Taiwan Must End Its 24-Year Persecution of Tai Ji Men

On August 16, 2020, Tai Ji Men dizi around the globe continued to protest against the Taiwanese government’s 24-year-long abuse of their human rights. They held signs in various locations, such as famous landmarks, city halls, and markets, to demand the Taiwanese government to revoke the unlawful tax bills to Tai Ji Men and end the illegal auction of Tai Ji Men’s property immediately.

Temperatures soared past 100 degrees in many parts of California in these few days, but that did not stop Tai Ji Men dizi from bringing their families to protest for their rights. In addition to holding signs in various spots in Northern and Southern California, they also posted signs on their cars and drove around to attract people’s attention.

They protested in famous landmarks and tourist attractions, such as Golden Gate Bridge, Chinese Theater in Hollywood, Downtown Disney, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Santa Monica Pier, Honda Center in the City of Anaheim, Downtown Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airport, and Ontario Airport. They also expressed their demands in front of the city halls of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Montclair, Upland, San Francisco, San Jose, Cupertino, and Sunnyvale.

Additionally, they protested in front of the Taipei Economic Cultural Office in Los Angeles and expressed their demands in New York, Chino Hills, City of Orange, a Costco store in Montclair, and a farmers’ market in Claremont.

James and Vivian, Tai Ji Men dizi living in Washington D.C., the capital of the United States, also denounced the Taiwanese government for violating their human rights in front of the Washington Monument and in the Lincoln Memorial--the hallmarks of freedom, justice, equality, and democracy.

In addition to Tai Ji Men dizi in the United States, those in Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, and Singapore also condemned the Taiwanese government for abusing their human rights.

Global Tai Ji Men dizi have been demanding the Taiwanese government to revoke the unlawful tax bills to Tai Ji Men, end the illegal auction of Tai Ji Men’s property, and stop the 24-year-long abuse of Tai Ji Men dizi’s human rights. Pamela Chen, a Tai Ji Men dizi living in California and an immigrant from Taiwan, said that her life as an immigrant in the United States is not easy. “Fortunately, I have been practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong. That has helped me stay healthy physically, mentally, and spiritually, so I am very grateful to my shifu (master). Now Taiwan’s government is going to illegally auction our academies in Taiwan. If those academies are auctioned off, then our academies in the United States will be forced to shut down, too. Therefore, we have to stand up and speak up,” she said.

More and more experts in various fields have shared their opinions on the Tai Ji Men tax case.

London-based attorney Alessandro Amicarelli, spokesperson for the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), said that “We expect in which that Taiwan may solve Tai Ji Men case, as I said, in the best possible way, erasing all the tax claims that have been made.” “So, also in year 1992 should be erased. This claim should not exist anymore,” he added.

Willy Fautré, co-founder and director of Human Rights Without Frontiers International, expressed his willingness to help Tai Ji Men seek justice and said that “It’s to be hoped that the current government of Taiwan would be able to repair the damage caused to Tai Ji Men.”

Dr. Massimo Introvigne, an Italian sociologist of religion, said that “Now, this case involving Tai Ji Men, is a residual of the past, it dates back to a different year in Taiwan’s history, that was 1996. Now we are in 2020, and if Taiwan, as I am sure it does, wants to perpetuate its image of a free country, a democratic country, a country friendly to human rights and religious liberty, and even a regional example, I believe it is great time that this ghost of a different past is laid to rest, and justice is done for taxpayers and for Tai Ji Men also in respect of 1992.”

Kenneth Jacobsen, a professor of law at Temple University and advisor to former President Bill Clinton, said that “In the Tai Ji Men case, it’s been determined that the taxes that have attempted to be collected are improper. And this is disturbing because the continuation and perpetuation of injustice is as bad as the commitment of that injustice in the first place. And that is what’s happening here, in the Tai Ji Men tax case.”

Tai Ji Men dizi worldwide will continue to protest, demanding the Taiwanese government to correct its mistakes and end the illegal auctions and human rights abuses!

Source: Tai Ji Men