The scholars and experts advocating for the rights of indigenous peoples issued a joint declaration today (on the 15^th). They are calling for the nation to accelerate the identification work necessary for conducting “The Austronesian Linguistic Family’s branch- other Taiwanese indigenous peoples.” The Council hopes to include these groups in the rights system of the indigenous peoples. The Council of Indigenous Peoples issued a special statement pointing out that the draft of the “Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act,” passed by the Executive Yuan today (on the 15^th), has fully responded to the appeals made by the scholars and experts.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples stated that the draft of the “Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act” clearly stipulates that the Austronesian groups in Taiwan that meet the criteria for cultural survival, maintenance of ethnic identity, and the possession of objective historical records can apply for approval to be recognized as Plains Indigenous, with the members registered as “Plains Indigenous Peoples.” To balance procedural justice with ethnic group expectations, the draft also clearly outlines the review method, review organization, approval standards, and operational schedule for each stage of the process to ensure that every application is handled in due process.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples pointed out that the draft of the “Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act” clearly stipulates that the Plains Indigenous Peoples can immediately apply the rights regulated by the Development of Indigenous Peoples Languages Act and the Protection Act for the Traditional Intellectual Creations of Indigenous Peoples. Furthermore, the government must complete the development of a comprehensive legal system to protect the rights of the Plains Indigenous Peoples within three years.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples emphasized that the rights system for the Plains Indigenous Peoples will align with the intent of the Amendment of the Constitution of the Republic of China to safeguard all types of rights of indigenous peoples. In the future, legislators must adhere to the Constitutional judgment and fully consider the historical context and current situation of the Plains Indigenous Peoples and their members, in addition to taking into account factors like national resource allocation when making decisions.

The Council of Indigenous Peoples finally stated that abiding by the Constitutional judgment to establish the Plains Indigenous Peoples’ rights system and integrate it into the indigenous peoples' rights system, while ensuring that the existing rights of indigenous peoples are not negatively impacted, is a crucial core value in the draft of the “Plains Indigenous Peoples Status Act,” aimed at fulfilling the historical justice of indigenous peoples; moreover, it will be the Council’s administrative goal to pursue this matter.