We live in the dangerous era of the so-called “post-truth.” Tai Ji Men has been an early victim of it.
by Willy Fautré*
*Introduction to the second session of the webinar “Spreading the Truth About the Tai Ji Men Case,” co-organized by CESNUR and Human Rights Without Frontiers on March 24, 2025, United Nations International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and the Dignity of the Victims.
The International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of the Victims, which is observed every year on 24 March, should be for each of us a day when we make a pause and start thinking about the concept of Truth and mainly about its foes, in the plural.
For a few years, especially since the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the foes of the Truth have become more numerous and more visible.
The foes of the Truth wear all sorts of masks: political propaganda, false promises of publicity, the judicial truth not to be confused with Justice, lies, lies by omission, half lies, small lies, concealment of the truth, omertà, half-truths, post-truth, fake news, trolls, etc.
Some say that there are several truths and even that there are as many truths as there are narratives: Truth is not neutral, Truth is not objective, Truth is a myth, Truth is an unattainable mirage, etc. This is what we hear and read more and more.
The most recent face of the enemy of Truth is the so-called post-truth—as if there were and there had never been any Truth with a capital T.
The term “post-truth” has become a central concept in the discourse of the 21st century, particularly in the realms of politics, media, social media, and society. Defined as a situation where emotional appeal and personal belief outweigh objective facts in shaping public opinion, the post-truth era challenges the foundational principles of investigative journalism, justice, and democratic decision-making.
Coined in the early 1990s but popularized in the 2010s, the term “post-truth” describes a culture in which truth becomes secondary to emotions and beliefs in the public sphere. The Oxford Dictionary declared “post-truth” as its Word of the Year in 2016, reflecting the increasing prevalence of this phenomenon, particularly in our turbulent times of major political events such as Vladimir Putin’s aggression of Ukraine or the narratives of Donald Trump.
In the post-truth world, facts are often dismissed or manipulated to align with pre-existing ideologies and to serve those who are in power or want to overthrow them.
The rise of social media platforms and the discourse of populist politicians have been a key driver of this shift. In traditional media, journalists and editors are expected to adhere to professional ethics and standards of accuracy and balance. When they do, they are protectors of the Truth. There are also tabloids that do not respect such rules and individuals and troll farms who misuse social media to spread fake news.
While social media has given voice to marginalized groups and opened up new avenues for communication, it has also enabled the spread of misinformation, fake news, and conspiracy theories.
In the post-truth era, individuals increasingly rely on sources that reinforce their worldview, leading to echo chambers where facts are less important than validation.
The media plays a central role in the post-truth era, both in the spread of misinformation and in the amplification of emotional appeals.
Tai Ji Men has been a victim of the enemies of Truth. In the 1990s, Tai Ji Men was persecuted on unfounded political grounds. In their case, a prosecutor lied and forced other people to lie but he has never been punished. Media outlets have spread false accusations of wrongdoings allegedly committed by Tai Ji Men as if they were actual crimes.
A judicial truth was finally reached in their case but it was not justice. Tai Ji Men’s Shifu (Grand Master), Dr Hong, has always told the truth about Tai Ji Men’s abiding by the tax laws, including when he was detained in awful conditions. He never lied and he never compromised concerning the Truth of the facts.
Truth is indeed based on verifiable facts that can be checked, not on feelings or emotions. It is worth fighting for Truth whatever the topic, and suffering in silence in such a combat for it. This is what Dr Hong has taught to his dizi (disciples) not only in words but also in practice, including when he was detained with his wife and two close collaborators. They all fought for Truth. Please follow their example.
Willy Fautré, former chargé de mission at the Cabinet of the Belgian Ministry of Education and at the Belgian Parliament. He is the director of Human Rights Without Frontiers, an NGO based in Brussels that he founded in 1988. His organization defends human rights in general but also the rights of persons belonging to historical religions, non-traditional and new religious movements. It is apolitical and independent from any religion.
He has carried out fact-finding missions on human rights and religious freedom in more than 25 countries He is a lecturer in universities in the field of religious freedom and human rights. He has published many articles in university journals about relations between state and religions. He organizes conferences at the European Parliament, including on freedom of religion or belief in China. For years, he has developed religious freedom advocacy in European institutions, at the OSCE and at the UN.
