A review of the human rights violations in the Tai Ji Men case in Taiwan
March 24 marks the “International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims,” a day to commemorate the Catholic Archbishop Óscar Arnulfo Romero, who sacrificed his life for speaking out against injustice and human rights violations.
The Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and Human Rights Without Frontiers co-hosted a webinar titled “The Right to Truth on Human Rights Violations: The Tai Ji Men Case in Comparative Perspective” to review the human rights violations in the Tai Ji Men case in Taiwan on March 24, 2021.
Prof. Massimo Introvigne, founder and managing director of CESNUR, mentioned, “What we saw in Taiwan in the Tai Ji Men case was the idea that suppressing spiritual minorities can be justified for the goal of political stability or protecting some politicians for a newly elected president.” He reminded everyone that Archbishop Romero would argue that “infringing the human rights of these minorities is never justified.” Prof. Introvigne pointed out that Archbishop Romero’s protest against injustice is now honored by El Salvador and the rest of the world, adding that “I’m sure one day it will be recognized that the thousands of Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) protesting in the streets are also working for Taiwan. They are not working against Taiwan.”
Małgorzata Alicja Biały, a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute for the Study of Religions, Faculty of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, found that the Tai Ji Men case is a “scandalous example of how tax laws are abused by bureaucrats against religious groups.”
Willy Fautré, director and co-founder of Human Rights Without Frontiers, said, “Integrity, dignity, respect, compassion, love, and peace are at the heart of their values and of their lives, but some people and institutions have shamelessly violated their human rights. The dizi are the best ambassadors of Tai Ji Men’s teachings to the outside world because they are the living testimonies that their spiritual values can regenerate individuals and society. This is a major contribution of Tai Ji Men to the spread of human rights in Taiwan. This is also a precious asset for the Taiwanese society and the image of the country abroad. But the National Taxation Bureau and its ally prosecutor Hou nicknamed Judicial Rambo remain deaf to their call for justice.”
Eileen Barker, professor emeritus of sociology at London School of Economics and Political Science, mentioned that she has visited Taiwan on several occasions and she loves the country and its people. She has been learning about the Tai Ji Men case over the past few months and is very perplexed by this 24-year case of human rights violations. “It’s unbelievable! It just wouldn’t make sense if you try to make it sense.” “How could it happen?” “Why does it happen?” “What is the interest that a civil servant can have in behaving in this way?” “I want to understand motives far more and the fitting together of the system, a system which on paper looks so good and yet has been feeding this terrible corruption,” said Prof. Barker.
Michael Selfridge, director of communications of a California-based peace organization, said that he admires many aspects of Taiwan and has visited it many times. Taiwan has a vibrant democracy, a world-renowned health care system, and the citizenry is exceptionally kind and polite; however, he lamented that its national tax agency, with its tremendous taxing authority, is among the most corrupt in the world. He noted that Taiwan’s tax agents get promotions and bonuses for issuing illegal tax notices, despite being ordered by its Supreme Court and other top government agencies to dismiss the illegal tax bills. The unjustified Tai Ji Men tax bills remain even after 24 years, and last year, the Taiwan government auctioned real estate belonging to Tai Ji Men while it did not owe any tax. Taiwan needs international allies, and that is why the government must assert control over the corrupt tax authority, and the first step must be to cease the illegal tax actions against Tai Ji Men, said Selfridge.
Marco Respinti, director-in-charge of the “Bitter Winter” magazine, concluded the event, reiterating the importance of the right to truth. “Truth is a word which is not flexible, is not playable, is something that we should be concentrated on.” “The right to truth is the true substance I think of religious liberty, which we are addressing today with the Tai Ji Men case, which is so important for Tai Ji Men shifu (master) and dizi. For this reason, it’s important internationally and to all of us that may be not dizi.” He stressed that learning about the truth of others’ suffering may help prevent similar state violence.
The Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR) and Human Rights Without Frontiers co-hosted a webinar titled “The Right to Truth on Human Rights Violations: The Tai Ji Men Case in Comparative Perspective” to review the human rights violations in the Tai Ji Men case in Taiwan on March 24, 2021.
Prof. Massimo Introvigne, founder and managing director of CESNUR, said, “I’m sure one day it will be recognized that the thousands of Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) protesting in the streets are also working for Taiwan. They are not working against Taiwan.”
Eileen Barker, professor emeritus of sociology at London School of Economics, has been learning about the Tai Ji Men case for months and said, “I want to understand motives far more and the fitting together of the system, a system which on paper looks so good and yet has been feeding this terrible corruption.”
Willy Fautré, director and co-founder of Human Rights Without Frontiers, commented on the Tai Ji Men case.
Marco Respinti, director-in-charge of the “Bitter Winter” magazine, concluded the event, reiterating the importance of the right to truth.
Michael Selfridge, director of communications of a California-based peace organization, said Taiwan must assert control over the corrupt tax authority, and the first step must be to cease the illegal tax actions against Tai Ji Men.