chose temporary housing over permanent housing because they wanted to stay with the rest of their community so that their lives could return to normal as before the typhoon and the whole community could remain together.