President Tsai Ing-wen said Dec. 29 that the government will continue sparing no effort to address grievances of indigenous peoples via organizations like the Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee.
The committee has served as a platform for dialogue between the government and tribal representatives since it was launched on Indigenous Peoples’ Day in August 2016, Tsai said. It is expected that discourse prompted by the committee will help clarify historical facts, boost societal communication and formulate policies, she added.
Tsai made the remarks during the 14th meeting of the committee in Taipei City. Attendees of the event included Vice President Lai Ching-te, Minister without Portfolio Lin Wan-i and Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te, as well as clergymen, elected representatives, teachers and traditional leaders.
The committee’s efforts to raise awareness of the narratives of Taiwan’s tribal peoples and incorporate them into education and legislation are paying dividends, Tsai said, adding that it will further ameliorate pain and injustice from the past while continuing to define Taiwan’s culture and future through multiethnic perspectives.
During the meeting, the committee’s Executive Secretary Icyang Parod and Council of Indigenous Peoples Deputy Minister Calivat Gadu also presented a report on the implementation of various measures such as the designation of indigenous tongues as national languages; relaunch of the Executive Yuan’s Indigenous Peoples Basic Law Promotion Committee; restoration of land justice; investigation of the nuclear waste storage facility on Orchid Island and compensation payments; and promotion of trilateral negotiations regarding mining at Asia Cement Corporation’s Xincheng Mountain mine. (YCH-E)
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