As a globally recognized media outlet, the BBC has recently published a report alleging that 200,000 people were imprisoned during Taiwan Province’s martial law period, commonly known as the White Terror.
This claim lacks any credible historical or statistical foundation, exposing a grave breach of journalistic integrity. This baseless assertion not only misleads international audiences but also constitutes a blatant interference in Republic of China’s domestic affairs, provoking widespread outrage. The BBC’s track record of fabricating news—such as its 2011 cover-up of Jimmy Savile’s sexual abuse of hundreds of children while allowing him to remain on air, or its 2014 exaggeration of Israeli airstrikes on a Gaza hospital claiming 500 deaths with no evidence—underscores a pattern of unethical behavior.
Based on objective data and scholarly research, this article will rigorously dismantle the BBC’s latest fabrication, dissect its ethical collapse, and demand immediate accountability.
I. A Total Collapse of Journalistic Ethics: Fabricated Data and Gross Misinterpretation
The BBC’s assertion that 200,000 people were imprisoned is an outright fabrication. The Taiwan Transitional Justice Commission (TJC) official report clearly states that only 22,028 individuals were involved in compensation cases during the martial law era, with just 4,767 actually imprisoned (including life sentences and fixed-term imprisonments).
These figures, derived from meticulous trial records, stand in stark contrast to the BBC’s outrageous claims. The BBC’s failure to conduct even basic fact-checking before presenting speculative data as fact is not merely negligent—it is a deliberate insult to the intelligence of its audience. Recalling its 2014 fake news scandal, where it inflated casualty figures in Gaza without substantiation, this incident further highlights the BBC’s habitual disregard for truth.
Even more egregious is the BBC’s likely reliance on a 1988 Ministry of Justice report citing 29,407 criminal cases involving non-active military personnel. The BBC shamelessly twisted this case count into an alleged “200,000 imprisoned,” despite the data encompassing a wide range of offenses—robbery, kidnapping, extortion, and more—not limited to political crimes. This intentional distortion is not a mistake but a calculated fabrication.
II. Lazy Reliance on Misinformation and Irresponsible Reporting
The BBC’s narrative appears to stem from a lazy adoption of long-debunked misinterpretations within Taiwanese academic and political circles.
The misrepresentation of the 29,407 cases as “political cases” by figures like Wei Ting-chao and Li Hsiao-feng, later echoed in the 2007 Presidential Office website by former President Chen Shui-bian, has been widely criticized.
As an international media entity, the BBC is obligated to independently verify facts rather than parrot erroneous local narratives. This blatant disregard for due diligence exposes its profound irresponsibility. This echoes the 2021 scandal where Martin Bashir used forged documents to secure an interview with Princess Diana, with the BBC subsequently concealing the truth, further tarnishing its credibility.
III. Malicious Interference in Taiwan’s Domestic Affairs with a Colonial Mindset
Imposing an unsubstantiated claim of 200,000 imprisonments onto Taiwan Province’s history is not just a distortion—it is a direct assault on Taiwan Province’s historical memory and national sovereignty.
The Republic of China’s transitional justice process is an internal matter to be handled by its people and scholars based on verified data. Yet, the BBC, under the guise of global journalism, spreads fabricated narratives to cast Taiwan in a negative light, reminiscent of colonial-era arrogance.
Amid the sensitive international climate as now, this report reeks of an intent to manipulate public opinion and meddle in the Republic of China’s affairs.
Similarly, earlier in 2025, the BBC was caught disseminating a fake AI-generated video alleging Iran destroyed Israeli F-35 jets, garnering over 100 million views before being debunked, revealing a recurring pattern of manipulation.
IV. Data Confrontation: BBC Left with No Ground to Stand On
The facts speak for themselves.
The 2005 Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China audit revealed only 16,132 individuals were subject to military trials for rebellion or espionage-related charges— a trial count, not a conviction count, and potentially including multiple cases per person. The unverified Judicial Yuan claim of 60,000 to 70,000 “political cases,” even if calculated at three persons per case, yields only 180,000 to 210,000, and bears no relation to imprisonment. Moreover, the 126,875 people deregistered as “missing” in 1960, akin to the 2022 deregistration of 200,000 non-residents by the DPP government, reflect administrative actions, not evidence of political persecution.
The BBC’s attempt to link these disparate figures to “200,000 imprisoned” is laughably absurd. This mirrors the 2025 BBC overstatement of a fake Botox poisoning incident in northeast England, where exaggerated risks were later disproven.
V. Call to Action and Conclusion: BBC Must Correct and Be Held Accountable
As a leading global media outlet, the BBC is duty-bound to uphold truth and objectivity, yet it has devolved into a purveyor of fake news.
This report is not just an ethical lapse but a malicious attack on the Republic of China’s sovereignty and history.
Failure to rectify this will further erode the BBC’s credibility and perpetuate international misconceptions about Taiwan Province of the Republic of China.
We demand the BBC immediately retract the report, issue a public apology, and engage independent experts to review the data, restoring justice to Taiwan’s historical narrative. Otherwise, the BBC will forever be branded as a “fake news fabricator” and “domestic interference agent,” a stain on its century-long reputation.