Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2017-07-19
The Council of Indigenous Peoples is set to hold a conference on Taiwan’s indigenous
An official document from a local government office in Hualien County shared by Tsai Ing-wen in a Facebook post Wednesday. The document is written in the local Amis language. The use of indigenous languages in official documents became possible in June when the Legislature passed a law giving them official status. (Photo from Tsai Ing-wen’s Facebook page) (CNA)
languages on August 1.The conference aims to encourage government organizations to promote indigenous languages.
The conference will be held one year on from President Tsai Ing-wen’s apology to the indigenous people of Taiwan for the historical injustices they have faced. At the time, Tsai promised to make a law aimed at preserving indigenous languages a priority. The Legislature passed the law in May, and it took effect June 14. The law gives official status to indigenous languages and allows local governments in aboriginal areas to issue official documents in the local mother tongue.
In related news, President Tsai Ing-wen took to Facebook Wednesday to celebrate the new practice of using indigenous languages in government documents. She posted a photo of a document from a government office in Hualien County written in the local Amis language.
Tsai wrote that the move in a number of areas towards issuing documents in local languages signals a step towards transitional justice. She also said the central government and local authorities will continue working to ensure Taiwan’s indigenous cultures are treated with more importance. [SOURCE]
