I urge the Taiwanese Government to reconsider the crimes that have been put forth on the Smangus people. The verdict is short-sided with only one perspective. The legalities alone are unjust. Land rights were guaranteed to the Smangus. Under section 4, article 15 of the Forestry Act, the Smangus was given the rights to any resource that their territory provided for traditional uses. However, the Taiwanese Government did not carry out their agreement. When the time came for the Smangus to utilize wood materials for rebuilding their village for repairs, the Government penalized the Smangus.      

（我強烈建議台灣政府重新考慮對司馬庫斯村民的有罪宣判，此一判決昧於一方的觀點，而其合法性也是有失公允的。司馬庫斯的人們依法有土地權利。在森林法第十五條第四款明文規定司馬庫斯村民有權依傳統慣習使用其領土上的任何資源。然而，台灣政府卻沒有履行他們的承諾。當司馬庫斯村民利用林材修復並美化其部落時，政府卻以刑法處罰司馬庫斯村民。）

（致相關人士:）

I am writing in regards to the wind-fall beech event that had occurred at Smangus and would like to extend my support for the Smangus community. Based on the information made available to me, the Forestry Bureau staff had cut the tree into pieces and removed of them, which was in village boundaries. When the village people tried to take the wood back to the village after it was transported, they were accused of burglary. How can it possibly make sense to charge these traditional people with burglary on something that originally was located in their territory? These people were only taking back what was originally theirs, which was taken away by the Forestry staff. Since that were the case, perhaps it could be considered the Forestry staff committed the burglary first. Had they not removed the tree, the village people would not have been able to take the pieces away.

（我寫這封信是希望表達我對司馬庫斯部落的司馬庫斯櫸木事件的支持。根據我所得到的資訊，林務局的同仁亦在司馬庫斯部落的範圍之內切割樹木成碎塊並把這些樹木帶走。但當部落族人嘗試把吹倒的櫸木帶回部落，他們被控訴竊盜。當族人在屬於他們的土地上拿取屬於他們的東西而被控訴竊盜罪，是非常不合理的事情。這些人只是取回被林務局取走之東西，這些東西原本就屬於這些族人。如非要控訴這些族民盜取櫸木，您應考慮先譴責林務局的同仁犯竊盜罪在先。如果他們沒有把櫸木給搬走，司馬庫斯的族人也不會拿走任何一分的櫸木。）

I would like to support Smangus people as a lecturer in the Department of Geography at University of Toronto, Canada by adding the following message. Please provide only my English name. Thanks 
（本文是我以加拿大大學地理系講師的身份表示對司馬庫斯的支持。我的名字請僅以英文表示。）

(凱瑞。佛瑞斯曼博士的來信: )

Professor of Biology and Wildlife Biology
Division of Biological Sciences
The University of Montana

(生物學與野生生物學教授
生物科學部門
蒙大拿大學 )

http://www.umt.edu/oip/factravelresearch/foresman.htm

I am very sorry to hear that this event has occurred and that these individuals are being prosecuted. I would be glad to add my name to thosewho protest this prosecution. The last time I was in Smangus Lahwy videotaped me speaking about the cypress trees and the villagers reverence forthese forests. Though this doesn't deal specifically with Zelkova I did talkabout the importance of these forests to the villagers and it would seemappropriate for my talk to be posted if Lahwy still has this video. I can'tread any of the postings on this web site since they are all in Chinese; isan English version available?
(我 很遺憾得知司馬庫斯櫸木事件，並為被控訴的族人感到抱歉。我希望把我的名字加入抗議這項指控的名單。上次我在司馬庫斯時，拉互伊錄影了我提到柏樹和部落族 人對森林的崇敬。雖然這和櫸木沒有直接關係，但我確實有提及這些森林對部落族人的重要性。如果拉互伊還有我之前所錄的影片，轉貼這部影片應該是挺適切的。 我無法閱讀網站上的資訊，因為全是中文訊息。是否有英文版的網站呢？ )

To the Taiwanese Authorities:
（致台灣政府：）
It is of great concern that I, and my colleagues at UC Davis, hear of the gravely misinformed policies and irresponsible actions of the Hsinchu Forest District Office and the Forestry Bureau towards members of the Tayal/Smangus community.
（我與我在加州大學戴維斯分校區(UC Davis)的同事，已聽說新竹林區管理處與林務局對於居住在司馬庫斯的泰雅族人所持有之嚴重誤導的政策與不負責任的行為。對此，我們想表達我們對此事件的掛念。）