Siraya's Persistent Pursuit: The Fight for Indigenous Recognition
Encouraging Government to Eliminate Obstacles for Siraya's Official Recognition, as Pushed by Leaders
In the heart of Taiwan, the Siraya community stands firm in their decades-long battle for recognition as an indigenous group, a struggle now bolstered by allies within the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). These allies, including Kuo Kuo-wen, Lin Chun-hsien, and Lin I-chin, are urging the government to remove any hindrances blocking the Siraya's path towards official status and collective rights.
Executive member of Tainan Siraya Culture Association, Uma Talavan, spoke at a news conference held in Taipei's legislature. She highlighted the shared Austronesian roots in language, culture, and traditions with the currently recognized 16 indigenous groups within Taiwan. However, centuries of colonialism and political control have led to marginalization and forced assimilation, pushing the Siraya and other Pingpu lowland groups to the brink of extinction.
The Siraya's struggle for recognition gained momentum in 2022 when the Constitutional Court ruled that the government's denial of their indigenous status was unconstitutional. The court provided them the right to an ethnic group identity in order to preserve their language and culture. In response, they were given a three-year deadline to enact laws that would facilitate their official recognition.
The Siraya activists and DPP legislators are now putting pressure on government officials to amend the Indigenous Peoples Status Act and the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act. Their efforts aim to counter a bill introduced by KMT Legislator Sra Kacaw and other KMT members. This bill, according to Uma Talavan, would categorize the Siraya as "Pingpu aborigines," a separate classification that would deny them equality with the currently recognized 16 indigenous groups.
Talavan has vehemently opposed this proposal, asserting that it enforces discrimination against the Siraya and other Pingpu groups, further marginalizing them, and stripping them of their indigenous rights and identity. If passed, this bill would relegate the Siraya to a third-class status, invalidating their political representation, cultural preservation, and access to education programs, social welfare, and medical services provided to other indigenous groups.
Kuo, another DPP legislator, echoed these sentiments, stating that the KMT bill would effectively deny the Siraya's constitutional rights to representation, culture preservation, and education.
In essence, while the Siraya are gaining ground with judicial backing and legislative support, they face steep opposition from the KMT's proposed categorization, which puts their full recognition as an indigenous group at risk.
- The Siraya activists and DPP legislators are advocating for the amendment of both the Indigenous Peoples Status Act and the Indigenous Peoples Basic Act to invalidate a bill that could categorize the Siraya as "Pingpu aborigines," a separate classification, potentially denying them equality with the currently recognized indigenous groups.
- Yesterday, Uma Talavan, an executive member of Tainan Siraya Culture Association, highlighted the importance of enacting laws to officially recognize the Siraya as an indigenous group, stating that the KMT's proposed categorization enforces discrimination and strips them of their indigenous rights and identity.
- The Siraya's persistent pursuit for indigenous recognition has gained significant momentum since the 2022 Constitutional Court ruling that deemed the government's denial of their indigenous status unconstitutional, giving them the right to an ethnic group identity to preserve their language and culture.
