Defend Human Rights with Love and Conscience | WPN World People News

In the Seattle SEAFAIR Torchlight Parade in 1999, hundreds of millions of audiences around the world felt the passion and vitality from Taiwan.

Human rights is an international universal value, but who could believe that even citizens of democratic countries would encounter religious persecution? The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit 2021, the largest and most important religious freedom event of the year, took place in Washington D.C. The 25-year-long Tai Ji Men case took all participants at the conference by surprise. They were shocked to learn that Taiwan, which is a beacon of democracy in Asia, is involved in imposing illegal tax and religious persecution. “We believe the governments’ role is to protect that innate right of a person to choose their own future course for their soul,” stated Ambassador Brownback, the former U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom. Currently, the promotion of "International Love and Peace" is far-reaching. In response to the “International Day of Democracy” and the “International Love and Peace Day” on September 15, a number of forums were held in Taiwan and internationally. A series of online programs introducing the campaigns of the U.S. tour named "Historical Footprints of Love and Peace" will follow. The grand finale of the event will be the "Blessing Ceremony for Love, Peace and Conscience," which will take place on September 21 to commemorate the United Nations International Day of Peace.

Enlightenment from the International Peace Goodwill Ambassador

Seattle Seafair Torchlight Parade is one of the top 10 parades in the United States. At its 50th anniversary in 1999, 144 organizations were invited to join the parade, and Tai Ji Men was the first group to be approved to participate in the parade. The governor of Washington, Mr. Gary Locke; the mayor of Seattle, Mr. Paul Schell; the president of the United States, Mr. Bill Clinton; as well as the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan all sent Tai Ji Men welcome letters. The Tai Ji Men cultural goodwill group, consisting of 1,200 people, traveled to Seattle by 3 airplanes and 2 charter flights, was the largest-scale cultural goodwill group in the history of Taiwan.

On July 31, the day of the parade, “Tai Ji Men: Tai Ji Formation” was the largest and the most spectacular procession in the 50-year history of Seafair Torchlight Parade. Over 400,000 visitors along the parade route shouted, “I love Taiwan” and “I love Tai Ji Men.” During the 5-minute exclusive live broadcast of KIRO-TV (Channel 7), hundreds of millions of audiences around the world felt the passion and vitality from Taiwan. At the “San Francisco 4th International Wushu Festival” held on the following day, 1st August, Tai Ji Men's performances in San Francisco's Chinatown and the Union Square created another sensation. The Mayor Brown of the City of San Francisco and Mr. William Chuang, the chairman of World Federation of Traditional Chinese Sports, presented Tai Ji Men with a certificate of honor. Mayor Brown said the “Tai Ji Men demonstrates the profoundness of Chinese culture. Your talent was revealed without reservation and in an orderly manner through the performance of Tai Ji Men. There is so much we can learn.”

Tai Ji Men visited New York in 2000, and was praised as “International Ambassador of Goodwill and Peace.”

Tai Ji Men Zhang-Men-Ren, Dr. Hong Tao-Tzu delivered a speech entitled “A World of One Heart, A Well-spring of Happiness”. In his speech, Dr. Hong mentioned, “We have chosen the United States as our first stop. We also hope that those of different beliefs and races, both rich and poor will share with us our happiness.” It marked the embarkation on a journey of peaceful cultural exchanges on five continents, which has won international friendship and praises from overseas Chinese communities. Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony A. Williams of the District of Columbia proclaimed March 22, 2000 as the “Tai Ji Men Academy Day” in Washington D.C. and praised Tai Ji Men as “International Ambassador of Goodwill and Peace.” Mayor Harris of the City and County of Honolulu proclaimed September 16th, 2001 as “Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and Dr. Hong Tao-Tze Day.” Over the past fifty years, Tai Ji Men shifu and dizi have self-funded trips to 101 nations, and conducted more than 3,000 cultural performances to promote Taiwan to the world.

How has Taiwan treated the internationally renowned Tai Ji Men? It has generated a lot of discussion around the world. Eric Roux, chairperson of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom, called Taiwan “one of the great democracies in the world,” which makes it even less understandable how dishonest civil servants were allowed to persecute Tai Ji Men. Injustices in democratic countries, Roux said, are worse than those occurring in totalitarian regimes, because they may lower the standards of democracy in the entire world.

Call for Justice on the East and West Coasts of the United States

The Chinese community in the United States should support the vindication of false cases.

On September 4, Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Tong Chun-yuan, was in the San Francisco

In August of last year, a terrible international event of human rights persecution occurred in Taiwan. The Supreme Court ruled Tai Ji Men not guilty of tax evasion yet, its land was forcibly auctioned and nationalized by the National Taxation Bureau and the Administrative Enforcement Agency. To date, no corrective steps have been taken, which provoked outrage among the overseas Chinese communities. Tai Ji Men members from around the world have been demonstrating in major cities. In July 2021, a peaceful protest was staged in front of the United States Capitol Hill. Several rallies and demonstrations took place in August and September in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as well as Honolulu and New York, with local media coverage. In particular, Minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) Tong Chun-yuan, who was on his first visit to the United States after taking office, felt the OCAC’s sentiment on the Tai Ji Men case. On August 30, Mr. Chun-yuan Tong accepted the petition letter from the Tai Ji Men - Los Angeles members at the OCAC office in Los Angeles. On September 4, Minister Tong met with members of theTai Ji Men in San Francisco and accepted another petition letter. Minister Tong stated that on his return to Taiwan, he will forward the matter to the Ministry of Justice.

Tai Ji Men overseas members are urging the Taiwan government to ask the National Taxation Bureau to revoke the tax bill of 1992 in compliance with Section 117 of the Administrative Procedure Act, and to return the illegally auctioned land. Tai Ji Men members will continue to raise their voices in the international community to push the Taiwan government to vindicate the case as soon as possible and urge the NTB to comply with international human rights conventions, domestic laws, and court decisions.

On September 3, 2021, a group of Tai Ji Men members protested in front of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu, and delivered a petition letter to Tseng Yong-Kwang, the Office's director-general. They were received by Director Joffrey Han of the Office, on Tseng’s behalf. Tai Ji Men member Judy Chen said, "The fabricated and unlawful Tai Ji Men case is not an isolated one. There are many cases of unjust taxation in Taiwan. We love Taiwan very much. That's why we are here, protesting for taxpayer rights not only for Tai Ji Men but also for all people in Taiwan. We are hoping that the director-general will assist us in getting our message to President Tsai so that she and those in power in Taiwan will act with conscience, love the people, and serve the public. We hope they will quickly revoke the illegal tax bills and return the illegally confiscated land and justice to Tai Ji Men."

Tai Ji Men has been involved in cultural exchanges and has taken part in many events organized by the Overseas Community Affairs Council. Mr. Chen Chien-jen, then Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented the Zhang Men Ren of Tai Ji Men and his dizi with a certificate of gratitude in February 2000 for their participation in the Seattle International Ocean Festival, which promoted Chinese culture and national diplomacy. Tai Ji Men has been invited to participate in the Double Ten National Day Performance ten times, twice in the "Four Seas One Heart Gala," and many overseas Chinese have been invited to visit Tai Ji Men when they return to Taiwan to celebrate the National Day. Chairman Chiao Jen-ho of the Overseas Community Affairs Council in 1998, Chairman Chang Fu-mei of the Overseas Community Affairs Council in 2000, and Chairman Wu Ying-yih of the Overseas Community Affairs Council in 2012 all presented awards or certificates of appreciation to Tai Ji Men for their heartfelt dedication to the overseas Chinese community.