The Constitutional Court has ruled that the rejection of the Siraya tribe for formal Indigenous status was unconstitutional. It has ordered new laws to be drafted to address the issue within three years.
This case originated from a lawsuit filed by the Siraya tribe against the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP). Tribe members repeatedly requested recognition from the CIP but were denied. Existing laws state that only mountain and plains aboriginals can be recognized, but the Siraya do not fall into either category. The court ruling will pave the way for official recognition of the group as Indigenous Taiwanese.
The Austronesian indigenous people of Taiwan, which include the Siraya, are the earliest of the island’s inhabitants. In the 16th century, the Dutch and Spanish specifically named the Siraya tribe “Formosans,” which would be adopted as the name for all inhabitants of Taiwan for centuries. The name Taiwan, historically “Taiouwang” (臺員) also originated from the Siraya language.
The Constitutional Court ruled Friday that all Austronesian peoples shall be granted constitutionally protected indigenous status. After the new laws are written and implemented, the Siraya people will become the third indigenous Taiwanese ethnic group. They will be granted the same rights as the plains and mountain tribes. This will lead the way for other groups in a similar position.