To continue policy dialogue with the Plains Indigenous communities and implement Constitutional Court Interpretation No. 17 in 2022, the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) held the third forum on the draft Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act at the Xinzhuang Joint Office Tower of the Executive Yuan on June 27. The event invited legislators and representatives of Plains Indigenous communities in Northern Taiwan to exchange views on the Executive Yuan’s draft, gather public input, and inform the subsequent legislative and institutional development process.

The CIP emphasized that the Constitutional Court ruling clearly stipulates that individuals possessing linguistic, customary, and traditional cultural characteristics, with historical records demonstrating an  affiliation with Taiwan’s existing Austronesian-speaking peoples, may apply for indigenous status. The government is also required to complete the necessary amendments or enact legislation by October 27, 2025. In response, the CIP has established a dedicated legislative task force to draft the specialized law. The CIP held nine forums last year to collect community input, and the draft was approved by the Executive Yuan on May 15 of this year before being submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review.

The CIP noted that the Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act represents Taiwan’s first legal framework specifically tailored to recognizing the identity of Plains Indigenous communities, marking a historic milestone. Through open and transparent communication platforms, the CIP aims to listen to community voices, build consensus, and promote an indigenous policy system that balances pluralism, inclusion, and historical justice.