On July 19, 2025, Sylhettoday24 published an article titled “The Dark Side of Falun Gong” by S.M. Nurnobi, which the Falun Dafa Information Center has claimed contains significant factual errors and unfair bias against Shen Yun and the Falun Gong (also known as Falun Dafa) spiritual practice.

In an email sent on July 24, the Falun Dafa Information Center stated, “The article ‘The Dark Side of Falun Gong’ contains important factual errors and is unfairly biased against Shen Yun and the Falun Gong spiritual practice. We ask that you either remove this article or make corrections; the current version is a disservice to your readers and parrots the Chinese Communist Party’s lies.”

Sylhettoday24, upholding its editorial policy, commitment to its readers, and the credibility of its website, has decided not to remove the article. However, in the interest of fairness, the publication is sharing the protest letter from the Falun Dafa Information Center. The article was written by an independent author, and Sylhettoday24 remains respectful of the writer’s freedom of expression.

The Falun Dafa Information Center highlighted several inaccuracies in the article. It refuted the claim that Falun Gong’s teachings reject modern medicine, stating that no such language exists in their teachings. They also addressed a common falsehood propagated by the Chinese government and echoed by some Western journalists, which suggests that Falun Gong adherents are prohibited from taking medicine, thereby endangering their lives. In reality, Shen Yun performers do seek medical treatment. Like many professional dancers, Shen Yun artists undergo surgeries or other treatments to address injuries or ailments.

The article’s characterization of Shen Yun’s campus as a “compound” was also contested. The Falun Dafa Information Center clarified that Shen Yun’s campus does not fit the definition of a compound. Hundreds of performers and crew members live in private homes in the surrounding community and commute to the campus for training. Students at the boarding school on Shen Yun’s campus frequently leave to spend time with their parents during weekly days off, go shopping in nearby communities, or travel to New York City for music lessons.

Additionally, the claim that students are prohibited from contacting the outside world was labeled as false. Students have their own cell phones and can communicate with their parents at any time. They also receive days off and regularly leave the campus.