Premier Lai Ching-te today convened the seventh meeting of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law Promotion Committee, saying that the Executive Yuan will continue to advance indigenous affairs in accordance with the five major objectives and nine definitive positions of President Tsai Ing-wen's indigenous peoples policy, as well as the rules and spirit of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The government will act with an abiding respect for pluralism to bring about harmony, shared prosperity and equality among all ethnic groups in Taiwan.
Following a briefing by the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) on the current implementation status of the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law and supporting laws and regulations, Premier Lai commended the CIP and other ministries and agencies involved for moving quickly to revise or enact 78 of the 87 supporting laws and regulations originally requiring action. Of the remaining nine, the responsible ministries and agencies were instructed to actively push forward and complete the work as quickly as possible, while the CIP will continue to take stock of any missed laws or rules that may still need to be addressed.
Commenting on the proposals put forward at the meeting by committee members, the premier advised the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), CIP and local governments to join forces on the draft national spatial plan, with the MOI and CIP specifically to seek input from all indigenous groups and study the application of related guidelines, regulations and land-use restrictions for indigenous lands, including plans for designated indigenous areas, so that the regulations laid down in the Spatial Planning Act and the Indigenous Peoples Basic Law can be enforced and the land rights of Taiwan's indigenous peoples protected.