Over 40 Tai Ji Men members gathered in Washington, DC, the political center of the world, to protest against the persecution of their religious freedom and human rights. They are here to seek solidarity of the international community.
2021/12/12
On December 5, 2021, representatives of Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) from across the United States and Canada gathered in Washington, D.C., the political capital of the world, in protest of severe violations of religious freedom and human rights. They would like to seek the help of the international community in urging the Taiwanese government for a prompt resolution of a fabricated, unjust case that has lasted for a quarter of a century. A group of more than 40 protesters started their peaceful march from the Jefferson Memorial, passing the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial en route to the National Christmas Tree outside the White House. Along the way, they handed out leaflets that exposed the truth about human rights abuses by a small number of bureaucrats in the Taiwanese government. They hoped to gain international attention to the Tai Ji Men case that has remained unresolved for 25 years. They have worked tirelessly to raise the awareness of human rights in Taiwan, and reject the violations of human rights and religious freedom!
The Tai Ji Men case began in 1996 in Taiwan when a prosecutor named Hou Kuan-jen falsely accused Tai Ji Men of fraud, tax evasion, and raising goblins. In 2007, the Taiwan Supreme Court found Tai Ji Men not guilty of tax evasion or any other charges. In a democratic country that adhered to the rule of law, the case should have ended there; instead, the Taiwan National Taxation Bureau disregarded the Supreme Court’s decision and continued to impose taxes on Tai Ji Men. In August 2020, based on the tax bill, the Taxation Bureau, in cooperation with the Administrative Enforcement Agency illegally auctioned and forcibly confiscated Tai Ji Men’s sacred land intended for a self-cultivation center for Tai Ji Men members.
Representatives of Tai Ji Men gathered at the Lincoln Memorial to demand the Taiwanese government to resolve the Tai Ji Men case that has lasted for 25 years. Many visitors showed their support; some even joined the protest on Dec. 5, 2021.
Jeff Kuo, a Tai Ji Men dizi from Silicon Valley, California, said in an interview in front of the White House that Tai Ji Men is a very positive group and has helped raise Taiwan’s global visibility through citizen diplomacy for many years, which is a fact that all can see. Although the case was instigated by Hou Kuan-jen through unlawful prosecution of Tai Ji Men 25 years ago, countless government officials from the Ministry of Finance, Taxation Bureau, and Ministry of Justice had the opportunity to do the right thing along the way but failed to do so. As a result, more than 10,000 families of the Tai Ji Men were affected by the consequences of this tax case for the last 25 years. All available recourse from the administrative and judicial systems in Taiwan were exhausted to no avail. In the United States, they have also submitted numerous petitions to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Offices. They wrote petition letters to Ambassador Hsiao Bi-khim four times, but have not received an affirmative response from the Taiwanese government. They hoped that the Taiwanese government would be guided by conscience and find the courage to redress the Tai Ji Men case as soon as possible. The Taiwanese government should act quickly while there is still an opportunity to right the wrong.
80-year-old Hsiao Lung Ogle from Florida said at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., “This is our fourth trip to Washington, D.C. Since 1996, a handful of tax and judicial administration officials have been involved in the persecution of Tai Ji Men. Tai Ji Men disciples came here today to fight for justice and human rights. We hope that our voices will be heard and we hope that President Tsai can show courage, like President Lincoln, and uphold justice for the people. We refuse to be held hostage by unscrupulous tax officials. I hope that the conscience of the Taiwan government officials will be awakened, admit to their mistakes, resolve the Tai Ji Men case, and return the land to Tai Ji Men.”
Andy Wang, a Tai Ji Men disciple from Los Angeles, who once served as Vice President for a reputable company, mentioned that over the past years, Tai Ji Men members had written numerous letters to President Tsai and the heads of the Five Yuans, and four letters to Taiwan Ambassador to the United States, Hsiao Bihkim. But so far they have not received any affirmative response or any constructive suggestion on how to resolve the case from the government. Tai Ji Men is an organization that promotes love and peace. It has received high praises from three former Presidents, the current President and many senior government officials. Sadly, 25 years ago, prosecutor Hou Kuan-jen instigated an unjustified case and none of the senior officials could help resolve this fabricated case. Clearly, a number of officials are abusing their power to manipulate the system, but the government is turning a blind eye to their wrongdoings. Andy pleaded with President Tsai to listen to the voices of the people, and take the initiative to solve the case so that Taiwan would not bear the notoriety of persecuting the spiritual organization and violating Tai Ji Men members’ human rights.
During today’s peaceful protest, many passers-by stopped to listen to the case and also expressed their support by honking or joining in the protest, as well as their hope that Tai Ji Men will never give up and will continue to fight for the protection of human rights and freedom of religion or belief!
During the protest, visitors to the White House listened to the Tai Ji Men members as they shared facts about the Tai Ji Men case; the visitors also expressed their support for the protest.