Indigenous activist to end 7-year protest camp on inauguration day

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) An activist has announced that she will end her protest camp located near the Presidential Office for the last seven years on the day President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) is inaugurated, but will continue to spread her message back home in Taitung.

Panai Kusui, who is of Indigenous Puyuma and Amis decent, has camped inside Taipei's 228 Peace Memorial Park for the last seven years to increase awareness of Indigenous land rights by protesting Taiwan's Regulations for Demarcation of the Traditional Territory of Indigenous Peoples and Villages.

In partnership with her Indigenous Bunun husband Nabu Husungan and Indigenous Amis filmmaker Mayaw Biho, Panai founded the Indigenous Justice Classroom in 2017 and set up camp on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office the same year.

The group's criticism of the Regulations for Demarcation of the Traditional Territory of Indigenous Peoples and Villages focuses on the fact that the regulation omits privately owned lands from being considered for demarcation, thereby limiting its impact.

After being taken down by authorities, the camp was relocated to 228 Peace Memorial Park where it was also dismantled by the Taipei City government when Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was mayor, before finding a long-term location in front of Exit 1 of the National Taiwan University Hospital Metro Station.

On Sunday, Panai announced that after seven years, she will end the camp on May 20. She and Nabu held a concert on Ketagalan Boulevard to make the announcement.

Panai said although Lai's incoming administration has not yet made any promises or policies on Indigenous rights, she will remove her camp on inauguration day and continue to promote awareness of Indigenous land rights back home in Taitung County.

The singer-activist revealed that during her demonstration over the years, she faced adverse treatment from people around her camp.

However, she also said she received support from many others.

Nabu added that he hopes to see Taiwan treat minorities better in the future for the sake of kindness between peoples.

Nabu also jokingly said the activists were punctual paying the "rent for their tent" as Taipei mayors have fined them on multiple occasions over the years.

As for Mayaw, he said it is regrettable that the history of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples is often not presented from the community's own perspective.

He said he hopes to see such trends gradually eliminated in the future because those narratives "lack empathy."

According to the Indigenous Justice Classroom, the group will continue to fight for Indigenous rights such as policies and transitional justice.