TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has issued its second statement in as many days apologizing for the way party staff handled complaints of sexual harassment from junior members, after a second staffer came forward alleging sexual harassment.
A second whistleblower surnamed Chen (陳) posted on Facebook on Friday accusing her supervisor and former DPP Youth Wing leader Tsai Mu-lin (蔡沐霖) of helping to cover up sexual abuse claims she made against a man working in her team named Chen Yu-hao (陳右豪). The Ministry of Labor said yesterday that Tsai had resigned from his position as a secretary with the Ministry of Labor on Thursday, per Tai Sounds, the day before the allegations went public.
The former DPP female staffer said Chen Yu-hao began by buying her breakfast and drinks while at work, but his advances eventually turned into non-consensual sexual contact, frequent unwanted contact outside of work hours, and drunken advances. She said when she brought the issue up with her superior, Tsai, she was rebuffed.
The former DPP staffer was later told by Tsai that rejection from the opposite sex hurt mens’ self-esteem, and that she ought to be more considerate. Tsai allegedly told the former DPP worker that she was responsible for “lighting the fire,” and it was no wonder the perpetrator did not back down.
Former Ministry of Labor secretary Tsai Mu-lin, resigned on Thursday after it was alleged he covered up sexual harassment allegations within his team. (Facebook, Tsai Mu-lin photo)
The whistleblower said she was made to apologize to Yu-hao, and faced ongoing ridicule from Tsai after the event, the Facebook post read. She said she thought of taking the issue to a higher level within the DPP, but was worried about harming the party.
The DPP issued the statement condemning the actions of its staff just after 3 p.m. on Friday, just one day after Vice President and DPP Chair Lai Ching‑te (賴清德) apologized for the party’s handling of a case that went public on May 31. The party also said that following the second incident going public, it has opened a dedicated email inbox for victims of harassment: [email protected].
The initial DPP female staffer to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse experienced while working for the party did so on Thursday, also via Facebook post, and said she was inspired by a popular Taiwanese TV show to come forward.
The woman, also surnamed Chen, (陳) said when she brought up the allegations to the staff member responsible for gender equality issues Hsu Chia-tien (許嘉恬) (who was dismissed after the allegations went public), she was met with indifference, and was discouraged from reporting the harassment.
Former DPP gender equality head Hsu Chia-tien. (Youtube, Democratic Progressive Party image)
Chen said when she told Women’s Department supervisor Hsu about the incident, her response was: “So, what do you want me to do about it?” and “I don’t understand why you didn’t cry out.” The female staffer said Hsu also told her that if she were to report the harassment, everyone would then know about it, and her “reputation may be damaged.”
Chen also said that she was not transferred out of the unit overseen by the man who harassed her after she reported the incident. She began and ended the Facebook post with references to the Taiwanese TV series “Wave Makers," which addresses gender equality and the profession of politics in Taiwan.
The individual responsible for harassing Chen is reportedly a man nicknamed Hui (輝), and has been pictured with high level presidential office staffers, Lai, and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
On Thursday, the day after Chen went public with the allegations, Lai issued an apology and said the DPP would adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment. "We will not just forget this," Lai said, referencing a line from “Wave Makers” in which two characters discuss how they will respond to sexual abuse.
President Tsai Ing-wen addresses a man surnamed Hui, one of the men accused of sexual harassment, in a promotional video for a film he made. (Facebook, PTS photo)
Also on Thursday, a spokesperson for the Presidential Office released a statement and said President Tsai strongly condemns any sexual harassment. Furthermore, she fully supports an investigation by the party’s central committee into the incident.
Kuomintang (KMT) politician Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐) said that this is not an internal matter for the DPP, but a public issue that needs to be addressed by society. Cheng criticized the DPP for not matching words with deeds, and ran down a long list of DPP politicians and their affiliations with gender equality causes, including Hsu, who previously served as the director of the National Alliance of Taiwan Women’s Associations.
Taiwan People’s Party head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) and a spokesperson for the New Power Party also expressed their condemnation of the events.
Taipei’s labor bureau has requested the DPP submit a report on its handling of the Chien-jou case by June 5. If it is deemed the case has been improperly handled, a maximum fine of NT$500,000 may be handed down to the party, per PTS.
(Taiwan News, CNA and Wave Makers image)
