Presidential Office announces conveners of thematic subcommittees under Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee
The Office of the President on May 3 released the names of the conveners of the five thematic subcommittees under the Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee, which has been tasked with three key responsibilities: clarifying historical facts, spurring societal communication, and putting forward appropriate policy proposals.
Mr. Yao Jen-to (姚人多), Executive Secretary of the committee and Deputy Secretary-General to the President, noted that when the committee met for the first time on March 20, 2017 it adopted a set of Operation Standards for the Thematic Subcommittees of the Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee. The committee has five subcommittees that focus on the themes of land matters, culture, languages, history, and reconciliation. After soliciting a broad range of opinions and engaging in discussions, President Tsai Ing-wen formally approved the selection of five persons to serve as conveners of these thematic subcommittees.
The five subcommittee conveners are: Awi Mona (蔡志偉), Subcommittee on Land Matters, member of the Seediq tribe, currently an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of Financial and Economic Law at National Dong Hwa University; Agilasay Pakawyan (林志興), Subcommittee on Culture, member of the Puyuma tribe, currently the vice director of the National Museum of Prehistory; Masegeseg Z. Gadu (童春發), Subcommittee on Languages, member of the Paiwan tribe, Professor Emeritus at National Dong Hwa University and Adjunct Research Fellow at the Academia Sinica Institute of Ethnology; Su-chen Lin (林素珍), Subcommittee on History, member of the Amis tribe, currently an associate professor at the National Dong Hwa University Department of Ethnic Relations and Culture; and Jolan Hsieh (謝若蘭), Subcommittee on Reconciliation, member of the Siraya tribe, associate professor at the National Dong Hwa University Department of Ethnic Relations and Culture.
Deputy Secretary-General Yao explained that the five subcommittee conveners are all highly professional indigenous academics with a deep grounding in culture and long experience participating in public affairs. The committee will rely on their expertise and experience to guide the committee staff as everyone works together on the tasks assigned by the committee, such as processing historical materials, clarifying facts, drafting reports, and planning activities.
Deputy Secretary-General Yao also stressed that the five subcommittee conveners have all been hired as the committee's advisors. Their positions pay no salary, and they all serve coterminously. The Council of Indigenous Peoples, which is in charge of staffing matters, has already hired contract research staff, while Academia Historica is providing office space free of charge. All the relevant agencies will continue to contribute the needed manpower and funding to facilitate the committee's work and ensure that it yields clearer results.
At the committee's second meeting, which is scheduled to take place in June, the five thematic subcommittees will finalize comprehensive work platforms and present them to the committee for discussion.