Panel: RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN TAIWAN: FROM THE MARTIAL LAW TO THE TAI JI MEN CASE



816.4 - MORE THAN A TAX ISSUE: THE TAI JI MEN CASE IN TAIWAN

AUTHORS:
Huang C. (Lawyer and former District Prosecutor ~ Taipei ~ Taiwan)
Text:
Tai Ji Men is a spiritual group, which practices Qigong and self-cultivation, with the aim of letting the body return to nature and finding the balance between body and mind. The master instructs the disciples to uphold the selfless heart of martial arts, and share the essence of Taiwan's cultural heritage to the world. However, in Taiwan, the authorities maliciously and distortedly interpreted the gifts that disciples offer to their masters as the fruit of fraud or as tuition fees. This situation represents persecution and ideological discrimination against the cultural activities and spiritual beliefs of Tai Ji Men disciples, illustrating a case of infringement on freedom of belief in Taiwan after the lifting of Martial Law. This article will explore the Tai Ji Men case and the situation of religious freedom in Taiwan.