Taiwan Strips National Prize from Sakuliu Pavavaljung After Sexual Assault Conviction

On April 17, the National Culture and Arts Foundation in Taiwan revoked the National Award for Arts from Indigenous artist Sakuliu Pavavaljung because of his conviction for forcible sexual intercourse. He had received this honor in 2018 for his contributions to Paiwan culture, but now he must return the NTD 1 million (USD 32,000) prize. This action comes after the Supreme Court confirmed his four-and-a-half-year sentence on April 1, 2026, stemming from a 2021 incident involving a female student. Public knowledge of the situation began in December 2021 when artist Kuo Yu Ping raised the issue online. Pavavaljung’s appeals were unsuccessful, resulting in the cancellation of his Venice Biennale exhibition in 2022. This is the first time a national award has been revoked under the 2023 "MeToo" rules.