TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The New Power Party on Thursday called on TPP Chair Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) to correct what it described as factual errors in his newly published memoir, accusing the former party chair of misrepresenting events surrounding a 2018 labor law protest.
In his new book, “Forward Unto Dawn” (向光前行), Huang recounts protests against amendments to the Labor Standards Act, per Liberty Times. The DPP passed the amendments during a marathon legislative session despite efforts by KMT lawmakers to delay proceedings, per CivilMedia.
Critics at the time argued that the changes weakened protections for workers, per the Reporter.
Huang wrote that shortly before Taipei police moved in to clear protesters staging a sit-in within the restricted area around the Presidential Office Building, he discovered that several fellow NPP members, including then-lawmakers Freddy Lim (林昶佐) and Hung Tzu-yung (洪慈庸), had already left the scene.
The NPP rejected Huang’s account in a Facebook post, accusing him of attempting to rewrite history. Citing prosecutorial documents, the party said then-NPP lawmakers Hsu Yung-ming (徐永明), Lim, and Hung were all present during the police operation to clear the protest.
The party said its social media posts from the time also support that version of events.
The NPP called on Huang to apologize, make corrections in future editions, and withdraw the book from sale until the changes are made.
Former DPP Spokesperson Chuo Kuan-ting (卓冠廷), Hung’s husband, defended her record, saying she remained at the protest until the final moments despite having recently suffered a miscarriage, per Liberty Times. He criticized Huang for what he viewed as portraying Hung as having abandoned fellow party members.
The DPP also weighed in on the controversy. DPP Spokesperson Wu Cheng (吳崢) said Huang launched the protest without consulting fellow party members and disregarded Hung’s health condition at the time, per Newtalk.
DPP caucus official Fan Yun (范雲) said she was unaware of Hung’s condition until recent revelations, per ETtoday.
Former TPP Chair Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who was Taipei mayor during the protest, said he had ordered authorities to clear the roads before 7 a.m., per Newtalk. He did not directly address the dispute over whether Lim and Hung remained at the protest site when police moved in.
