Global Voices on the 14th Anniversary of Tai Ji Men's Acquittal - Part I | WPN World People News

Dragged on for 25 years, the Tai Ji Men case has stirred up conversations within Taiwan and attracted the attention of experts and scholars internationally.

The Tai Ji Men case, which is called the " 228 Incident of Legal Taxation" by experts and scholars, was determined in the third judicial judgment 14 years ago that there was no guilt, no tax debts, and no violation of the tax collection law. The illegal tax bills derived from the criminal case should be completely revoked. However, this tax case made out of nothing has yet to be concluded. The scheduled place of the Tai Ji Men practice site was illegally auctioned by the Administration Executive Office and the National Taxation Bureau in the last year (2020), and was nationalized. Scholars and experts pointed out that this case is the biggest disaster in the history of Taiwan's tax law, involving various issues such as the checks and balances and accountability of judicial personnel abusing power, the administrative agency's error correction mechanism, and the inadequate tax relief system.

On July 13th this year, 25 non-governmental organizations including the United Nations/NGO World Citizens’ Association jointly organized the online "Tai Ji Men 1219 Incident Rehabilitation Fourteenth Anniversary Forum". Dozens of influential experts and scholars from Taiwan, Europe, and the United States expressed their opinions and looked forward to the government to face and correct mistakes frankly, rebuild judicial prestige and make Taiwan's human rights truly in line with international standards.

Fight for tax justice Relieve suffering for the victims of legal tax

Dr. Rene Wadlow, president of the Association of World Citizens

Rene Wadlow, Chairman of the United Nations/NGO World Citizens Association, pointed out that at this moment when the world is facing unprecedented man-made and natural disasters, Tai Ji Men continues to promote conscience, love and peace through various means; on the other hand, they use their own painful experiences to fight for tax justice, fight against corruption and abuse of power, continue to fight and even propose to the world a new issue of persecuting human rights through taxation. Their efforts to safeguard freedom of belief inspire people to continue to strive for the respect they deserve for freedom of religion and belief.

Dr. Hong Dao zi, the head of Tai Ji Men, thanked the participants for gathering online and caring about the country's rule of law and human rights development. Dr. Hong said that in the past two decades, Tai Ji Men has undergone the refining of the broken legal tax system. It has come in the water and in the fire, with personal pain and the suffering of people, and hopes to use this pain to awaken the original heart of the bureaucracy; reform the existing unhealthy system; use one's own efforts to promote the progress of legal taxation, and imitate the legend that the peacock can eat a hundred poison and spit fragrance. In addition to rehabilitating the unjust cases of Tai Ji Men, more importantly, we hope to help the victims of the legal tax disaster free from suffering. Whether the "conscience" of justice and taxation is awakened or not has a bearing on the country's future destiny. I hope that the conscience will guide everyone in the right direction like a compass, lead everyone to make the right decision bravely, so that the wrongs and false cases will no longer be gone, and the people will be able to settle down in this land freely and happily.

"Twenty-five years, how many 25 years are there in life?" All the Taijimen disciples issued a joint statement, demonstrating their determination to pursue the truth, defend human rights, and persevere to the end. "Tai Ji Men disciples at home and abroad, defend their beliefs, swear to do the right way, and will uphold the perseverance of the practitioners to distinguish right from wrong, and have the spirit of saving the world, according to the law, according to evidence, and according to the facts, continue to end false cases, show the grievances of the masters, and promote work hard for the reform of the national law and taxation until the day when justice is truly upheld, the people can live and work in peace, free from shortage and fear."

Lawyer Weng Yiru, a disciple of Tai Ji Men

Lawyer Weng Yiru, a disciple of Tai Ji Men, said that the Tai Ji Men case was listed by the Supervisory Office as a major human rights protection indicator case in Taiwan. Taiwan’s white paper on taxation and human rights in the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China also listed this case as an index case. The day about fourteen years ago, it was confirmed innocent and no tax owed by the judicial judgment of the third instance, and the state was awarded compensation for unjust imprisonment. Twenty-five years to date, injustice in taxation resulting from illegal and abuse of power has not been redressed, even the pre-determined site of the Tai Ji Men disciple’s practice site was illegally forcibly auctioned and even nationalized! All Tai Ji Men academies are places for Tai Ji Men master and disciples to teach and practice, the land in the Miaoli mountain area and the Swiss Mountain Villa are the pre-determined sites of the place of spiritual practice, which is equivalent to the place and land for church worship. According to the General Opinion No. 22 of the Public Policy Convention, Article 53 and Article 113 of the Enforcement Law, it shall not be the target of seizures and auctions. However, the Administrative Executive Office ignored the multiple statements of objections made by the Tai Ji Men master and disciples who put forward the reasons why these sites should not be sealed up or auctioned off. The Administrative Executive Office even illegally auctioned the place of spiritual practice. This is a serious persecution of the people's freedom of religious belief and freedom of choice in cultural life. Let’s call on the government to bravely correct mistakes, revoke illegal tax bills, return the pre-arranged Tai Ji Men practice site that was auctioned off illegally, vindicate unjust cases, and implement transformational justice.