• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • ABOUT CHINA
    • NEWS
    • TESTIMONIES
    • OP-EDS
    • FEATURED
    • GLOSSARY
    • CHINA PERSECUTION MAP
  • FROM THE WORLD
    • NEWS GLOBAL
    • TESTIMONIES GLOBAL
    • OP-EDS GLOBAL
    • FEATURED GLOBAL
  • INTERVIEWS
  • DOCUMENTS AND TRANSLATIONS
    • DOCUMENTS
    • THE TAI JI MEN CASE
    • TRANSLATIONS
    • EVENTS
  • ABOUT
  • EDITORIAL BOARD
  • TOPICS

Bitter Winter

A magazine on religious liberty and human rights

three friends of winter
Home / Tai Ji Men

Advocating for Tai Ji Men on the International Day of Conscience

04/14/2022Stephen S. Enada |

April 5 confronts us with the tragedy of inaction on the Tai Ji Men case. Did the international community do enough?

by Stephen Enada*

*A paper presented at the webinar “A Question of Conscience: The Tai Ji Men Case,” co-organized by CESNUR and Human Rights Without Frontiers on April 5, 2022, International Day of Conscience.

Tai Ji Men protests in Taipei.
Tai Ji Men protests in Taipei.

As we all know, the International Day of Conscience is a call to be conscious of the need for the creation of conditions of stability and well-being, and peaceful and friendly relationships based on the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all, without distinctions of race, sex, language or religion. This is what the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed when it declared April 5 the International Day of Conscience.

But what is conscience?

Most religions believe that the conscience is the voice of God or the transcendent. Through conscience, the Supreme Being or what the Abrahamic faith tradition refer to as “God” is speaking to individuals, guiding them to do the right thing in a given situation. Conscience can be described as a moral sense of right and wrong. A conscience must be educated, as an uneducated conscience can make wrong decisions.

Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe that the voice of God spoke to Abraham through his conscience. Engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1667).
Jews, Christians, and Muslims believe that the voice of God spoke to Abraham through his conscience. Engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607–1667). Credits.

One example of wrong decision is what I would call “the tragedy of our inaction” on the Tai Ji Men case.

The stormy year 1996 was when the fabricated Tai Ji Men case began. There has been one mistake after another committed by the Taiwanese government. There are more than hundreds of articles and dozens of books, conferences, and seminars denouncing this lawless crackdown. Yes, I give credit to lawyers and civil society organizations holding forth the light for the Tai Ji Men.

Tai Ji Men have been vindicated, but why the conscience from the United Nations and the global community is not manifesting itself to bring about adequate compensation, and terminate the wrongful tax prosecution of Tai Ji Men? The reason is—because we think justice is freely given, but it must be demanded.

Promises have been broken and there is a lack of will to act by the international community. It is very good that the General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed the 5th of April the International Day of Conscience. We all know how much Tai Ji Men contributed to it. Now the international community, based on the evidence that Tai Ji Men is not a cram school and gifts it receives are not taxable, should support Tai Ji Men in its conscientious struggle.

It seems to me that certain “big interests” in Taiwan do not want justice for Tai Ji Men. Therefore, we need to disrupt these “big interests.” This implies organizing our collective efforts into one voice. We must make the Tai Ji Men case much more than just an intellectual ideation and create a movement that will rally many and make our advocacy on behalf of Tai Ji Men irrepressible.

This is the right time to build strong connections and mobilize. This is the right time to call the global community to action on the Tai Ji Men case.

Tagged With: Tai Ji Men, Taiwan

Stephen S. Enada
Stephen S. Enada

Stephen S. Enada, a Baptist Pastor based in Jonesboro, Georgia, is President and Co-Founder of the International Committee on Nigeria (ICON). He has over 25 years’ experience in asset-based-community and international development. He holds a graduate degree in Global Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary and a certificate in Leadership and Finance from Harvard University Graduate School of Design. He was part of the U.S. State Department International Leadership Program (IVLP) on religious freedom and social initiative. He is a fellow at the Equator Peace Academy of Uganda Martyr University, and a director of International Theme Park, a Nigerian-based attraction and amusement industry. Stephen has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Veritas Development Collaborative Limited, an agribusiness consulting firm in partnership with Galilee International Management Institute, Nahalal Israel. He also was Executive Director of Ayobola Pension Foundation in Nigeria, where he advocated for the rights of retirees to affordable housing and sustainable livelihood. Stephen is married to Josephine, and together they are raising two young boys.

Related articles

  • Father Kolbe, Press Freedom, and the Tai Ji Men Case

    Father Kolbe, Press Freedom, and the Tai Ji Men Case

  • The Right to Know the Truth on the Tai Ji Men Case

    The Right to Know the Truth on the Tai Ji Men Case

  • Living Together in Peace and the Tai Ji Men Case

    Living Together in Peace and the Tai Ji Men Case

  • A Conscience-Based Citizen Diplomacy to Solve the Tai Ji Men Case

    A Conscience-Based Citizen Diplomacy to Solve the Tai Ji Men Case

Keep Reading

  • Tai Ji Men—and Their Case—Go to Australia
    Tai Ji Men—and Their Case—Go to Australia

    Three academic events offered the opportunity to present the Tai Ji Men case to numerous Australian and international scholars. Young Tai Ji Men dizi (disciples) also offered beautiful performances. 

  • The Power of the Media and the Tai Ji Men Case
    The Power of the Media and the Tai Ji Men Case

    A look at the 2010 movie “The Book of Eli” offers the opportunity for indicting media who did not fully perform their duty in the long-lasting Tai Ji Men case.

  • Mobilizing the Media for the Tai Ji Men Case
    Mobilizing the Media for the Tai Ji Men Case

    After Word Press Freedom Day, journalists and other experts discussed in a webinar the shortcomings of media coverage of religious liberty issues, including in the case of Tai Ji Men.

  • Peace for Tai Ji Men Means Peace for All Taiwan
    Peace for Tai Ji Men Means Peace for All Taiwan

    Peace is the most important expression of human sociality, and always goes hand in hand with justice. Peace in Taiwan needs a solution of the Tai Ji Men case.

Primary Sidebar

Support Bitter Winter

Learn More

Follow us

Newsletter

Most Read

  • There Are Christian Uyghurs, Too: New Organization Launched in London by Ruth Ingram
  • Hui Muslims Clash with Police Over Mosque’s “Sinicization” by Ma Guangyao
  • Xi Jinping: Beijing’ National Art Museum Is Not Socialist Enough by Hu Zimo
  • Russia: Lunatic Theory that Yellowstone Volcano Caused the War in Ukraine Gains Momentum by Massimo Introvigne
  • Occupied Ukraine: Anti-Cult “Experts” Target Moscow Patriarchate Dissident Priest by Massimo Introvigne
  • Chinese Agents Tried to Bribe U.S. Tax Officer in Anti-Falun-Gong Plot by Massimo Introvigne
  • Vandalism Against Catholic Churches on the Rise in Bavaria by PierLuigi Zoccatelli

CHINA PERSECUTION MAP -SEARCH NEWS BY REGION

clickable geographical map of china, with regions

Footer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Editor-in-Chief

MASSIMO INTROVIGNE

Director-in-Charge

MARCO RESPINTI

ADDRESS

CESNUR

Via Confienza 19,

10121 Turin, Italy,

Phone: 39-011-541950

E-MAIL

We welcome submission of unpublished contributions, news, and photographs. Each submission implies the authorization for us to edit and publish texts and photographs. We reserve the right to decide which submissions are suitable for publication. Please, write to INFO@BITTERWINTER.ORG Thank you.

Newsletter

LINKS

orlir-logo hrwf-logo cesnur-logo

Copyright © 2023 · Bitter Winter · PRIVACY POLICY· COOKIE POLICY