Taiwan: Support for Tibet

For Tibetans' independent movement, most Taiwanese support and sympathize Tibetans, and many people changed their twitter profile figure to the flag of Tibet which represents Tibetan independent movement.

'Free Tibet' (Photo courtesy of skydaughter.)

Many artists, writers, musicians, and social movement participants held 'Bringing love to Tibet' to pray for Tibetans:

多年來，台灣年輕志工的身影，經常出現在全球各地需要協助的所在。如今，與台灣只隔著中國的西藏，受到暴力鎮壓，台灣年輕人感同身受，決心挺身聲援，用音樂、詩歌聲援西藏。

Young volunteers from Taiwan have worked overseas wherever help is needed. Now Tibet is violently oppressed by China, and these young Taiwanese identify ourselves with the Tibetans. We decided to support Tibetans, by our music and poems.

Compared to other countries, Tibetans' independent movement has a very special meaning for Taiwan. Most of the discussions are based on empathy, because Taiwan and Tibet are both threatened and manipulated by China. Terry said,

我個人很畏懼這個國家（中國）過往的殘酷紀錄，我高中時爆發的天安門事件，根據現在許多的證據顯示，當年天安門事件的確出動了軍隊鎮壓，並且開槍殺死了許多人民，對於這樣一個雙手沾滿血腥的鄰居，我只用戒慎恐懼來形容。

I am afraid of this country (China) due to its past records of cruelty. When I was in high school, there was Tiananmen Square protests. A lot of evidence shows that there was military oppression in Tiananmen square, and many people were killed. Facing this neighbor with blood in its hand, I am afraid and alert.

我身邊有許多人說：我們有中文語言的優勢，我們不應該自絕跟這個鄰居做生意，讓自己經濟繁榮的機會。但如果這樣的經濟繁榮機會，最後卻讓自己陷入被鎮壓、同時無法擁有民主自由的現在，我會寧可選擇保守一點，日子苦一點無所謂，但我想要高興談論、自由呼吸自由存在。

Many people said that we should not put restrains on ourselves and give up the opportunity of prosperity by doing business with this neighbor since we have the niche of using the same language. However, if the opportunity of prosperity comes with oppression and loss of democracy and freedom, I will choose to be conservative. Living a poor life is all right, if I can speak, breath, and live happily and freely.

Some people reflected Taiwan's history and compared its own oppressed past with Tibetans' independent movement. Judie said, Tibetans are in their 228 Massacre.

圖博人正在經歷他們的二二八，與外來統治者展開艱難的鬥爭。[...]他們的行動被統治者誤解、汙衊，無辜者的血繼續流，傷痕正在加深.......

Tibetans are experiencing their 228 Massacre, making a difficult stand against the foreign ruler.[...] Their independent movement is misunderstood and slandered. The blood from these innocent people keeps running and the hurt is deepened.

Many people criticized the mass media in Taiwan. Jas took blocking the news about Tibet for example and said, because the sources and gatekeepers are different, this independent movement is reported differently.

（中國）過去稱六四天安門為一小撮人，稱台獨為一小撮人，如今又同樣以一小撮人來指涉被迫害的西藏人。

(China) said there were only 'a few' people joining Tiananmen Square protests and there are only 'a few' people supporting the independence of Taiwan, and now they referred to the oppressed Tibetans as 'a few' again.

Tucci in Germany compared the news about Tibet in Taiwan and Germany, and said the news is obviously less in Taiwan than in Germany.

一個國家動用軍警武力殺害抗議的人民，是對人權最赤裸的摧殘與蔑視；[...]我想這件事的歷史重要性不會在六四天安門之下，但很遺憾的是，國內的主要媒體的新聞處理淡很多，跟德國所有全國性的媒體統統頭版處理差別實在很大。

A country that uses its military to kill the protesters is depreciating and ruining human right.[...] I think this independent movement will be as important as Tiananmen Square protests. However, I am sorry to see the major media in Taiwan did not take it seriously, which is very different from how Germany media treats it.

Sindia in Beijing talked about the information blockage in China.

有人問我北京人對西藏事件的看法，在這種情形下，北京人連西藏發生了什麼事恐怕都不知道，知道的也就是一面倒的聲音，若干藏民暴徒挑起暴亂，傷害無辜漢族百姓，達賴在背後策動，目的是要搗亂奧運，爭取獨立。這就是所有來自中國媒體的新聞角度，在這種情形下，北京一般民眾，還能有什麼看法？

Some people asked me how people in Beijing view this Tibetan independent movement. Under this condition, most people in Beijing don't know what happens in Tibet. If some of them know, they only know that some Tibetans evoked violence and hurt innocent Han people, and Dalai Lama have orchestrated it to ruin the Olympic Games in Beijing and for their independence. This is what mass media in China said. In this condition, what do you think people in Beijing can comment?

Although China government blocks the information, due to the advance of technology, some people in China tries to use instant messanger and twitter to see people's comment about the protest in Tibet, even though they are confused or unhappy. A message in zola may show some people's opinions:

西藏現在需要的，是健康的發展和對藏文化的保護，以及西藏問題的和平解決，罈子裡這些喊打喊殺的兄弟，如果你們有一個真正的藏族朋友，也許你們就不會說那些話了。

What Tibet needs is healthy development, protecting their culture, and solving political issues peacefully. For whoever says we should kill and oppress, if you have Tibetan friends, you will not say so any more.

Annpo asked Chinese friends through twitter, and one of them who has experience of working in Tibet said:

藏区的生活的确改善很大，起码比周边的国家都不错，这是应该看到的。但[...]生活好了，就会满足吗？[...]政府免费让他们读书，却用的是汉族课本。[...]藏族人对青藏铁路并不完全是支持的。而在拉萨日益繁华的时候，我那些老藏族的邻居却一个个都搬走了，这些难道还不够说明问题？

The life condition in Tibet does improve a lot. We can see the life in Tibet now is better compared to its neighbors. However, [...] can we satisfy people only by making their life better? [...] The government affords free education, but the textbooks are Han's textbooks. [...] Not all Tibetans support the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. When Lhasa becomes prosperous, my Tibetan friends keep moving out. Can't these observations explain the problem in Tibet?

There are other people caring about Tibet. Reiw in Hong Kong made a detail analysis and zola shared the summary of the news. Chao-Chen Lin, a reporter interviewing Dalai Lama and many Tibetans before, explained the problem of Tibet is due to the failure of conversation between Dalai Lama and Chinese government, and the development brought by China government that destroys their culture.

Acknowledgment: A-po made this summary first, and then I-Fan edited and translated it into English.

Discussions about NCC draft law

The National Communications Commission (NCC) in Taiwan held its second hearing on Sept. 20th, 2007, to discuss the second draft of a new communication law. This new law will integrate the three communication laws -- the Satellite and Broadcasting Law, Cable Radio and the Television Law, and Broadcasting and Television Law.

From Newstory :

通訊及傳媒產業從八Ｏ年代產生三大面向的發展：媒體「匯流」、「全球化」及「解除管制」，而通訊傳播管理法就是NCC因時制宜下的產物。

"There are three perspectives of development of telecommunication and media industries after 1980s: convergence, globalization, and lifting restrictions. This new communication law is legislated by NCC based on these spirits."

On the other hand, NCCwatch, a civil group, is afraid that this trend encourages monopoly in the media industry. Since media is considered to be a carrier for culture, we must pay attention to its quality. As a result, after the second hearing, NCCwatch claimed there are some serious problems in the second draft of the law:

一、反對NCC刪除徵收業者「特種基金」：[...]未來業者將不必負擔公共責任（將營業額百分之一成立基金）。[...]

二、反對NCC不當開放外資：[...]此舉不但對本地影視產業發展及勞工權益並無助益，未來本地文化及我國的文化主權也將受到嚴重戕害！ [...]

三、反對NCC取消跨媒體經營的限制：[...]放任跨媒體所有權集中，未來台灣媒體壟斷將更為嚴重。[...]

四、反對NCC降低業者違法之罰鍰：[...]不僅對改善媒體亂象全然無益，消費者權益將會受到嚴重侵犯！[...]

五、反對NCC刪除本國自製節目比例明確規定 [...]

"(1)We are against repealing of the special fee (for the government) collected from the media operators.[...] Without the special fee (1 % of the media operators' turn over), the media operators do not have social responsibility any more.[...]

(2)We are against allowing overseas investors to own a very high percentage (49%) of shares in the nation's broadcast television companies. [...] This act will not benefit local media industries and our labors, and it will damage our culture and our identity.[...]

(3)We are against lifting the restrictions that prevent corporations to run different kinds of media.[...] This act will encourage centralization of the media's ownership and will aggravate the monopolization in media industry.[...]

(4)We are against reducing the penalties drastically for the media operators for breaking the law.[...] This act cannot protect consumers from being assaulted by low-quality media.[...]

(5)We are against lifting the regulation that specifies the exact percentage of television programs to be locally produced.[...]"

Newstory also discussed some articles in the second draft of the new law raising concerns, which can be summarized into three points:

(1) "條文「頻道事業提供之節目或廣告，不得有煽動族群仇恨或性別岐視情形」，[...]如果沒有認定標準，這項條文很難執行。 "

The article 'the contents and advertisements provided by broadcast corporations should not abet conflicts between ethics groups'[...] is void if we do not have a definition for 'abetting conflicts between ethics groups.'

(2) "現行規定廣告總時間不得超過每一節目播送總時間六分之一，[...]現改為每日廣告時間不得超過播送時間的六分之一 。"

The current regulation for the length of advertisement is less than 1/6 of each program,[...] but it is changed to be less than 1/6 of the whole broadcast time.

(3) "草案新增除新聞與兒童節目外，允許置入性廣告，但必須要在畫面上呈現「廣告」或「贊助者」字樣。 "

In the draft, product placement advertisements are allowed except news programs and programs for children, but they should show 'advertisement' or 'sponsor' on the screen.

[Mural] [Boston] Murals in Boston

The famous murals in Boston are in the Boston Public Library. The artist is John Singer Sargent.
You can take a virtual tour. We can see the description of the murals by the artist himself. The title of the murals are 'Triumph of Religion.' The artist had worked on this project from 1895 to 1916. This project in Boston Public Library is John Singer Sargent's first mural project. We can see his other work in Museum of Fine Art in Boston.

Route & Maps Generator

There are several types of murals: public murals, commercial murals, and murals in residence houses. For some public murals, the communities surrounding them are deeply involved.

There are some murals I am impressed:

===Central Square parking lot around Harvest (a co-op grocery store)===

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Potluck, painted by David Fichter in 1994.
From central square in Cambridge to Inman square in Somerville, there are people from different countries with different cultures. We can see these people in the mural, and they are happily sharing the food, chatting, and dancing. There are more details in David's website.

Route & Maps Generator

Since it is on the wall of Harvest co-op grocery store, I assume the 'precautionary principle' is Harvest's principle. We can see there are animals with their cubs, some children, and a mother with her child.

===Central square around Blockbuster===

Language Translations

A Celebration of Imagination, a Tribute to Marc Chagall, painted by Pasqualina Azzarello in 1997.
Because this mural is a tribute to Marc Chagall, we can see the painter chose some colors and lines similar to what are seen in Chagall's paintings.

===Central square on the wall of Middle East restaurant and night club===

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Because Middle East is a restaurant and a night club, we can see people in the mural are playing different musical instruments. In addition, it contains a lot of oriental flavor.

===S&S restaurant in Cambridge===

Route & Maps Generator

The mural can be seen here. The artist is Joshua Winer. This restaurant has great brunch!

===Harvard square theater (of course, around Harvard square)===

English German Translation

The mural can be seen here. The artist is also Joshua Winer.

===Trader Joe (a grocery store) in Cambridge===

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Sunday Afternoon on the Charles River, painted by David Fichter in 2005. We can see in the mural, people enjoy the picnic besides the river. There is Harvard bridge, and people are kayaking and canoing. In the left side, we can see the old Harvard square with the trolley—now there is underground subway (red line). In the right side, there is a woman hold a Trader Joe's bag. But beyond her, there is the the main dome at MIT. In the summer time, Harvard blocks part of Memorial Drive for people to enjoy their Sunday.

===Inside Science Museum===

by English Translations

This muralt was painted by Amy Barlett Wright. Her environment-oriented style is very different from the energetic style in the murals around central square.

===Allson===

by English Translations

There are many asian, indian, and russian people in this area as far as I know (from the restaurants). I did not find any information about this mural.

===JFK crossing===

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This mural was painted by David Fichter in 1995. I guess the man in the center of the mural is JFK. This area in Brookline is where Kennedy was born, and the locals call it 'JFK crossing.' They said there are four murals, but I only remember three: this one, another one across the street, and the other one one block away.

===Zaftigs restaurant around Coolidge corner===

by English Translations

Coolidge corner is full of Jewish culture—there are Jewish bookstores, Jewish restaurants, and etc. Of course Zaftigs restaurant is a Jewish restaurant. In the center of the mural, I think it is the historic building in the center of Coolidge corner. In the left part, we can see the Coolidge corner theater and the trolley (green line). About the women in red dress, I guess she was the owner of Zaftigs because there is a portrait similar to these women in the restaurant.

===Newberry Street===

Newberry street is a famous shopping area in Boston, and this mural is a very famous one on Newberry street. They said there are more than 50 famous people, including JFK, Babe Ruth, Bette Davis and Isabella Stewart Gardner. It is painted by Joshua Winer in 1991.

===Downtown===

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This mosaic mural is outside the Grand Lodge of Masons in Mass. It contains three panels: Greek Doric column, the motto of Massachusetts Freemasons, a plumb, and something I am not sure what it is about.

===Chinatown===

Misterinfo

Many people take photo of this mural because it is on the wall facing the popular parking log. Although the Buddha in the center attracts our attention, this mural is about anti-smoking. It was painted by Boston Youth Fund Mural Crew in 1998.

English German Translation

This mural is outside the Chinese community center. I guess the man on the top is about the business of laundry. There are other people in this mural tailoring, cooking, working in a construction site, transporting merchandise, rowing a dragon boat (right upper part), telling stories, learning English, striking, planting. I guess because it is very close to the New England Medical Center, there is a physician in this mural.
This mural was painted by David Fichter in 1986.

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There is another mural painted by Boston Youth Fund Mural Crew. It was painted in 1997. It is around the Chinatown gate. We can see many characters in famous Chinese stories.

Because the involvement of the community or the local stores, I found where there is a mural, there are many interesting local stores and interesting community activities.

Taiwan: Is there a blind spot in blogsphere?--Blogblind

2007/11/20, an experimental website was born in Taiwan: 'Blogblind' (closed now, in two days). The main concept is pushing (similar to 'digg it' in 'Digg') the blogs people do not like (instead of pushing the website we appreciate) and tagging them with comments like 'copy machine' or 'boast.' When most people leave flattering comments in the blogs (or maybe the 'bad' comments are deleted by the owners of the blogs), many people consider this new website is a pertinent way for the bloggers to make a self-examination.

yblog說：

這個網站實在是太歡樂，太搞笑了呀。 過去有照亮黑暗部落格的明燈，他只有一個人在評論，現在有了Blogblind，可說是集眾人之力，似乎可發揮效益更大的產物 。

透過不同的標籤tags，不同部落格在許多人心中的特點，慢慢浮現。

自己是認為，這樣的網站可以讓台灣的部落格有一番新話題，讓過去一些為人詬病的現象，在這個殿堂裡獲得公開討論，又不傷大雅的機會 。

yblog said,

This website is so funny and so kuso. In the past days, 'the light lightening the black blogphere' is the only one making comments. Now with Blogblind, get together and we may achieve more beneficial outcomes.

By different tags, the characters of the blogs formed in our minds are surfacing.

I think this website can generate a new subject in Taiwan's blogsphere that we can talk about. The phenomenons people have complained about can be discussed in a public space without hurting anyone.

However, how do the bloggers whose blogs were listed on the website and tagged with abusive language feel?

Dear John說：

因為是匿名發表評論，才過一天而已，在站上已經累積了為數不少的不堪的人身攻擊和沒有根據的謾罵。 完全沒有想過這些被罵的部落客心中有何感受？ 在此，呼籲此站應該立刻關站，並且張貼對所有被罵的部落格的道歉啟示。大家也不應該再用笑鬧的態度來看待此事

Dear John said,

Because people can make comments anonymously, there are a lot of abusive comments without evidence. Did they ever think about how the blamed bloggers feel? Here I appeal that this website should close immediately and post an apology for the blamed blogs, and all of us should not take this lightly any more.

Aug9說：

對於BBS上的鄉民來說，反正有文必推、有熱鬧必湊、有人打架我就在旁邊吶喊。但在這種鄉民現象中眾鄉民的「推」文 (抑或噓文？)，大家可否曾想過一件事情？這一股股的推(噓)浪潮中，帶有著多少部落客的惡意毀謗與攻訐？

Aug9 said,

To the 'mob' on BBS, if there is an article, the mob will push it; if there is a crowd, the mob will join them; if there is people fighting, the mob will yell. However, when the mob push (or boo) an article, have we thought about how much bad intention, slander, and cheap shot coming along with the pushing (or booing)?

Although many people consider that this website was overplayed, some people still hope it can reopen one day.

yblog說：

在我看來，Blogblind只要克服2個問題，就可以有復站的機會。

首先就是機器人程式灌票的問題。

再來就是匿名張貼惡意tag的問題。

個人認為張貼tag，下標籤這個功能做成要登入網站才可以留，而且每個標籤都可以看到是那些人下的即可。未來如果司法要追究，也可以找到對應的帳號。

yblog said,

To me, if Blogblind can solve these two problems, it is possible to be reopened:

The first is the spam robot program, and the second is the anonymous tagging with bad intention.

I think the people who want to tag must log on, and everyone can see who leaves which tag. If there is lawsuit in the future, at least we can see whose account is that.

In addition to the technical issues, maybe we need to learn more about social psychology: why people do not care to hurt others when we do not see the victims or when we think we are not the first one to stab at the victims. It is always not easy to find a pertinent way to criticize others.

Whose land? 誰的土地？

黑暗從眼睛
滑落心頭，
令人害怕的
失去光明的窒息，
圍繞四周。

燃燒。莫那能（排灣族詩人）作。

Darkness slides from my eyes
into my heart.
Scaring
suffocation without light
surrounds me.

'Burning' by Mo-Na-Neng (a Paiwan poet)].

司馬庫斯風倒木事件，針對不公平審判，捍衛司馬庫斯行動聯盟新聞指出，在2005年十月：

Smangus's battle for the unfair trail about the wind-fall beech, based on Smangus & Smangus Action Alliance News, can be traced back to October, 2005:

Terry the typhoon caused the damage to the only road that communicated the neighboring areas. Smangus people cleaned the road alone and put the windfall beech on the side. One month later, the staff of the Forestry Bureau chopped the wood into pieces and took them away secretly. Three of the Smangus youth transported the remains on behalf of the Tribal Committee for the purpose of community design. Consequently they were reported of stealing national woods. The accused became the accuser!

因為無法接受竊盜風倒櫸木的起訴，司馬庫斯人不願認罪，案件繼續審判：

Because the stigmatization was unacceptable to Smangus people, they did not want to admit crime and let the case go.

(Feb 24, 2007) The judge of the first instance ignored the Article 15 of the Forestry Act and the Aboriginal Basic Law which protect the indigenous rights, but instead, he convicted them by Articlee 52 of the Forestry Act. The penalty was 6 months of imprisonment, the fine of NT$160, 000 for each person, and suspension of punishment for two years. Smangus people cried, “Why don’t you put all of us in jail?” Therefore, the whole village went on the road to Not Guilty Plea.

在風倒櫸木事件中，「土地屬於誰」是一個重要的議題。司馬庫斯人認為風倒櫸木所在的位置是他們的領域，而林務局並不這麼認為。到底要如何決定土地屬於誰？

The main issue in this battle is 'whose land is it?' Smangus people thought the wind-fall beech is in their territory, but the Forestry Bureau thought it is not. How do we decide who is the owner of the land?

在2007年5/20-21，因為泰雅族人認為司馬庫斯風倒櫸木事件是對其嚴重的威脅，所以召開Pinhaban傳統會議，各部落結盟一起保護其領土。在部落會議上（根據Pinhaban會議的聲明），馬里光群的長老說：

In May 20-21, 2007, because Tayal people considered the wind-fall beech case is a serious threats to the Tayal tribes, Pinhaban, a traditional cultural ceremony, was held to make alliance among the villages to protect their territories. In the conference (based on The statements and declaration, from the conference of Pinhaban Alliance, the chief of the village of Mrqwang said:

We indigenous peoples are knowledgeable of our own traditional territories. We can accurately describe the landscapes of the mountains and the rivers in them. We name those natural objects and connect our own lives so closely with the surroundings. The staff of the Forestry Bureau does not understand our lives. When we heard the staff say that the traditional territory of Smangus is only about 12 acres, we regarded the notion absurd. The territory is absolutely larger than this measure.

In Munch's article:

誰的山林？一直存在爭議。
從日本人強收山林，國民政府承繼遵行，原住民的傳統領域，始終成為被擱置的話題，在不斷族群正名以示尊重的心態下，就像掛上好看門牌，家園卻永遠不屬於自己的，林務局是山林裡的大地主，原住民每個人都清楚

Whose land? This is always a controversial question.
Both Japan government and this government confiscated the mountains, and the ownership of the traditional land of the aboriginal people is always an ignored problem. Although there are many name-rectification actions that showed the respect to the aboriginal people, these actions only put on a beautiful doorplate while their homeland is not belong to them. All the aboriginal people know that the Forest Bureau is the largest landlord of the mountain.

對原住民而言，司馬庫斯櫸木事件，不是刑罰輕重，而是對於原住民領域及文化的尊重，他們堅持的是無罪判決，沒有人可以否定他們對於山林家園的權力。

To aboriginal people, the seriousness of the penalty is not the point. They care about the respect toward their territory and their culture. They insist for not guilty plea, because no one can deny their right on their land.

In September 28, 2007, ignoring the Smangus people's claim and the Forestry Act and the Aboriginal Basic Law, the judge of the second instance decided to keep the original conviction but decrease the punishment.

In Judie's blog, Wild at heart, Legal Defense Association said,

今天的判決是一個醜陋的妥協。因為，如果法院認定三人有罪，那麼根據《森林法》，結夥並使用搬運設備竊取林產物，應加重判刑，為何法官卻做出減輕刑責的判決？如果法官已體認到原住民族價值系統中人對自然的善待、和諧、永續與責任，為何沒有勇氣做出無罪判決？

Today's conviction is an ugly compromise. If the judge decided the three people committed crime based on the Forestry Act because they stole the nature resource in the forestry, the judge should enhance the punishment. On the other hand, if the judge recognized the way the aboriginal people treat the nature: kindness, harmony, sustainability, and responsibility, why did the judge not have the courage to agree with the no guilty plea?

Taiwan: From music to rice: expressing the love toward our life and our earth

因為廣大的唱片市場以及熱鬧的唱片工業，台灣人喜歡並且熟悉流行歌曲以及其他種類的音樂。

Due to the big music market and hot music industry, Taiwanese love and are familiar with pop songs and many kinds of music.

施韻如根據簡妙如的研究指出：

In Yun-Ru Shih's article, based on Miao-Ru Chien's research:

台灣流行音樂產業的崛起起始自七零年代的民歌運動，到了八零年代末、九零年代初迅速成長到五十億台幣，1996年破百億後，1997年更達到歷來最高的123億台幣，在全球唱片市場排名由第21位竄升至第13位，在亞洲排名第二（僅次於日本）。（簡妙如,2002）

The pop music industry in Taiwan rose in the folk music movement in 1970s. At the end of 1980s and in the beginning of 1990s, this industry grew rapidly to 50 million NTD. The number reached 100 million NTD in 1996 and 123 million NTD in 1997. In the international music industry, Taiwan's market size rose from 21st to 13th, and became the second one in Asia (Japan is the first one).

Oldlady談起最近（6/16/2007）才剛落幕的第18屆金曲獎的來由以及頒獎典禮中的插曲:

客語歌手林生祥（參考生祥與樂團網站）連續拒領兩個獎項，他說：「金曲獎應該用音樂類型來分類，而不是用族群，我覺得金曲獎太不合時宜，我參加過很多國外音樂祭，都被歸類在世界音樂或民謠，我建議金曲獎放開心胸，大膽改變，廢除這個獎項，因為這個獎項，使得用客家母語的歌手失去了良善競爭的眾多對手，也使客家歌曲被邊緣化。」然後把兩獎共25萬的獎金，捐給包括美濃自發性種樹團體、月光山雜誌、青芽兒雜誌和白米炸彈客楊儒門４個團體及個人。

Oldlady talked about the recent 18th Golden Melody Award (6/16/2007) and an unexpected interlude in the award ceremony:

The Hakka singer Sheng-Hsiang Lin (who was awarded for 'the best Hakka singer' and whose album was award for 'the best Hakka album') refused to receive the awards. He said, 'this award should categorize music by music genre instead of ethnic group. I feel the Golden Melody Award is outdated. I have been invited to many music festivals in other countries, and we are always categorized as world music or folk music. I suggest the board of this award open their minds and make some audacious changes. I propose that we abolish this (Hakka) award because this award deprives the Hakka singers' opportunities to join the positive competitions with other singers and decentralizes the Hakka songs.' Then he donated the 250,000 NTD prize to the Planting associations in Meinung, Moonlight Mountain magazine, Greenbud magazine, and the 'rice bomber' Ju-Men Yang.

關於金曲獎的語言分類，Sabinasun娓娓道來其歷史背景：

1987年台灣才解嚴，1988年媒體界才開始有新聞自由和改革。「金曲獎」其實是為了提倡與擴張台灣地區的音樂市場而在1988年由新聞局設立的音樂獎項。早期獎項也以「國語歌曲」作為最高榮譽，是響應威權時代「國語政策」的文化策略。九十年代以來，台灣本土意識越來越強，音樂界又有「新台語搖滾」和後來的「台客搖滾」流行市場。遲到2003年，金曲獎才開始增設「台語」，「客語」和「原住民」等所謂「少數族群」的獎項，以反應新的多元文化社會的現實。

About the categories made based on language, Sabinasun the history of this award：

In 1987, the martial law finally ended, and the media started to have press freedom. The 'Golden Melody Award' was originally set up in 1988 for the Taiwan music market by the Government Information Office. In the beginning, the highest award was for the mandarin music, and this action echoed that government's culture policy. After 1990, the concept of 'Taiwanese' became more and more significant, and 'Taiwanese rock music' market emerged. However, there are no 'Halo,' 'Hakka,' and 'aboriginal' (minority) categories in the Golden Melody Award until 2003 that represent the minorities and the reality of multiple cultures in Taiwan.

這個多元文化的立意本來是好的，但問題是金曲獎設立初期以族群語言來分類音樂和優越化「國語歌曲」，本身就是一個「操弄族群」的產物，如今不去質疑這個前提，而只是增加「其他的」語言獎項，仍然難以擺脫操弄的嫌疑。況且，企圖選出不同族群的「代言人」，對文化創作來說，是一個過於老舊的文化治理概念，尤其像是音樂這種相當容易「跨界」與「混種化」的文化生產。

The intention of promoting different cultures is nice. However, because the only language category in the Golden Melody Award in the beginning is a political maneuver to heighten the position of a specific group of people, if we do not question this part but only add the categories of 'other languages,' the award itself still bears the suspicion of being influenced by political maneuvers. On the other hand, for artistic creations, trying to find the representatives for different ethnic groups is a very old concept to control the culture, especially in the field of music where boundary-crossing and mixing are common.

林生祥是美濃的客家子弟，既是社會運動者也是歌手，曾積極參與反美濃水庫運動。美濃在南台灣，以客家人為主，以農業為主。在宣布停建美濃水庫之後，林生祥繼續關懷農民。

Sheng-Hsiang Lin from Meinung is a Hakka social activist and a musician who was involved in anti-Meinung Dam movement. In southern Taiwan, Meinung is a Hakka community whose economy is mainly based on agriculture. After the anti-Meinung Dam movement, Sheng-Hsiang Lin continues to care about the farmers.

但是，要求廢除金曲獎語言分類的聲音很快救被淹沒了。因為在林生祥發出拒領金曲獎聲明以及將部分獎金捐給楊儒門的三天後（6/19），總統陳水扁宣布將會特赦楊儒門，而這件事情成為媒體議論的焦點。

However, the message about the music categorization is submerged fast because of another topic raised and attracted most media's attention: President Shiu-Bian Chen said he would pardon Ju-Men Yang on 6/19, three days after Sheng-Hsiang Lin's speech in the Golden Melody Award and donated part of the prize to Ju-Men Yang.

楊儒門在2003-2004年間在公共場所放置了17個炸彈，其中有兩個引爆，但未有傷亡。他在2005年被判刑七年半並入獄。因為他把稻米混在炸彈中，因此被稱為白米炸彈客。他之後自首並且宣稱他的行為是為了讓大眾注意農民的問題。即使在獄中，他在2005年WTO會議期間絕食抗議，希望能引起大眾對農民問題的注意。

Ju-Men Yang was sentenced seven-and-a-half years in jail in 2005 because he planted 17 bombs in public areas in 2003 and 2004. Two of the bombs did explode without injuries. He is called 'rice bomber' because some rice was mixed with the explosives. He turned himself in later and claimed that his work was intended to evoke public attention toward the farmers. Even in jail, he tried to use hunger strike to evoke public attention during the WTO in 2005.

因為他以放置炸彈的方式吸引注意，即使他是為了農民，許多人對他的行為有不同的意見。在2004年的連署活動說明上，蔡培蕙說:

Because of setting bombs, although his tried to help the farmers, people have different opinions toward his case. In an cosigning activity to support Yang, Pei-Hui Tsai said,

針對楊儒門放置十七次炸彈，所涉及對公共安全的影響，我們在同情楊儒門之餘，尊重司法機關的處置。

Although we show our sympathy for Ju-Men Yang, we respect the court's decision for the public hazard of the 17 bombs he has set.

問題的關鍵在於，政府加入WTO的苦果正由窮苦農民默默承受，壓力已達臨界點，楊儒門不過是點燃引信的那個人。如果，楊儒門的所做所為，讓政府、讓農委會震驚，恐怕不是因為楊儒門製造問題，而是他恰如其份的點出了台灣基層農村的問題。

The reason we are here is because we thought he is only a person who lit the fuse after the farmers' bitterness approaches their threshold due to the decision made by our government to join WTO. What shocks the government and Council of Agriculture is not the problems he made but the problems he pointed out.

林生祥和楊儒門，他們都出身農家，在WTO推廣許多全球貿易制度之後，他們看到了農村的改變，希望追求高科技產業的台灣的人可以看看農村的問題，以及農村的問題如何可能變成所有人的問題。

Both Sheng-Hsiang Lin and Ju-Men Yang are from agriculture communities. After many trading policies promoted by WTO, they saw the changes in the agriculture communities, and they hope the high-tech industry-oriented Taiwanese can also see the problems in our agriculture communities, and how these problems will become all Taiwanese' problems.

不像美國的大農場，大部分的台灣農人都是在一小塊田地耕種。而因為市場喜歡外觀優美的產品，農人被迫親自施放農藥。合樸農學市集談到農人在施放農藥時死亡的新聞：

Unlike the big farming companies in United States, in Taiwan, most farmers only own small farms with some specific crops. Because the market prefers beautiful products, farmers are forced to spray pesticides by themselves. Hopemarket discuss the news that a farmer died when spraying pesticide:

其實這早已不是「新聞」了，我開始接觸這個部分以後，去產地拜訪，詢問農友為什麼會轉作有機或者是無農藥殘留的耕作方式，只要是本來務農的農人，有一半以 上，是因為農藥中毒，才驚覺農藥原來是這麼可怕的東西，不僅傷害農人自己本身，也傷害土地，更別說是作物殘留農藥吃了對人體的危害

This is not 'news.' When I started to know this field, I have been to the farms several times and asked the farmers why they started to do 'organic' farming or farming without pesticide. More than half of these farmers changed their farming methods because of pesticide intoxication. They found that pesticides are so dangerous to farmers, the earth, and the people who eat their products.

而在轉做有機農業的路上，這些個體農人也吃盡苦頭。Hopemarket：

有機農人不能使用殺菌劑或其他保花保果的資材，因此遇到狂風暴雨，只能讓果實自然掉落。 而蔬菜農友更慘，因為天氣炎熱，很多作物有溫度障礙，例如花椰菜與萵苣喜歡比較涼冷的生長氣候，夏天就會過熱而長不起來；番茄與苦瓜在夏季容易有疫病，一場大雨下來，農友的心血全部都泡在水裡，沒有東西收成。

When these farmers start to do the organic farming, they always have a very hard time. Hopemarket said,

Organic farming is farming without pesticide or other chemicals. When there is heavy rain or strong wind, the farmers can only watch the fruits falling. The condition is more severe for farmers who grow vegetables. For examples, cauliflowers and lettuces can only grow in colder weather, and they cannot grow in the summer. In the summer, tomatoes and bitter melons would get sick easily. After a heavy rain, when their vegetables all bathe in the water, the farmers get nothing for their efforts.

除了農藥的問題、有機農作的困難度，更糟糕的是農作物的價錢過低。而價錢過低的問題並非侷限於台灣，WTO的政策所造成的不公平交易使價格跌落影響農人生計，Iron的說法是：

當西方國家不斷鼓吹自由貿易時，卻一方面鉅額補貼國內農業出口，使其能以低價大量傾銷到第三世界；另一方面，卻透過雙邊談判或國際經濟組織要求第三世界國 家取消關稅、減低對其他產業的政策補貼，及開放市場。這是不公平的貿易。數以百萬的發展中國家小農因為西方的 農業傾銷而被迫賤賣農產品，甚至被推離市場。

In addition to the pesticides and organic farming, farmers are worried about the low price of their crops. The problem of price is not limited in Taiwan. The policies WTO tries to promote cause unfair trading and give the farmers an extremely hard time to live. About this problem, Iron said,

While the western countries preach free market, they subsidize their own agriculture and make the price of their crops become very low. Then they dump these cheap crops to the third world. On the other hand, they asked the countries in the third world to reduce their customs and subsidy and open their market. This kind of trade is unfair. Millions of farmers in the developing countries are forced to sell their crops for a very low price or leave the market.

這樣的問題不停地蔓延，對無數國家的農業產生巨大衝擊。台灣政府的作法是對「休耕農地」進行補貼。然而，這樣的政策導致農地荒廢以及被破壞、農地價格被炒作等等。Turtle提出「環境補貼」的概念希望能解決這個問題：

台灣的休耕政策只重「休耕補貼」，卻忽視更重要的環境管理，農村文化景觀就這樣逐漸凋零；歐洲國家的休耕政策則強調「環境補貼」，凡是有利於環境生態就可領取補助。如何呼應世界趨勢與進步觀念，已是當前檢討休耕政策重要方向。

Nowadays WTO has gigantic impact on the agriculture system in numerous countries. To respond to the impact, Taiwan's government also have subsidy for 'farmers that do not do farming.' However, this policy makes many farming areas be ignored, abandoned, damaged, and over-priced. Turtle said,

Taiwan's subsidy only focus on 'paying money' instead of environment management, which is more important. Thereafter, our agriculture scene and culture die gradually. On the other hand, the subsidy in the European countries focuses on environment. They have subsidy for farmers who 'do something good for the environment.' How to echo the new trend and idea is an important direction for our agriculture subsidy policy.

不過，當我們思考農業的時候，我們還有其他跳脫商業與政治（選票）的考量，革少說：

農業不只是商品貿易，而是一種土地和人之間的關係。

On the other hand, when we think about agriculture, we can have another perspective in addition to trade and politics (voting power). laches said,

Agriculture is not only for trading, it is a relationship between the earth and human beings.

還是讓我們來唱種樹吧(歌詞：鍾永豐，歌曲：林生祥）。

Talking about the relationship between the earth and human beings, how about singing the song 'Planting trees' (lyrics by Yung-Feng Chung and music Sheng-Hsiang Lin):

種給離鄉的人

種給太寬的路面

種給歸不得的心情

種給留鄉的人

種給落難的童年

種給出不去的心情

Planting trees for the people who leave

Planting trees for the roads that are too broad

Planting trees for not being able to go back

Planting trees for the people who stay

Planting trees for the disastrous childhood

Planting trees for not being able to leave

Taiwan: keep rowing--i-panga na 1001

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/78/222644930_3afa0c7d46.jpg
(photo courtesy of casyc23. The red and black circle at the head of the boat is 'mata-no-tarara' (eye) and sun. It can expel evil spirits and evoke good fortunes.)

In Tao's language, 'Tao' means 'human.' Although Lanyu (orchid island, where the Tao people live) is belong to Taiwan now, considering language and culture, the Tao people are closer to Ivatan people in Batanes islands in Philippine than other peoples in Taiwan.

As a branch of Austronesian people, the Tao people are good at building boat, and they use boats for fishing. Their wooden boat is not canoe. They combine different kinds of wood to build small wooden boat (tatara) for one or two people and large wooden boat (chinurikuran) for around ten people.

Keep rowing:
蘭嶼的大船文化，幾乎是整個達悟民族從生理生計到心理信仰與宇宙觀的集合體。

The tatara boat culture in Lanyu is the aggregation of physiology, psychology, economy, belief, and world view of the Tao people.

在現代經濟方式的衝擊，氏族漁團的青壯勞動力被台灣的資本市場吸納，老一輩長者無能為力負荷大船建造的一切所需， 只能看這舊船腐朽裂解，在每年呼喊飛魚的招魚儀典時，感嘆空盪的港灣而無大船的身影。

Because of the aggression of the modern economy, the young people in the families (in Lanyu) are absorbed by the capitalistic market in Taiwan. The elders cannot afford to build a big boat, so they can only watch these old boats decomposing. In the yearly flyfish ceremony, the elders are sad because they only have harbors but not boats.

2001年時，我們與村裡的族人，帶著從島上森林伐取的樹材，一起到台中的自然科學博物館，建造了一艘脫離傳統氏族漁團組織的十人大船。

In 2001, with some people in our community, we brought some wood logged from the forests in the island to the National museum of natural science in Taichung (Taiwan). We built a big boat for ten people, which is not for traditional fishing community-based usage.

當年我們詢問父親：”可以到台灣造大船嗎？makanyou（禁忌）怎麼辦？”父親也細詢了為何要去台灣造大船的用意……？”給台灣的人看，也讓他們了解，大船不只是美麗而已，而是還有我們的智慧與能力！”我們回答。沈思後的父親給了我們一個說法：”台灣又沒有我們的鬼（anito），你 們想那麼多做什麼？”之後，那一年我們順利的完成了一艘向台灣展示的文化大船……。就在完工的當時，緊接而來的是：「做好了船，怎麼不划呢？」於是，五年 後的今天，我們想與台灣的朋友分享一件事：船，不只是被展示的，更是可以航行的，我們將拜訪台灣……。

Before we built that one, we asked our fathers, 'can we build a boat in Taiwan? How about the makanyou (taboo)?' Our fathers asked about our intention. 'We want to show Taiwanese our boats and let them understand that our boats are not only beautiful but also full of our intelligence and capability.' After contemplation, our fathers said, 'there is no anito (our ghosts) in Taiwan, why are you afraid?'
One year later, we finished that boat successfully. Then people asked us, 'why not row it after building it?' As a result, five years after that, we want to share something with our friends in Taiwan, 'our boats are not only for demonstration but also for navigation. We will visit Taiwan.'

Keep rowing:

船長1016 c m ，寬170 c m，高270 cm
我們的大船取名為： Ipanga na，1001跨越號。 （ipanga na是Tao語裡的名詞，有跨越、航行之意。）
ingana na表示移動，我們要到許多的地方去；而「1001」，只是因為我們的大船超過了10公尺長。

The length of the boat is 1016 cm, the width is 170 cm, and the height is 270 cm.
Our boat is named 'Ipanaga na, 1001.' Ipanga na in Tao means crossing over and navigation. Ipanga na also means moving. We will go to many places.
'1001' is named because our boat is longer than 10 m.

Keep rowing:

由紀錄片工作者林建享與蘭嶼達悟族友人夏曼‧夫阿原召集一半蘭嶼族人、一半台灣人共同建造、歷時四個月的蘭嶼達悟族的「 1001跨越號」，是近百年來蘭嶼達悟族所打造尺寸最大的拼板舟

Being a documentary filmmaker working in Lanyu, Chien-shieng Lin with his Tao friend Shaman Fuayuan called some Tao people and Taiwanese to build this boat together. It took four months, and it is the largest tatara boat the Tao people have built in the recent one hundred year.

They planned to row from Lanyu to Taitung, then to Taipei, and finally return to Taitung. The total length of the voyage is about 1438.6 km. They plan to finish it in 35 days. In average, they need to row 50-60 km per day. There are 12 people rowing at one time, and there are two teams of people for rotation.

Originally they planned to start on 6/12, but the plan was delayed because of the weather:

老人說，「六月蘭嶼的天氣啊，變幻莫測，好像很難捉摸；為什麼不選七月出發呢？七月的天氣，海面上像是倒了沙拉油那樣，選在那樣的日子裡出發不是比較安心嗎？」伴航船的船長周一宗帶著海圖和氣象圖來了。19日以前，天氣都不穩定。

The elders said, 'the weather in June in Lanyu is capricious. Why don't you start in July? In July, the sea looks like having soybean oil on the surface. If you choose to depart in July, we are relieved, aren't we?' Later the captain of the ship that will go with us, I-Tsung Chou, brought the sea chart and the weather map, and he told us the weather would not be stable before 6/19.

They started off this June 20th, and now they arrived Taitung safely. Although they practiced several times before the voyage, it's still hard because they need to struggle with the Kuroshio current.

Keep rowing:

中間的時候，「真的很想拖呢（叫機動船幫忙拖行）」，不是因為洋流太強，是因為太陽太熱。 所有的人都沒有放棄。

In the middle of the rowing, 'I really hoped that ship could drag us.' The thought was not due to the current but due to the sun. But no one gave up.

Their next project, after the funds are raised, will be rowing to Batan islands to meet the Ivatan people.