Breakthrough in Sight for Taitung's Jialan Mountain Indigenous-Han Land Dispute with New Law

The administrative area of Jialan Mountain in Taimali, Taitung County, falls under Taimali Township, but the land itself is classified as indigenous reserved land managed by the indigenous Jinfeng Township. This has led to a long-standing land dispute between the current farmers and the Jinfeng Township Office. Today, the Taitung County Government stated that a revision to central regulations has been made, which is expected to resolve the issue.

Although the administrative authority over Jialan Mountain belongs to the Taimali Township Office, the land was designated as indigenous reserved land in 1970, with management rights belonging to the neighboring indigenous Jinfeng Township Office. Over a thousand hectares of land have been leased and used by non-indigenous people since the Japanese colonial period. Starting in 2010, the Jinfeng Township Office began sending legal notices to more than 200 tenant households, demanding the return of the land to the Jinfeng Township Office.

More than 200 tenant households on Jialan Mountain formed a self-help association and have spent years petitioning and protesting to various bodies, including the Taitung County Government, Taitung County Council, the Legislative Yuan, the Council of Indigenous Peoples, and the Control Yuan, but no solution was found.

KMT County Councilor Oung Li-yin raised the issue again today during a general interpellation at the Taitung County Council's regular session.

Oung stated that for a long time, the administrative jurisdiction of Jialan Mountain has been under Taimali Township while the land management rights belong to Jinfeng Township. This separation of administration and management has caused great inconvenience and trouble for the residents on the mountain, leading to long-term damage to their rights and interests.

Oung pointed out the most obvious contradiction: whenever mountain roads are damaged by typhoons, the Taimali Township Office is responsible for maintenance, but the land rent is collected by the Jinfeng Township Office. This unreasonable situation has prevented the residents' basic rights, such as the right to survival and residence, from being realized. She urged the county government to take active measures to definitively resolve this historical dispute and protect the due rights and interests of the local residents.

Lin Hung-yi, Director of the Taitung County Government's Civil Affairs Department, responded that the central government has already promulgated the Administrative Division Procedure Act, and its related sub-laws will also be announced and implemented. The county government has formally commissioned National Taitung University to launch local investigations for administrative rezoning. The subsequent process will follow procedures to promote the adjustment of administrative areas, which is expected to solve this problem that has troubled the area for decades.

Lin Hung-yi stated that the Ministry of the Interior officially passed the Administrative Division Procedure Act in October of ROC year 114 (2025), providing a clear legal basis for local governments to handle such administrative division disputes. The Taitung County Government immediately allocated a budget early this year and successfully commissioned a team from National Taitung University to execute the project. The team is currently conducting extensive opinion gathering among the township offices, representative councils, village chiefs, and residents of Jialan Mountain in both Taimali and Jinfeng townships, officially kicking off the substantive work of administrative rezoning.

Lin Hung-yi noted that the Ministry of the Interior's sub-laws are expected to be officially announced and implemented on July 1 of this year. The National Taitung University team will also conduct local opinion polls, public hearings, and information sessions. The final results will be submitted to a review committee established by the county government for examination. After a decision is made, it will be reported to the Ministry of the Interior to formally carry out the administrative area adjustment according to procedure. In the future, related supporting issues such as land administration and household registration will be resolved, achieving the goal of 'simplified and convenient governance' and returning this beautiful mountain forest and land to a sound management system.