Taiwan Church News 3798 Edition Dec 9th ~ 15th, 2024 Weekly Topical Condemning Congresswoman’s Fabricated Charges, PCT Pledges to Carry on Revival of the Indigenous Mother Tongues Reported by Lin Yi-ying from Taipei With many slogans scribbled as “No Crime for Reviving the Indigenous Mother Tongues”, “Stop Smearing the Church” and etc, a press conference was held by the PCT, citizen groups and indigenous communities at Legislative Yuan on Dec 5th. 2024. The news brief was to protest against congresswoman Ms. Kao Chin Su-mei, who charged the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) patronizing the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) via the project, called “Revival of the Indigenous Mother Tongues”. In addition, she also accused PCT using CIP’s money to held free banquets for the democratic Blue Bird activists across the island. Kao Chin’s unfounded allegation triggered the angry outcry from citizen groups, the PCT and indigenous churches. To defend the truth and condemn Kao Chin’s fabricated charges, the PCT decided to fight back her irresponsible charges based on fake data. Stressing 2025 is the 160th anniversary of the PCT mission in Taiwan, Rev Fuyan Suda, moderator of the 69th PCT General Assembly, reiterated the PCT’s confession in the interview, “we pledge to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ, with a resolve to root deep in Taiwan, care about the needy, proclaim justice and compassion witnessed in the Bible, and speak up for Taiwan without fear, just like the prophets had done in the darkest hours of human history.” “Although the PCT had done so many ground-breaking ministries to promote democracy, safeguard human rights, and champion the dignity of the indigenous, there were still lots of attacks and slander, like Ms. Kao Chin’s untrue allegations against the PCT for her own fame and interests. It seems she intentionally to overlook the long-term efforts delivered by the PCT to engage in revival of mother tongues in the indigenous society. And this is a very sad thing!”, remarked Rev Fuyan Suda. In the press conference, Rev Fuyan Suda called on all Taiwan churches, regardless of their denominations, which had cooperated with CIP to engage in revival of the indigenous mother tongues to stand up and refute Kao Chin’s unfounded remarks. “Christmas is near in December, and the whole world is celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ,” Rev Fuyan Suda reminded, when Jesus was born in the colonized Palestine of Roman Empire, the Jewish people were seriously oppressed and exploited, yet still his humble birth brought hope, justice, and peace into such a dark world. “In the same vein, the PCT as a loyal Christian Church, we will carry on to care about all ethnic peoples and different political parties within God’s love and compassion. May the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ stands with all Taiwanese on the beautiful island!”, he said. “Mother tongue is the breath of an indigenous people. If mother tongues exist no more, the indigenous cultures will soon to vanish without trace!” Speaking in his Tayal mother tongue Tayal, Rev Omi Wilang, secretary of the PCT Indigenous Mission Committee solemnly warned, “mother tongues of many ethnic tribes in Taiwan are on the blink of extinction!” Rev Omi Wilang strongly condemn congresswoman Kao Chin’s cold-blooded freeze of the CIP budget on its revival project of the indigenous mother tongues. “How can you as a Tayal daughter brutally freeze the indispensable budget of sustaining the indigenous mother tongues? “, he scolded Kao Chin in Tayal mother tongue, “unless you no more have any Tayal soul in your body!” Regarding Kao Chin’s charge, that 70% of CIP’s NT$ 60 million budget for the project of mother tongues revival went to the PCT, Rev Omi Wilang responded via statistics data that there are more than 920 indigenous churches in Taiwan, and the PCT’s 540 indigenous churches account for only 58%. Besides, Rev Omi Wilang said, there are totally 11 Christian denominations joined together to promote revivals of the indigenous mother tongues, including churches of Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists, Baptist, the Nazarene, Emanuel Baptist and etc. He pointed out “the CIP revival project is not to patronize the PCT, and it is completely open to all Christian churches regardless whatever denomination they belong to.” Rev Lin Wei-lien, secretary of the PCT Church and Society Committee, said that Kao Chin’s irresponsible charges that PCT financed Blue Bird Banquet and even some DPP events was utterly a big lie. “This notorious congresswoman used to despise democratic citizens, like those attended Blue Bird Banquet, and denounce supporters of democratic movement as online-thugs coded as ‘1450’,” Rev Lin said. Code “1450″ is used to mock those netizens who would receive a payment of NT$ 1,450 after an fierce exchange of harsh words on some social media. However, the people participating at the Blue Bird Banquet have to pay more than NT$ 1,450 from their own pockets to register or enter the feast, according to Rev Lin. In fact, registration to attend Blue Bird Banquet was open to the public. “As long as you pay, order and choose a seat, you can share with others in a table,” Rev Lin stressed, “the Blue Banquet is a characteristic democratic brand symbolizing freedom and democracy in Taiwan, and its purpose is to reform current Taiwan Congress from a kowtow to China.” With an expenditure of more than NT$ 2.5 million, Rev Lin said that the Blue Bird Banquet at Taipei venue received an amount of more than NT$ 1.7 million as registration fees, as well as donations ofNT$ 0.8 million from individual citizens and private groups. The banquet convener also paid more than NT$ 100,000 as business tax to the government. “Absolutely, not a penny came from the DDP government to finance the Blue Bird Banquet,” Rev Lin assured. He also hopes that Kao Chin can pay to register and attend a “Blue Bird Banquet” in future and come to experience the enthusiasm of Taiwanese people to defend the hard-won democracy and freedom after decades of difficult struggles to overcome KMT’s authoritarian regime. In the press conference, Rev Utux Lbak, moderator of the Tayal People Assembly, delivered his deep regret and sincere apology: “As Tayal people have elected such an irresponsible lawmaker like Kai Chin, I want to apologize to all.” Rev Tux Lbak remarked, when he started to serve the Ulay Pinzitan Church in Tayal presbytery about 40 years ago, he once offered a thanksgiving service to celebrate the publication ofTayal Holy Hymnals. “Later, in order to promote the Mandarin among villages, KMT government sent officials to confiscate thoseTayal Holy Hymnalsand inhibited people to speak mother tongues,” he reminded the audience, ”what Kao Chin did to freeze the CIP budget is no different from KMT’s barbarous confiscation of our rights and freedom to speak, pray and worship God in mother tongues!” On behalf of the Tayal People Assembly, Rev Utux Lbak strongly condemned Kao Chin’s destructive budget cut of CIP project on the revival of the indigenous mother tongues. He also urged DPP government and the PCT to carry on the revival ministry of the indigenous mother tongues without retreat. Legislator Saidhai Tahovecahe, speaking at the press conference, pointed out that many citizens came to attend the Blue Bird Banquet at their own expense, but their images and sounds were edited by Kai Chin in the her clips and videos as a propaganda accusing they were served with foods and drinks free of charges. “Facts are manipulated as fake is the black magic of lies”, she lamented, “worse is that many people take the false film as blatant facts!” Many people, who attended the Blue Bird Banquet out of their own money also posted their payment receipts to witness it’s true, requested Kao Chin to submit a public apology. Otherwise, she would be reported to post fake remarks on social media Facebook and her account could be shut down soon. Translated by Peter Wolfe |