Dear International News Media,
I hope this email finds you well. I am reaching out to share a troubling and urgent story of systemic injustice and racial discrimination that has unfolded in Taiwan over the past four years. As a foreign national who has called Taiwan home since 2009, I find myself embroiled in a legal nightmare that not only exposes deep-rooted biases within the Taiwanese legal system but also raises critical questions about the treatment of foreigners in Taiwan.
Background of My Case
In 2019, I became the victim of a carefully orchestrated landlord scam designed to force me to choose to move out of my rented property, allowing the landlord to keep the deposit and capitalize on the renovations I had paid for. When I realized the extent of this scam, received a threatening phone call from her husband, and endured a very threatening one-hour flogging encounter, a farcical mediation event, I was scared. I had a door that wouldn't securely lock. The landlord ignored my basic security concerns and refused to change the contract but felt it was okay to ignore the fact she broke the contract, and insisted I follow the five-year contract. I have come to understand this behavior to be regarded as normal and almost expected from what I've learned about the proverbial Taiwanese landlord. I tried to take necessary actions to protect myself, which unfortunately included publishing a rental contract online briefly. This act, driven purely by fear and necessity for my safety, "I-do-not-want-it-to-look-like-a-suicide-style," has since been mischaracterized by the Taiwanese courts as a criminal offense. It feels like I've been the brunt of pent-up animosity, racism, and disdain towards the foreign white man, all being released upon me. It feels like this might be just as her lawyers had instructed them to do, but alas, we will never know. If the feelings of her husband's racist slander and scary phone call could somehow be sustained over four years, I suppose this barrage of legal hell, coupled with a selective deaf ear to the clear evidence that one would think any system of justice would see as an obvious motion of duress and necessity taken after she clearly ignored her end of the bargain, leaving me with nothing but a sliding glass door. I have thought long and hard and cannot pretend a criminal record or paying my bail would be anything but Stockholm syndrome, and this is far beyond what any self-respecting person could go along with. It certainly goes well over my line in the sand.
The Legal Battle
Over the past four years, I have been subjected to multiple legal cases, resulting in severe financial penalties and a looming threat of 6 months of imprisonment—all because I tried to defend myself against an obvious scam. All because I shared the PDF of my rental contract to show my friends the clear agreement to fix and maintain the rolling metal gate. Despite the fact that my actions were clearly out of necessity, which should be expected for a foreigner to do in such a situation, it was noticed by the landlord before anyone else had, leading me to think it is very possible this might have been exactly why she would not address my privacy and security. This is supported by five witnesses and a plethora of video evidence, but the Taiwanese legal system has continued to pursue this unjust course of action against me.
Under Taiwanese law, actions taken out of necessity, especially when one’s safety is at risk, should not be criminalized. However, the courts have dismissed this vital aspect of my defense. Instead, they have chosen to side with a landlord whose intentions were clearly malicious, prioritizing local biases over fair judicial processes.
Concerns of Racism and Bias
What is particularly alarming is the apparent racism and bias that have influenced this case. As a foreigner, I have faced systemic discrimination that has tainted the judicial proceedings, leading to a blatant disregard for evidence and legal protections that should have been afforded to me. It seems the courts are more interested in protecting local interests and punishing foreigners, regardless of the merits of the case.
Appeal for Media Attention
I believe it is crucial to bring international attention to this matter. Taiwan is often celebrated for its progressive values and commitment to democracy and human rights. However, my experience tells a different story—one where racism and xenophobia are deeply entrenched in the system, leading to gross miscarriages of justice. The clerks at the High Court insisted I write in Chinese when submitting a letter to the judge, all laughing at my poor ability to write in Chinese, only adding insult to injury at this point. I was arrested and spent the afternoon in jail 3 times! The third was even after the judge knew and had the official document as proof that I went to the hospital and was diagnosed with adaptive disorder.
I am now at my final appeal. If justice is not served this time, I am left with no choice but to seek asylum outside of Taiwan and expose these injustices to the world. I am reaching out to international media in the hope that shining a spotlight on these issues will compel Taiwanese authorities to reflect on their actions and uphold the principles of fairness and equality.
I would be grateful for any assistance or coverage you could provide to highlight this story. The world needs to know that even in places touted as beacons of democracy, foreigners can still face severe discrimination and injustice. Taiwan touched my heart and continues to break it very much. It pains me deeply to speak ill of Taiwan, a country I love so much and immigrated to in 2009 with the intention of growing old and making my life here. But at this point, enough is enough, and I see no other approach because I absolutely refuse to pay a fine or penalty for doing nothing wrong. I have been punished enough, and frankly, if the penalties and rewards were reversed and doubled, this might be half of the incentive it might take to hold me here, all things considered!
Thank you for your time and consideration. I am available for interviews and can provide further documentation and evidence to support my claims.
Sincerely,
Ross Cline 柯受恩
rosscline.com
+886-975-474-889
iLearn.tw
台灣台中市西屯區大墩二十街118號5F-1
Spoken Text from video:
Okay, can you see me all right? I just got back. Look at my shirt. One for five, two for eight. I made them years ago and sell them here in Taiwan. I've been here since, I came here in 2009 and opened a language school on 19th street and everything was going swimmingly until the dreaded Bushiban decided to move next door and get me out of there by way of the jackhammer. The Jackhammer at one point went through my bedroom cement wall. Imagine waking up to that. But that's not why I'm making this video message. This is a Cry out for help to international media. I'm not just some sleazebag business man trying to get some business in some cheap publicity trick. This is different. This is savage. This is enough. I've been in and out of court now for two years straight but it was in 2000 when this all started. In hindsight what a fool I was to rent there and not see the scammery. The shenanigans that I was up against there were just obtuse. My realtor that found the place for me put his hands up after a couple of weeks. I mean, I have the dates in the documentation, but this has been a while ago now. The mail I got today says that I was expected to be in the court at a date that has already passed. It doesn't really tell me what I'm supposed to do. And in hindsight, and after further investigation, the document I got today from the court is telling me nothing. It's just using scary language to sort of scare me that I missed a date. Because that's sort of fun to do to a foreigner who doesn't have money for a lawyer. Legal aid refuses to help me. I don't have a lawyer. Well, you're entitled to a lawyer if you can't afford one in Taiwan. Yeah, you are. I'm not. That lawyer I had told me it's just the way it is. There's nothing to be done. Just pay the fine and get done with it. I'm not paying a fine of $180,000 or going to jail for six months because I published the rental contract on my website. Everyone was asking, what does your contract say in that hellish stay on 5th Street that I had to stay at for a year because I borrowed NT$100,000 from a friend to renovate it and get it the way I wanted. I had the school of my dreams and I was never less happy. It was right at the peak when COVID was climaxing. And so not one new customer. A little double whammy of bad luck. But I mean, I'm not the kind of person that's usually, oh, poor me. But at some point, oh, really, seriously, POOR ME! This is ridiculous! We need to get some international attention on this. This is retarded. I was afraid for the safety of myself. And that's what drove me to commit that great crime, that sin of a PDF document, my rental contract that was clearly broken after Paul fixed the gate to break. I mean, I don't know who fixed the gate to break. But in light of my friend Vanessa conversing with the landlord saying, you know, get a little easier on him. He might kill himself. She writes back with the response of a screenshot of an upped insurance plan if in the event of suicide. Where I come from, I think that's kind of illegal, you know, to brag about being behind someone's suicide. Good Lord! I mean, I don't wish ill upon this horrible person. I kind of feel bad for her. A grown adult woman that's this bitter, that she'll drive down from Hsinchu this many times to see to it that I'm getting the message loud and clear that you don't dare ever, ever challenge a landlord even to avoid theft. Two thousand years of dynasty culture style will do that to a person. You're not more special than me. Your shit probably stinks worse than mine, actually. Come to think of it, it probably does. Enough shit talk. I hope you can consider and agree that this needs to be spread internationally on the news. I would appreciate it very much that you'd give me any time on air. I think if anything's going to happen for my future here in Taiwan, international coverage is what it's going to take, so I'd appreciate your time very much. Please don't hesitate to contact me. You can make a date with the booking tool on either website. It actually works really well in terms of worrying about the time difference. Make a Zoom room video call date with that. The booking app on either website is quite simple to use. I welcome you to do that or contact me any way you wish to, because it would mean A LOT to me if you had the time of day for me 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻because news media in Taiwan doesn’t, oddly enough. And it really does make a person wonder, is it about the shirt? Is Mao Zedong coming home? Like, what's going on here, people? This is weird! 😬😵💫 Thank you!
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Ross Cline 柯受恩
rosscline.com
+886-975-474-889
iLearn.tw
台灣台中市西屯區大墩二十街118號5F-1
Video Evidence
I later discovered that it was her husband who made that very scary phone call when it was revealed to me that his wife stated this in the police report. But wait, there’s more! Her husband inadvertently admitted to making the call in the farcical mediation video when he responded to overhearing me say, "That's the guy," by placing eight cell phones on the table and claiming it wasn’t him who called me. How did he know I was talking about a phone call just from hearing, "That's the guy"? As proof, this dimwit asked me to call the number from which I received the phone call, as if that would prove he was not the person who called. This makes no logical sense and suggests this guy could actually be dangerously stupid—wouldn't anyone think so? Maybe he is stupid, or maybe he is very sloppy or careless due to an expectation of impunity or protection from a corrupt justice system. I can't think of any other way to interpret this information, but at this point, both seem very likely, and I mean this with all due respect.
