Wu Li-hua explained

Saidhai Tahovecahe
Wu Li-hua
Native Name Lang:zh-tw
Honorific-Suffix:MLY
Smallimage:立法委員伍麗華Saidhai.Tahovecahe.jpg
Caption:Wu as a member of the Tenth Legislative Yuan
Order:Member of the Legislative Yuan
Term Start:1 February 2020
Predecessor:Chien Tung-ming
Birth Date:12 August 1969
Birth Place:Maolin District, Kaoshiung, Taiwan
Nationality:Republic of China
Party:Democratic Progressive Party
Alma Mater:National Pingtung University of Education
Profession:teacher
Occupation:politician

Wu Li-hua (; born 12 August 1969), known in the Rukai language as Saidhai Tahovecahe, is a Taiwanese Rukai educator and politician. She is the first legislator of the Democratic Progressive Party to represent the Highland Aborigine Constituency, to which she was elected in 2020.

Early life and teaching career

Wu is from Wanshan Village, in Maolin District, Kaohsiung.[1] [2] She was born on 12 August 1969,[3] to a mother of Rukai descent, and a father of Mainland Chinese descent.[4] She earned degrees from the National Pingtung University of Education, and, during a 27-year career in education, served as a principal within two primary schools in Pingtung County.[5] [6]

Political career

Wu worked in the Pingtung County Government under the administration of magistrate Pan Men-an starting in 2016.[7] She was credited with increasing the vote share among the indigenous population for Pan.[8] In Pan's administration, Wu was the director-general of the Indigenous Peoples Department and later the director of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs.[9] [10] She was subsequently appointed to the Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee.[11] [12] In this capacity, Wu was one of the signatories of an open letter addressed to Xi Jinping on behalf of Taiwanese indigenous people in January 2019, shortly after he had commented on Chinese unification and the political status of Taiwan.[13] [14]

In August 2019, Wu was nominated by the Democratic Progressive Party to run for legislative office in the multimember Highland Aborigine Constituency.[8] [15] In January 2020, Wu was elected to the Legislative Yuan as one of three representatives in the Highland Aborigine Constituency.[16] She succeeded Chien Tung-ming, who did not run for reelection.[4] With her electoral victory, Wu became the first Democratic Progressive Party legislator to represent the Highland Aborigine Constituency.[17]

Notes and References

  1. News: Davies . Daniel . Reserved for whom? The shifting dynamics of indigenous voting behaviour in southern Taiwan . 14 January 2020 . Taiwan Insight . 31 October 2019.
  2. News: Umav . 跨族群歡聚 台南原住民教會聯合聖誕禮拜 . 14 January 2020 . Taiwan Church News . 3 December 2019 . zh.
  3. News: 1號 伍麗華Saidai‧Tarovecahe . 16 October 2022 . Liberty Times . zh.
  4. News: 郭 . 芷瑄 . 出身教育界 伍麗華成為民進黨第1席山原立委 . 15 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 11 January 2020 . zh.
  5. News: 民進黨唯一山地原住民立委參選人 伍麗華今登記 . 14 January 2020 . Liberty Times . 19 November 2019 . zh.
  6. News: 林 . 婉婷 . Saidai參選山原立委 排灣中會成立後援會 . 14 January 2020 . Taiwan Church News . zh . 26 November 2019.
  7. News: 林 . 瑋豐 . 顏 . 振凱 . 黃 . 信維 . 民進黨首度攻下山地原住民立委!伍麗華將進國會改善偏鄉教育 . 15 January 2020 . Storm Media . Yahoo! Taiwan . 11 January 2020 . zh.
  8. News: 江 . 國豪 . 刺客登場!屏東縣原民處長伍麗華 投入山原立委選戰 . 14 January 2020 . United Daily News . 6 August 2019.
  9. News: Pingtung community opens nation's first coffee auction . 12 January 2020 . Taipei Times . 25 November 2017.
  10. News: Chiu . Chih-jou . Chung . Jake . Medals won by Aboriginal choirs giving elders hope . 12 January 2020 . Taipei Times . 11 July 2019.
  11. News: Presidential Office news release following eighth meeting of Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee . 14 January 2020 . Office of the President of the Republic of China . 21 December 2018.
  12. News: Presidential Office news release following ninth meeting of Presidential Office Indigenous Historical Justice and Transitional Justice Committee . 14 January 2020 . Office of the President of the Republic of China . 14 March 2019.
  13. News: Indigenous Peoples of Taiwan to President Xi Jinping of China . 14 January 2020 . Medium . 8 January 2019.
  14. News: 'This is sacred space': An open letter to Xi Jinping from the indigenous peoples of Taiwan . 14 January 2020 . Hong Kong Free Press . 9 January 2019.
  15. News: 郭 . 芷瑄 . 屏東原民處長伍麗華參選立委 從部落出發 . 17 January 2020 . Central News Agency . 7 August 2019.
  16. News: 林 . 宜瑩 . 蔡賴得票817萬勝出 長老教會牧者稱展現「台灣人拒絕九二共識」 . 14 January 2020 . Taiwan Church News . 12 January 2020 . zh.
  17. News: 周 . 家豪 . 民進黨首名山地原住民立委!伍麗華勤走部落攻破藍營防線 . 14 January 2020 . Newtalk . 12 January 2020 . zh.