Today (March 17), the Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP) held an award ceremony in the Business Weekly Conference Room for the "Indigenous Political Victims Oral History Picture Book Adaptation and Promotion Project." Deputy Minister Calivat‧Gadu personally presented cash prizes of NT$30,000 to each of the six selected entrants. He noted that during Taiwan’s authoritarian period, the government utilized state power to oppress and imprison prominent indigenous figures, even going so far as to monitor entire tribal communities. Under such political repression, victims, their families, and fellow tribal members often chose silence. Consequently, many people today remain unaware of the hardships that indigenous communities faced during that era, which contributes to ongoing discrimination and prejudice.

To raise public awareness of this history, the CIP partnered with the Transitional Justice Commission Foundation, the National Human Rights Museum, and the Indigenous Peoples Cultural Foundation to adapt 17 filmed oral histories of Indigenous political victims and related individuals into picture books through an open call for submissions. Upcoming adaptation contests for novels and comics are also planned.

The CIP shared that the submissions were diverse, including entries from high school student teams—demonstrating that the concept of transitional justice is gradually taking root in society. The six winning picture books will not only be donated to universities and experimental elementary and junior high schools, but will also be made freely available to the public via the Alilin Taiwanese Indigenous ebooks. Additionally, multiple promotional events are being planned to encourage the public to learn about and reflect on this history. Moving forward, the CIP will continue upholding the spirit of transitional justice, striving to heal past wounds and promote reconciliation among all ethnic groups in Taiwan.