A Wave of Apologies to The Dajiyuan and Falun Gong Appears on Taiwan’s Social Media Platforms

A reader is reading The Dajiyuan. Illustrative photo. (The Dajiyuan)

[People News] Recently, on the social media platform “Cui (Threads)” in Taiwan, a wave of discussions emerged in which users “apologize” to The Dajiyuan and Falun Gong. Many users posted one after another, confessing that they previously harbored doubts about related reports and activities, but after encountering more information recently, their views changed. The posts triggered a large number of responses and shares.

The Dajiyuan Is a “Truth Media”

User account “koolcuppy” posted on November 28 saying, “I used to think The Dajiyuan was an XX media outlet, but now I realize it is a truth-telling media” (related post). The post received more than 20,000 likes.

The next day, user “eeminuan” noted that operating a physical newspaper is not easy, “especially since telling the truth may offend interest groups.” They also mentioned that even after the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, Hong Kong’s Dajiyuan continued to sell physical newspapers at newsstands—“even though reporters were beaten, the printing plant was smashed, and there were threats and intimidation, they still persisted”—and also pointed out that the paper is still sold at I-Mei stores in Taiwan.

User “wendy._.1202” posted on November 30, saying, “It’s the end of the year… more things are surfacing, so let me apologize again.” She also recalled that she had posted in April, noting that when she saw related displays in front of Taipei 101 in the past, she thought they were “too bloody and exaggerated.” Until a large amount of information emerged recently, she “finally discovered how terrifying the truth is,” and she voluntarily shared related video links to help spread the information.

User “jazzmi_liu” used multiple comments to整理 her own understanding of the persecution of Falun Gong, mentioning statements such as “the CCP suppressing Falun Gong,” “slandering them with fake news and then ordering their elimination,” and “including torture and live organ harvesting.” She said she gained deeper understanding only after reading The Dajiyuan reports—“there’s really a lot hidden underneath.”

Some users also shared past experiences. “john_hign__wicky” wrote, “The old me: hahaha, The Dajiyuan writes horror novels, how could that be possible? The current me: The Dajiyuan is already being very mild.”

The Dajiyuan Is a “World-Class Conscience Media”

Another user mentioned that reading Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party once gave them a different understanding of the CCP system. Others recalled seeing related reports from The Dajiyuan even before the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan—“and have been following it ever since.”

“v12_maniac” said, “It’s true, in the past The Dajiyuan always wrote about Falun Gong practitioners having their organs harvested, and I simply refused to read it. Now I read their reports carefully. It’s basically a prophetic newspaper.”

“koolcuppy” also said, “I feel very sorry toward them; now I have awakened!”

Some users expressed reflection and wishes—one commented, “I hope the Heavenly Way returns justice to that land,” while another bluntly stated, “The Dajiyuan is a world-class conscience media outlet.”

This wave of “apology posts,” from personal reflection to years of observation to recent re-understanding, triggered large interaction and sharing on “Cui (Threads),” showing that related topics continue to attract high attention in online communities.

Taiwan’s Social Media Previously Saw a Wave of Apologies to The Dajiyuan and Falun Gong

Moreover, this April, Taiwan’s social media platforms also saw a wave of apologies to The Dajiyuan and Falun Gong, triggered by renewed discussion of China’s organ-transplant controversies.

One of the triggers was that CCP state-owned media widely reported that the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine performed a “simultaneous heart–liver combined transplant” for Taiwanese singer Lü Jianzhong (Tank), prompting strong suspicion from Taiwanese users regarding the source of the organs.

Some users recalled that in earlier years they “didn’t want to believe” or “thought exaggerated” the long-term reporting by The Dajiyuan on the CCP’s live organ harvesting, but as this incident and more information surfaced, they began re-examining the facts. Some said bluntly, “It turns out the truth is even more horrifying than imagined,” and they began initiating “apologize to The Dajiyuan” campaigns on social media.

On Threads, user “Dianayjlin” posted on April 8 that the singer’s trip to China for heart-liver transplant raised numerous “unbelievable questions,” including the fact that hundreds of liver-transplant cases published by some transplant experts in the past were rejected by international journals due to inability to explain the source of the organs.

She also noted that China sometimes claims the organs come from executed prisoners, sometimes from donations—the explanations change repeatedly, raising suspicions. She said she previously thought The Dajiyuan was “making things up,” but now realizes “the truth is even more outrageous than imagined,” so she decided to launch the “apologize to The Dajiyuan” initiative.

The initiative quickly spread on social media. Many users replied, saying that when they were young, they were half-believing and half-doubting the Falun Gong practitioners’ street protests and organ-harvesting billboards, even thinking “it couldn’t be real.” It wasn’t until recent years, after gradually being exposed to more information, that they realized the seriousness of the issue. Others said directly, “Ten years ago nobody wanted to believe it, because live organ harvesting obliterates humanity.” Some comments also pointed out that The Dajiyuan has continued exposing these issues for many years—“It’s terrifying, but it’s the truth.”

Related discussions also spread to Facebook and PTT. Some users urged renewed scrutiny of the transparency of the CCP’s organ-transplant system and said that past misunderstandings about The Dajiyuan and Falun Gong stemmed from a long-term lack of deep understanding of the issues.

(Dajiyuan reporter Dai Deman reporting from Taipei, Taiwan) △