Interview: Arbitrary Punishment in Taiwan — My Case on Taiwan Explorers
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July 11, 2025 • A public interview focused on proportionality, documentation, and due process concerns.
I’m grateful to Benoit F. Massé, a French filmmaker and long-term resident in Taiwan, for taking the time to record a careful interview about my case. Our goal was not to inflame, stereotype, or generalize — but to present a documented personal experience and explain why I believe this matter deserves principled review.
Core purpose of this post: to make it easy for a new reader (journalist, lawyer, advocate, or member of the public) to watch the interview, then access the primary documents and timeline.
See the same interview with Chinese voiceover:
Full documents hub: rosscline.com/scam | iLearn.tw/scam
Why this interview matters
This interview exists because, in my view, the documented record raises a serious question of proportionality and procedural fairness. I am not asking anyone to accept my conclusions without review. I am asking for careful, transparent scrutiny of the written record and the practical consequences I have faced.
I lived in Taiwan for many years and built my professional and personal life there. The outcome of this case has forced me to live outside the place I considered home. The human impact is real, but the focus here is on what can be evaluated: dates, documents, actions taken, and the overall proportionality of the result.
Request to readers: If the decisions in this case are sound, they should withstand clear public explanation. If not, a lawful remedy should exist.
📄 Full interview transcript (click to expand)
Note: This transcript has been lightly edited for readability (clarity, tone, and flow) while preserving the meaning and structure of the conversation. It is presented here to help journalists and reviewers quickly understand the narrative without needing to rewatch sections.
Benoit F. Massé:
Hello everyone, and welcome. Today we’re going to talk about a serious subject: legal risk and due process in Taiwan, especially as it can affect foreign residents. The goal is not to create fear — it’s to help people understand what can happen when a dispute escalates and why documentation and fairness matter. Ross, I’ll let you introduce yourself.
Ross Cline:
Hi, I’m Ross Cline, from New Brunswick, Canada. I moved to Taiwan in 2009 and opened a school near City Hall in Taichung. Over time, Taiwan became my home — personally and professionally.
Benoit F. Massé:
So you started your school in 2009. Before that, what brought you to Taiwan in the first place?
Ross Cline:
I first came at 18 to teach English during the summer. Later, I returned to Canada, lived in Toronto for several years, spent time in Germany, and eventually decided to build a long-term life in Taiwan. I opened my school in late 2009 and worked hard to operate legally and professionally.
Benoit F. Massé:
You lived in Taiwan a long time. When did things start to become unstable?
Ross Cline:
After many stable years, I faced serious disruption to my work environment, and later a housing and rental situation that became more complex than I could have anticipated. Looking back, I wish I had understood earlier how quickly disputes can escalate and how difficult it can be to navigate the process when you cannot read the language fluently.
Benoit F. Massé:
For viewers who don’t know your case, what triggered the legal complaint?
Ross Cline:
The triggering event involved the brief public posting of part of a rental contract during a dispute — my intention was to document responsibility in a safety-related situation. When asked to remove it, I removed it promptly and apologized. I did not anticipate that the matter could lead to years of criminal litigation and a severe outcome that ultimately forced me to leave Taiwan.
Benoit F. Massé:
The public might wonder: what information was at issue?
Ross Cline:
In Taiwan, address-related information can be treated as protected personal data under the Personal Data Protection Act. The key issue I’m raising is not whether privacy matters — it does — but whether the broader context and proportionality were meaningfully weighed, and whether lawful remedies exist when outcomes appear extreme relative to the underlying facts.
Benoit F. Massé:
And this ultimately led you to leave Taiwan?
Ross Cline:
Yes. After prolonged proceedings and escalating risk, my lawyer advised me to leave. I did. It was not what I wanted, but it was the only realistic way to avoid an outcome that would have permanently destroyed my ability to rebuild my life.
Benoit F. Massé:
Some people might say: “This is a rare situation.”
Ross Cline:
I agree that many people live in Taiwan without encountering anything like this. But when it happens, it’s life-altering — especially when language barriers and procedural complexity make it hard to defend yourself in a timely way. My aim is not to claim this is everyone’s experience — it’s to ensure that unusual outcomes can be examined transparently.
Benoit F. Massé:
What do you want to happen now?
Ross Cline:
I want lawful review and rectification if the record supports it. I also want the public and media to be able to examine the documents in an organized way. That’s why I keep everything centralized at rosscline.com/scam and iLearn.tw/scam, including timelines, key correspondence, and media coverage.
Benoit F. Massé:
Thank you, Ross. I hope this can lead to clarity and a fair resolution.
Ross Cline:
Thank you for providing a platform for careful discussion. That’s all I’m asking for — careful review, and a fair remedy if one is warranted.
Thank you to everyone who reads this and evaluates the record on its merits.
1 comment
In Taiwan, truth is not a defense — it’s the reason you’re punished.
The court admitted I caused no harm, had no intent to hurt anyone, and simply shared a contract after being scammed. Their response? Six months in jail.
Taiwan doesn’t protect free speech. It doesn’t protect justice. It protects power, property, and face.
And if you’re a foreigner — you’re disposable. You’re just a guest until you challenge the wrong person.
Taiwan wants to be seen as a beacon of freedom against China, but this case proves:
It’s not a democracy. It’s an authoritarian state that smiles for the West.
Use irony to turn Taiwan’s global branding against it:
• “Asia’s Most Progressive Democracy” — unless you make a rich landlord uncomfortable.
• “A Safe Place for Foreign Talent” — unless you stand up for yourself.
• “A Country of Laws” — unless those laws are inconvenient to someone with guanxi (connections).
At least in China, the courts don’t pretend.
In Taiwan, they say “you’re innocent” — then punish you anyway.
This is fake democracy with real consequences.
1. Ross, can you walk us through what led to this whole situation?
Ross:
Sure. I rented a place to run my English school — everything was legal. But when the landlord refused to fix serious issues, I posted our rental contract online to ask for advice. That’s all I did.
And for that? I was convicted of a criminal offense — for posting my own lease.
Not because I lied. Not because I hurt anyone. Just because I embarrassed a landlord in a system built to protect landlords at any cost.
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2. What did the court actually say in its decision?
Ross:
The most surreal part is that the court literally said:
“You caused no harm and had no malicious intent.”
Then they gave me six months in jail anyway.
That’s not law — that’s authoritarianism with paperwork.
Taiwan didn’t convict me for doing wrong. They convicted me for not apologizing enough for being right.
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3. And what did the prosecution claim you did wrong?
Ross:
They said I violated privacy by posting the landlord’s address — the same address anyone could find online.
If that sounds insane, it’s because it is.
In Taiwan, truth isn’t a defense — it’s a threat. The moment you speak up, the system turns on you.
The court knew I didn’t harm anyone. But I made the wrong person lose face. That’s the real crime here.
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4. Were you given any alternative to jail?
Ross:
Yes — and it was even more insulting.
They offered me a full year of unpaid labor — teaching English five days a week, full-time, with zero pay.
They tried to dress it up as “community service.” But let’s be honest — that’s just forced labor.
It was their way of saying: “Either disappear quietly or work for free while we pat ourselves on the back.”
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5. Do you think your foreign status played a role in how this was handled?
Ross:
Completely.
In Taiwan, if you’re a foreigner, you’re just a guest until the system needs a scapegoat.
They love you when you’re spending money and keeping quiet. But the second you challenge someone local — especially with connections — you’re roadkill.
It’s not a legal system. It’s a loyalty test.
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6. What was the hardest part of all this?
Ross:
Honestly, realizing how fake the system is.
You walk into a courtroom thinking it’s about truth and fairness — and it’s not. It’s theater.
I watched a judge say I did no harm — and then punish me for my attitude. That’s not law. That’s legalized gaslighting.
And that moment shattered every belief I had about Taiwan being “different from China.”
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7. What do you say to people who argue Taiwan is still a young democracy trying to improve?
Ross:
No. That excuse expired a decade ago.
You don’t get to call yourself a democracy while jailing foreigners for telling the truth.
What happened to me would make sense in Russia or China. But Taiwan? The one getting praised by Western governments?
Let’s be honest — this is a feudal system in Western drag.
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8. What do you want people — especially in the West — to understand about your case?
Ross:
I want them to understand that Taiwan is playing two roles:
One for the cameras — progressive, modern, pro-human rights.
And one behind closed doors — vindictive, nationalistic, and legally corrupt when it suits them.
This isn’t just about me. It’s a warning: don’t confuse good PR with good government.
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9. Are you planning to keep fighting this publicly?
Ross:
Absolutely. If they’re going to ruin my life for speaking the truth, I’ll make sure the world hears it.
I’ve got nothing to lose.
And Taiwan’s legal system? It just lost the one thing that mattered: its reputation.
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10. Final words?
Ross:
Yes — if you’re watching this thinking “That could never happen to me,” you’re wrong.
If you’re a foreigner in Taiwan, you’re protected until you aren’t.
And if you think Taiwan’s courts are about justice, just remember:
They said I did no harm, no wrong…
…and then they threw me in a cage anyway.