Taiwan officially recognizes Siraya people
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The Council of Indigenous Peoples in Taiwan reported that 1,336 people have received official recognition as members of the Siraya community since registration began on August 13.
For more than three decades, the Siraya people advocated for official recognition as an Indigenous group. The government formally recognized the Siraya as Taiwan’s 17th Indigenous group on July 30, under the Pingpu Indigenous People’s Status Act.
Prior to the 1990s, people identified as Pingpu were often considered assimilated into the general population after the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) came to power in 1945. Now, the government is accepting applications for recognition from nine Indigenous groups including the Siraya, Taivoan, Makatao, and others. Experts are currently reviewing applications from the Pazeh, Kaxabu, and Taokas groups, and the council plans to release eligibility requirements for Taivoan membership shortly.
Applicants must provide documentation to prove their Indigenous status, and the council is using historical population records from the Japanese colonial period as one source of information. The council also stated it will speed up the process of approving Indigenous groups and registering identities. The government is also addressing separate issues, including allegations against drone supplier Jiin Ming Industry Co, monitoring reports of a potential pneumonic plague outbreak in China, and considering the relocation of Taipei International Airport.
