Facebook posts and livestreams by Fu Ta-Jen and Fu Chun-Hao

Renowned Taiwanese sports broadcaster Fu Ta-Jen, who had long suffered from pancreatic cancer, traveled to Switzerland in 2018 for an assisted death. Throughout his journey, Ta-Jen documented his decisions and experiences in Switzerland, and advocated for improved assisted dying legislation on his Facebook page. Throughout the course of his treatment, he repeatedly posted about his pain and expressed a sincere hope that others would not have to experience the same suffering. His post on May 30, 2018 — in which he wrote, “If Taiwan becomes the first place in Asia to legalize euthanasia! Human rights and freedom! Saving those with terminal illnesses, voluntarily freeing them from suffering!” — clearly articulates his political position in support of legalizing assisted dying in Taiwan. In 2019, his son, Fu Chun-Hao, continued this advocacy, urging the passage of assisted dying legislation through a Facebook Livestream. He called for legal reforms that would allow terminally ill patients in Taiwan the right to a dignified death. In the same year, the Association for the Promotion of Assisted Dying Legislation (安樂善終立法促進會) was established, with Fu Chun-Hao elected as its president. Chun-Hao also delivered a speech in front of the Legislative Yuan on March 7, 2023, urging the government to take action. In response, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare emphasized that existing regulations, such as the Hospice Palliative Care Act and the Patient Right to Autonomy Act, already grant terminally ill patients and individuals in a vegetative state the right to refuse life-sustaining treatment, thereby safeguarding a degree of medical autonomy. This debate highlights a fundamental divide: advocates like Fu Chun-Hao argue for proactive measures to legalize assisted dying, while the government maintains that current regulations sufficiently uphold patient rights without endorsing assisted dying.

From a legal standpoint, Taiwan’s current framework draws a fundamental distinction between assisted dying and the refusal of medical treatment. The Hospice Palliative Care Act permits terminally ill patients to forgo cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or discontinue life-sustaining interventions. The Patient Right to Autonomy Act, enacted in 2019, further allows individuals to sign an Advance Medical Directive under specific conditions, preemptively declining life-prolonging treatments. However, assisted dying, which involves the intentional act of ending a person’s life, is not explicitly permitted under Taiwanese law. Facebook became a critical forum for public discourse, where discussions, comment threads, and personal stories from terminally ill patients and their families fueled both legal critique and grassroots activism. While government officials articulated their position through press conferences and official statements, social media—especially Facebook—emerged as a space where activists, medical professionals, and concerned citizens challenged the status quo and urged lawmakers to take action. Fu Ta-Jen’s Facebook page became a hub for these conversations, with many users sharing their own experiences with terminal illness and expressing a similar desire for the option of assisted dying. His son, Chun-Hao, frequently referenced these comments in his speeches, arguing that the voices of those directly affected should not be ignored and that their right to assisted death deserves serious legislative consideration.