Taiwan Government Violates Human Rights

On May 19, 2021, Legislative Correspondent Alexandra Heller and Defense Fellow Liliana Machuca met virtually with Tai Ji Men disciples (dizi) on behalf of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. The dizi presented a petition about the 25-year persecution of Tai Ji Men by the Taiwan government. Nearly 100 Tai Ji Men dizi participated in this meeting from around the world, including the USA, England, France, Canada, and Taiwan, but mostly from California.

The two Tai Ji Men academies in California have been actively involved in their respective communities for two decades, sharing Tai Ji Men’s ancient qigong regimen and excellent culture to improve people’s physical, mental, and spiritual health. Tai Ji Men’s contribution is not limited to their communities; the dizi traveled with Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the leader of Tai Ji Men, to 101 nations to conduct cultural exchanges and promote the culture of peace with love and conscience.

Nevertheless, such a loving, caring, and positive group was caught in the crossfire during Taiwan's political purge in 1996. The Taiwan government violated Dr. Hong’s and Tai Ji Men dizi’s human rights in the form of criminal prosecution and taxation. This injustice was brought to the attention of many human rights scholars and experts around the world, including Professor Massimo Introvigne, a scholar of new religious movements and founder of Center for Studies on New Religions. Prof. Introvigne directed a short film on the case titled “A Question of Justice: The Tai Ji Men Tax Case in Taiwan.” In November 2020, during the third Ministerial to Advance Freedom of Religion or Belief, organized by the U.S. Department of State and others, and attended by foreign ministers from approximately 90 countries around the world, the Tai Ji Men case was discussed in one of the most well-attended side events, with many international human rights scholars and experts participating.

Ann Chen, a lawyer licensed both in California and Taiwan, introduced the Tai Ji Men case to the representatives of Senator Feinstein during the May 19 meeting. The case began on Dec. 19, 1996, when Prosecutor Hou Kuan-jen led an army of investigators and police officers to illegally search Tai Ji Men. Dr. Hong, Mrs. Hong, and two Tai Ji Men dizi were detained by the prosecutor and suffered inhumane treatment. In 1997, the prosecutor falsely charged Tai Ji Men for fraud and tax evasion. In 2007, the criminal division of Taiwan’s Supreme Court ruled that Dr. Hong and his co-defendants were not guilty of any charges and that they did not owe any tax. By the end of 2009, the defendants who were detained all received national compensation for unlawful imprisonment, further proving that this case is unjust.

In 1997, however, the National Taxation Bureau (NTB) issued unjustified tax bills to Tai Ji Men based only on the indictment, which was later disproved by the criminal courts. The NTB continued to issue illegal tax bills to Tai Ji Men, ignoring the Supreme Court's final decision finding the defendants innocent of tax evasion and other charges.

In 2020, the Administrative Enforcement Agency forcibly and illegally auctioned Tai Ji Men’s property, intended for the building site of a Tai Ji Men spiritual center, based on the unjustified tax bill. In addition, the NTB treated the red envelopes given by Tai Ji Men dizi to their shifu (master), Dr. Hong, differently from those of other martial arts or religious organizations. This violated the principle of equality and nondiscrimination under Articles 2 and 26 of the ICCPR and Article 2 of the ICESCR.

Ann Chen, who is originally from Taiwan, explained why Tai Ji Men dizi exposed the corruption of the unscrupulous government officials in the case: “It is precisely because we love Taiwan so much that we call for solutions to the problem involving a handful of rogue bureaucrats who gave Taiwan a bad image domestically and internationally.”

Brenda Chen, a California resident and a daughter of one of the four wrongfully detained, shared how the Tai Ji Men case traumatized her entire family. Brenda’s mom, who resides in Taiwan, and her sister, who resides in France, were also in attendance. Although no one accused Brenda’s dad of any crime, he was detained and held incommunicado for about four months by the prosecutor. He was the chief financial officer of a well-known corporation at the time and was well-known in his industry, with a strong bank credit history. However, his good credit was completely wrecked as a result of the prosecution's illegal inquiry and incarceration. His bank called back his mortgage a few days after he was discharged, devastating his entire family's financial situation. His good name, which he had fought so hard to establish, was entirely ruined.

Because of the smear campaign wielded by the prosecutor against Tai Ji Men, Brenda’s mom was under tremendous pressure and was forced to retire early. Her sister even received a threatening note at school. Seven years ago, Brenda’s dad passed away with regret as the Tai Ji Men case is still not rectified to this day. Brenda recalled the distressing event clearly: “Prosecutor Hou didn’t conduct any thorough investigation and had no evidence to justify his accusations. He manipulated the media, falsely portraying Tai Ji Men as an evil religious group that defrauded people. Because of the Tai Ji Men case, my dad’s career and reputation were ruined. Even though years later, he received national compensation for unlawful imprisonment, nothing could ever indemnify our pain and suffering.”

Jack, another victim of the Tai Ji Men case, joined Tai Ji Men with his family when he was a child. He shared the benefits of practicing Tai Ji Men qigong during the first few years of his membership in the organization: “As a young boy, I was shy, introverted and lacked confidence. After practicing qigong, I started to find my inner peace, built up confidence, and made more new friends. It totally changed my life.”

“However, when the Tai Ji Men case began in 1996, my life took a turn. Some people, including my friends and some family members who didn't join Tai Ji Men, started laughing at me. Some parents even told their kids to stay away from me, fearing I might have any negative influences on them. I was just a normal 11-year-old kid.”

Jack's family members were treated unfairly as a result of unfavorable media reports. His father, who was working as a bank executive at the time, was assigned to a less important position. His uncle was tailgated and yelled at simply because he had a Tai Ji Men bumper sticker on his car. “This case is an unfortunate and terrible mistake made by the Taiwan government. It has caused permanent damages to me and my family,” Jack lamented.

Erica, 19, grew up in the Tai Ji Men family. She is eternally grateful for the values and mindset that she learned from Tai Ji Men that helped her become a better person. Dr. Hong has been reminding people to follow their conscience and foster love and peace to build a more inclusive society. Dr. Hong’s teaching gave Erica a clear direction in life. She stated that the Tai Ji Men case affects not just Tai Ji Men members but also non-members. “Not just for myself, I am also thinking about those that would otherwise benefit from Tai Ji Men but didn’t have the chance because of this tax case. Supporting the redress of the Tai Ji Men tax case would mean helping more people become their better selves and helping them find balance and happiness in their lives. This is why I find it important to share with you about this unjust case, so that this wonderful organization can continue to enhance people’s physical, mental, and spiritual health around the world, which will ultimately create a more harmonious society”

Judy Lee, a Tai Ji Men dizi, mentioned, “Tai Ji Men is a place meant for people to practice qigong to become healthy, and a place for the cultivation of their hearts. However, numerous Tai Ji Men dizi had to spend a great deal of time to battle against this injustice. We are not protesting for the money. Legal expenses paid over the past 25 years is more than what the tax bureau demanded. It's a matter of principle.” She mentioned that a book titled Who Stole Their Youth was published, detailing the Tai Ji Men case.

Ms. Heller and Ms. Machuca expressed their gratitude to all of the attendees for taking the time to share their personal, tragic stories at the end of the conference. Next, they will evaluate and present the case to Senator Feinstein. Tai Ji Men dizi wish that Senator Feinstein would lend her voice to speak out for them and promote human rights to solve the problems for her constituents, assist Taiwan in meeting international standards for human rights protection, and ensure that the United States' and all mankind's values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law prevail across the world!

News source: act1219