Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim and President of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chen Chu, met with an indigenous delegation from the Parliament of Canada visiting Taipei City, pledging to continue enhancing indigenous cultural exchanges and cooperation with like-minded partners.
Led by Brian Francis, chair of the Senate Caucus on Indigenous Peoples, the group is comprised of David Wells, chair of the Conservative Party Senate Caucus, and other senators and members of Canada’s House of Commons.
Strong cooperation between Taiwan and Canada
During the meeting, Hsiao noted that Taiwan and Canada collaborate in various fields, with exchanges between their indigenous peoples being particularly prosperous. She mentioned that Taiwan’s indigenous community participated in the Pacific Arts and Culture Festival held in Hawaii last month, along with thousands of Pacific counterparts. The vice president added that indigenous culture plays a crucial role in the bilateral relationship.
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The meeting came a day after a talk with the Taiwanese president and NHRC commissioners, during which Chen Chu mentioned that his trip to Canada last October allowed him to better understand Canada’s experience in promoting indigenous peoples’ rights and policies and restoring the historical truth about human rights violations.
Chen added that she fully supports the name rectification movement of the Hla’alua and Kanakanavu indigenous tribes, and that during her tenure as mayor of Kaohsiung from 2006 to 2010, she issued certificates of rights restoration for indigenous reserved lands.
NHRC Commissioner Pu Chung-cheng further noted that Taiwan has formulated regulations to protect the rights of ethnic groups, such as the Basic Law for Indigenous Peoples, the Law on the Protection of Labor Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Law on the Development of Indigenous Languages. Other commissioners shared the nation’s supportive measures on health and medical care for women and children.
The NHRC chairwoman also took the opportunity to thank the Canadian parliament for supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations such as the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization.
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