President apologizes to indigenous people on government's behalf
ROC Central News Agency
2016/08/01 14:40:25
Taipei, Aug. 1 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Monday issued a formal apology on behalf of the government to Taiwan's indigenous people for the discrimination and neglect they suffered over the past 400 years.
The apology was made after a ceremony in front of the Presidential Office where representatives of Taiwan's 16 recognized aboriginal tribes gathered on Indigenous People's Day.
In the tradition of the Paiwan tribe, the representatives announced their arrival by singing songs and burning stalks of foxtail millet.
Tsai then greeted them at the entrance of the Presidential Office and invited them into the the building, where a Bunun tribe blessing ceremony was held and prayers were offered by six Christian priests of aboriginal heritage.
In her apology on behalf of the government, Tsai said it was a further step toward protecting the social status of the indigenous peoples and promoting their development in education, culture, social welfare and economic development, as laid out in an article of the Constitution that was added on Aug. 1, 1994.
The article also abolished the widely used term "shan-bao" (mountain fellow) to refer to Taiwan's indigenous peoples, after they agitated against it for decades because of the racist connotation, Tsai said.
"For the pain and unfair treatment suffered by all of you in the past 400 years, I apologize on behalf of the government," Tsai said. "I believe that even now there are still some people who think there is no need for such an apology, but that is the main reason why I need to make this apology on behalf of the government today."
Tsai also announced the establishment of a Presidential Office "commission for historical and transitional justice", which she will head.
The commission will hold discussions with representatives of the aboriginal tribes on issues such as national policies toward the indigenous people so that their voices can be heard, the president said.
In addition, Tsai said, the Cabinet will seek to introduce a basic law for the indigenous people, revive the historic memories of the tribes and give attention to their education, health and economic development.
She said a legal service center will be created to deal with the increasing number of conflicts between the existing laws and indigenous people's traditional practices such as the hunting of non-protected animals.
Tsai also said that before the publication of a final report, she will reexamine a government decision to store nuclear waste on Orchid Island and will offer compensation to members of the Yami tribe who live there .
She called for efforts to ensure better public understanding of the history and culture of Taiwan's various ethnic groups to help achieve reconciliation and prosperity for all and promote justice, diversity and equality.
The apology to the indigenous people was one of Tsai's campaign promises, which she said would signal respect for the early inhabitants of the country and a move toward solving related issues.
An 80-year-old elder of the Yami tribe from Orchid Island responded on behalf of the aboriginal tribes, saying that he hoped the government's apology on Indigenous People's Day would mark the beginning of peace and reconciliation.
He also said he hoped to see the people of Orchid Island and Taiwan proper become one big family.
On behalf of the 16 aboriginal tribes, he accepted a printed copy of Tsai's apology and offered her foxtail millet in a traditional gesture.
Other events scheduled for Indigenous People's Day included a national conference in the afternoon, at which the government was expected to detail its policies on indigenous people's affairs.
(By Tai Ya-chen, Lu Hsin-hui and Kay Liu)
Enditem/pc
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