TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- After the gruesome murder of a woman by her archery teacher at the Huashan Grassland (華山大草原), increased scrutiny placed on the organizers of the artist village in which the crime was allegedly committed has revealed a pattern of wild parties and trespassing on government property by members of the group, including a series of photos of a "human zoo" party.

Late last year, the Taipei Urban Regeneration Office, which itself leases the property from the Judicial Yuan, leased an area of the Huashan Grassland for use by a collective of artists called Unregulated Masses (野青眾). In the area, which the collective leased from Nov. to June 30, the group constructed a village made from tents, which it named 120 Grassroots (120草原自治區).

On their Facebook page, Unregulated Masses describes themselves as, "a group of different people from different fields, trying within the existing rules to create some events that have not yet been defined, nothing more."

On May 31, a 37-year-old archery teacher surnamed Chen (陳), who has recently rented out a space in 120 Grassroots, made sexual advances toward his 30-year-old student surnamed Kao (高), but she rejected him. After Kao's rejection, the archer allegedly waited until she had fallen asleep to strangle her to death.

After killing Kao, Chen initially kept her body in the cabin, but as the stench started to build, on June 3 he took a 15-centimeter fish fillet knife and cut her body into seven pieces and placed them in plastic bags. During questioning on June 17, he told police that on June 4 he loaded the bags on a scooter and hid them on Yangmingshan in New Taipei.

Since news of the grisly murder broke, greater scrutiny has been placed on Unregulated Masses and activities at the village have been suspended, in order to carry out a more in-depth investigation of the murder. Reports have surfaced that some of the collective's activities allegedly included illegal drugs, nude photography, sexual activities and even a series of provocative nude group photos.



Photos from "Human Zoo 8" party. (Images from @unregulated.masses Facebook page)

Netizens have recently posted images from an event held last year the group called "Human Zoo 8." In the photos, several fully nude men and women can be seen happily entwined in, both pairs and in larger groups, leading many to suspect that it was in fact an orgy.

Unregulated Masses said that the "Human Zoo" event was meant to "signify that human society is like a giant zoo discussing the unseen framework in society. It made us both uncomfortable but also hard to break free. It is a positive confrontation with social absurdity."



Photos from "Human Zoo 8" party. (Images from @unregulated.masses Facebook page)

Netizens have uncovered images of still more nude or sex-themed parties, such as one held on May 23 titled "10 Men 10 Women Grassland Courtship Festival" and another event titled "Using Fruit as Innuendo T&S BdAY Party Plant."



Screen capture of Facebook ad promoting "Using Fruit as Innuendo" party.

Many netizens were disturbed by the images of the sex parties:

"Turns out the government encouraged this hotbed of crime, and it was looking for it!"

"Art and pornography are sometimes separated by a very fine line."

"The skin of fake art, in reality is promiscuous fornication."

"They're simply animals."



Photos from S&M - themed party. (Photos from PTT)

Others came out to defend their actions:

"Honestly, if other people chose to do things in the nude, why is that our business? Could anyone be harmed by a bunch of nude people?"

"Such nudist colonies are common in Europe and the United States; it has nothing to do with morality."

"After the dismemberment case, art in Taiwan will be suppressed."

The group included bits of their parties in a documentary on its recent activities.

Photos have also surfaced on the online bulletin board system Professional Technology Temple (PTT) of a rave party held by Unregulated Masses in a Taiwan Railways Association underground feeder line near Huashan Grassland that took place on Friday (June 15). Railway police today announced that they had taken a 25-year-old man surnamed Chuang (莊) into custody and charged him for violating the Railway Law, and they did not rule out the possibility that they would charge other participants.

The TRA said that Chuang had not applied for permission to hold the rave in the tunnel and that the partygoers had bypassed the padlocked door by climbing over its walls. The TRA said it is taking more measures to seal off the tunnel from trespassers.

Those who violate the Railway Act and trespass on TRA property can face fines of NT$10,000 (US$330) to NT$50,000 (US$1,650).



Photo from Friday's rave in TRA tunnel. (Photo from PTT)



Screenshot of advertisement of rave. (Image from PTT)