President Tsai pledges to continue supporting Indigenous policies

2023/12/08

President Tsai Ing-wen said Dec. 4 that the government will keep implementing policies in response to the aspirations of Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples as it promotes ethnic reconciliation.
 
Tsai made the remarks during the 20th meeting of the Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee in Taipei City. Attendees included Vice President Lai Ching-te, Council of Indigenous Peoples Minister Icyang Parod and other officials, academics and tribal representatives.
 
Government agencies must continue their work with respect to transitional justice, development projects in Indigenous communities and ensuring the rights and interests of tribal groups, as well as to engage in dialogues with them, Tsai said. To this end, she extended committee members’ terms of office to May 20, 2024.
 
According to Tsai, next year’s budget for the CIP is a record high NT$11.1 billion (US$351 million). The government will build nine public service spaces and 17 cultural and ritual venues in urban areas for Indigenous peoples to facilitate diverse exchanges, she said, adding that funding had also been allocated to purchase land from Taiwan Sugar Corp. in order to return it to tribal peoples.
 
The president took the opportunity to praise the achievement of members of the Paiwan tribe from Mudan Township in southern Taiwan’s Pingtung County, who retrieved ancestral remains from the U.K.’s University of Edinburgh in November. She said it was the first case of an Indigenous community in Taiwan lodging an international request of this nature.
 
By choosing to work toward historical and transitional justice, Taiwan has taken on a long-term endeavor, Tsai said, adding that the country is not alone in the effort. The president said she hopes that all members of society will understand that ethnic relations is an issue that impacts everyone: the people of Taiwan must face historical truths together to move toward genuine reconciliation.


Source: Noticias de Taiwan (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)