From Land Loss to Political Persecution: Indigenous Transitional Justice Course Launched

Taiwan's Ministry of Education has introduced a new human rights course focused on transitional justice for the nation's Indigenous populations. The curriculum aims to confront the historical injustices faced by Indigenous peoples, encompassing issues such as land dispossession, the fragmentation of culture and language, and political persecution during periods of authoritarian rule.

The course draws on extensive oral histories collected by author Ligaw, whose father was among those persecuted. It highlights how political persecution and stigmatization have deeply impacted Indigenous families, communities, and cultural heritage. This initiative follows President Tsai Ing-wen's formal government apology in 2016, which acknowledged the historical harms inflicted by successive colonial regimes.

Established as a platform for dialogue, the Presidential Office's Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Commission has been working to clarify historical contexts of rights violations and promote restitution. The transitional justice framework for Indigenous peoples operates on two levels: individual rights, focusing on rectifying human rights abuses by authoritarian governments, and collective rights, addressing long-standing issues related to land, culture, language, and education.

From the Dutch, Qing, and Japanese colonial eras through the post-World War II period, Indigenous peoples in Taiwan experienced systematic land appropriation and the erosion of traditional governance. Post-war assimilation policies by the Kuomintang government further marginalized Indigenous cultures by imposing a singular Chinese national identity, exacerbating cultural fragmentation and identity crises. The course seeks to educate the public on these complex historical narratives and encourage reflection and respect for Indigenous rights.

“

The Indigenous peoples' transitional justice is not just about responding to historical wounds, but also involves collective rights and the rectification of individual political cases.