President Tsai Ing-wen has granted a presidential pardon to an indigenous man convicted of violating Taiwanese laws on hunting and the use of weapons. The case of Tama Talum has seen numerous legal challenges and sparked a national conversation on indigenous rights and environmental protection. The announcement of a pardon on Thursday comes as Tsai marks the first anniversary of her second term as president.
Tama Talum, also known by his Chinese name Wang Kuang-lu, is ethnically Bunun. The Bunun people are one of Taiwan’s sixteen officially recognized indigenous groups. In 2015, Talum received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for using a modified hunting rifle to hunt protected wildlife without proper permission. The judge found him guilty of violating Taiwan’s Controlling Guns, Ammunition and Knives Act and the Wildlife Conservation Act.
But indigenous rights campaigners argue that hunting is a part of Bunun culture. They say Taiwan’s laws on firearms and wildlife protection are discriminatory, as they effectively restrict indigenous cultural expression. Talum’s case went to the Supreme Court, before finally, earlier this month, the Constitutional Court issued a ruling on the laws in question. It found that several key regulations were unconstitutional, but did not quash Talum’s prison sentence.
The Presidential Office says Tsai’s decision to grant Talum a presidential pardon is meant to convey the president’s respect for indigenous culture. It says the decision is a significant milestone in the government’s pursuit of historical and transitional justice for indigenous people.