The Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee (hereafter the “Committee”) held its 17th committee meeting today (Mar. 3) to present the “2021 Annual Implementation Reports of Committee Teams,” “Investigation Report on Asia Cement Corporation’s Use of Land Reserved for Indigenous Peoples on Xincheng Mountain,” and “Case for Compensating Indigenous Peoples for the Building of Transmission Towers on Their Reserved Land.”

    The Asia Cement Corporation investigation report revealed that on Mar. 14, 2017, the Ministry of Economic Affairs granted the corporation the right to mine for another 20 years on Mar. 14, 2017, the third extension of the mining right. In response, a number of indigenous peoples and environmental groups protested in front of the Executive Yuan and Office of the President, demanding that the right be revoked and that the Asia Cement Corporation observe the consultation and consent procedure in compliance with Article 21 of The Indigenous Peoples Basic Law, and also filing a lawsuit in court. Under the instruction of President Tsai Ing-wen during the 4th Committee meeting on Dec. 28, 2017, an investigation team comprising tribal representatives, the government, and the Asia Cement Corporation was established that went on to hold seven team meetings and 22 coordination meetings between 2018 to 2021 and release an investigation report that was approved by the Executive Yuan on Feb. 8, 2022. A tribal meeting was also held by the Bsngan Tribe on Feb. 12, 2022, at which half of the attending tribal households voted in favor of Asia Cement Corporation’s right to mine. Moving forward, the government and the Asia Cement Corporation will actively implement the suggestions made in the report, share any benefits received in accordance with agreements, and continue to uphold indigenous people transitional justice.

    Concerning the Case for Compensating Indigenous Peoples for the Building of Transmission Towers on Their Reserved Land, the Taiwan Power Company built several high-voltage transmission powers on land reserved for indigenous peoples in Laiyi Township, Pingtung County during the 1980s to supply power. However, the company has yet to compensate the indigenous peoples living in the region. During the eighth Committee meeting on Dec. 21, 2018, President Tsai Ing-wen asked the Executive Yuan to oversee the case. The Council of Indigenous Peoples (CIP), Executive Yuan legislated parts of the Indigenous Land and Sea Act on a part-by-part basis. In 2019, the CIP has amended Article 37 of the Slopeland Conservation and Utilization Act and Regulations on Development and Management of the Lands Reserved for Indigenous People, solving the land right loss compensation problem faced by the tribal people spanning more than 40 years.