The Siraya and other Pingpu groups have the right to be recognized as “indigenous,” the Constitutional Court ruled yesterday as it gave the government a three-year deadline to implement a law to facilitate their recognition.
Reading the ruling, Chief Justice Hsu Tzong-li (許宗力) said that recognition as indigenous should include formerly excluded groups native to Taiwan who speak Austronesian languages and whose culture is related to recognized groups.
Hsu said the ruling was unanimous among the 15 Grand Justices, as judicial officials called such a ruling “quite rare.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-te, Taipei Times
The ruling came after the Council of Indigenous Peoples has for three decades opposed the recognition of about 10 Pingpu groups, including the Siraya.
Council Minister Icyang Parod in June told a Constitutional Court hearing that “recognizing Pingpu groups as indigenous people will adversely affect the rights enjoyed by those who are currently recognized.”
The case was filed by Tainan Siraya Culture Association director Uma Talavan (萬淑娟) after the Taipei High Administrative Court in 2016 ruled against an earlier bid for recognition by the Siraya.
Hsu said that the Constitution guarantees recognition for Austronesian peoples native to the nation who constitute an “ethnic group.”
To prove that, a group would have to present household registration files, including from the Japanese colonial period, when officials comprehensively surveyed households in Taiwan, including the language people spoke at home, Hsu said.
After World War II, most aboriginal groups were registered as “lowland aborigine” or “ mountain aborigine,” but only the latter initially had the chance to be recognized, Hsu said.
However, with yesterday’s ruling, members of Pingpu communities that include elders who speak their original language and have retained Pingpu cultural characteristics would qualify for recognition as an indigenous group, Hsu said.
“They must have the collective identity as an ethnic group,” as well as the required documents to file for recognition, Hsu added.
After the ruling, Uma Talavan told reporters that the Siraya “are happy with this outcome,” calling it a “victory.”
The ruling helps “restore historic justice for us,” she said, but added that it does not automatically result in the Siraya being recognized.
The Council of Indigenous Peoples and indigenous lawmakers might try to impose restrictions that would leave the Siraya without a path to full recognition, she said.
However, Uma Talavan said the ruling is also meaningful for other Pingpu groups, such as the Babuza, Hoanya, Kaxabu, Ketagalan, Lloa, Makatao, Pazeh, Papora, Taokas and Tavalong.
The former regime of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) only recognized “mountain compatriot” groups, initially listing as recognized people the Amis, Atayal, Bunun, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai, Saisiyat, Tao and Tsou.
Other groups were added later, starting from when the indigenous council was established in 1996.
LANDMARK: Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two would deepen bilateral ties President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday pledged continued support for Haiti, particularly in food aid and healthcare, as the Caribbean nation faces ongoing social and economic challenges. Speaking at a meeting with Haitian Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste, Lai said Taiwan would step up bilateral cooperation to help improve Haiti’s social infrastructure. Taiwan would continue supporting Haiti through initiatives aimed at improving healthcare, food security and overall development, he said. Taiwan and Haiti are set to mark the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, the president said, adding that the two nations would continue to support each other and deepen bilateral
MONTHS OF WORK: The core mission of Taiwan’s negotiators is to safeguard the national interest, public health and food security, President William Lai said Taiwan is still hoping to reach a deal with the US in ongoing tariff talks after it was not among the first batch of 14 nations to receive tariff notification letters. The US issued its first batch of tariff notification letters on Monday, but Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) yesterday confirmed that Taiwan has yet to receive one. Vice Premier Cheng Li-chun (鄭麗君) and Minister Without Portfolio Yang Jen-ni (楊珍妮), who lead the Office of Trade Negotiations, are in the US negotiating the tariff issue, the Executive Yuan said yesterday. The US in early April announced sweeping tariffs on imported goods, including
‘A SERIOUS THREAT’: Japan has expressed grave concern over the Strait’s security over the years, which demonstrated Tokyo’s firm support for peace in the area, an official said China’s military drills around Taiwan are “incompatible” with peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi (王毅) on Thursday. “Peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is important for the international community, including Japan,” Iwaya told Wang during a meeting on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers’ Meetings in Kuala Lumpur. “China’s large-scale military drills around Taiwan are incompatible with this,” a statement released by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday cited Iwaya as saying. The Foreign Ministers’ Meetings are a series of diplomatic
The New York Yankees are to host Taiwanese Heritage Day for the first time this year, the event’s organizer announced on Monday. The annual event, which has been held nearly every year since 2005, has often been hosted by the New York Mets at Citi Field, but this year it would be hosted by the New York Yankees on Sept. 10 at Yankee Stadium, organizer ROF International Sport Marketing wrote on social media. The event, which is being co-organized by the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce of North America (TCCNA), is one of many cultural events hosted by the Yankees, the announcement said,