Executive Yuan spokeswoman challenges legacy of Ming general in Southern Taiwan

政院發言人反對祭拜延平郡王在南台灣祖祠

Kolas Yotaka denounces ceremony honoring Zheng Chenggong, likening him to Christopher Columbus


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s indigenous people have expressed their support for Executive Yuan Spokeswoman, Kolas Yotaka, after her comments on a religious ceremony held in Tainan that honors the historical figure of Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功).

Last weekend on April 28, Kolas made a public statement through social media that the government should not support nor be involved in religious ceremonies that legitimize “colonial thought and behavior.” Her comments raised the ire of Zheng’s descendants and those who revere Zheng’s legacy in Taiwan.

Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga (國姓爺), was a Chinese naval commander and a Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) loyalist who opposed the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). Zheng, the son of a Chinese pirate and Japanese mother, founded a short-lived kingdom in southern Taiwan after expelling the Dutch forces from the island in the 17th century.

In her post on social media, Kolas compared Zheng to Christopher Columbus, saying he was no better than the Italian explorer and conqueror, as they both killed and robbed from the local indigenous populations.


Kolas Yotaka (CNA Photo)

Kolas and the indigenous community have been vocal critics of the ceremony and the government’s involvement in such events for years. Thanks in part to Kolas and the indigenous community’s influence, since 2017 the Ministry of Interior stopped sending representatives to participate in the ceremony, which is held every year at a shrine dedicated to Zheng in Tainan.

Many indigenous groups see Zheng’s legacy in Taiwan as a symbol of Chinese authoritarian power and colonial history, and have opposed glorification of the Chinese general and government support for such practices.

Following Kolas’recent statements on social media, members of the Zheng family have demanded that she resign from her position in the Executive Yuan, calling her remarks “inappropriate.” In response, Kolas emphasized that in her post, she was speaking as an individual, and not in her capacity as a government official, reports Liberty Times.

On Friday, May 3, the Central Taiwan Pingpu Indigenous Groups Youth Alliance (中部平埔族群青年聯盟) released a statement in defense of Kolas Yotaka. The statement called for transitional justice for the indigenous plains tribes of central and southern Taiwan.

The Alliance supports a reassessment of the historical legacy of Zheng Chenggong, with a greater focus on the experience of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.