Taiwan’s #MeToo scandals are the tip of an iceberg of human rights problems

While Taiwan is held up as a regional beacon of human rights, a wave of #MeToo allegations might be a truer reflection of problems on the ground
Besides women, migrant workers and foreign students in Taiwan also have suffered discriminatory treatment

Hilton Yip

Published: 4:30pm, 30 Jun 2023

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In recent weeks, Taiwan has been rocked by a wave of sexual harassment allegations against political, cultural and entertainment figures, in its own #MeToo moment. As surprising as this might seem, given the island’s image as a progressive human rights haven, the allegations might actually be more reflective of the reality in Taiwan.

In late May – inspired by a Taiwanese Netflix political drama, Wave Makers, which featured a scene involving two female characters discussing sexual harassment at work – the first of several allegations against members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party emerged.

This soon snowballed into over 140 accusations against local politicians, celebrities and professors, as well as rights activists from the mainland. The accusers were not just women but also men, including one who was in his teens at the time of the encounter.

The DPP saw its credibility severely tarnished after it transpired that several allegations had initially been dismissed when reported internally. As a result, party officials have had to step down, while an adviser to President Tsai Ing-wen resigned and an electoral candidate quit the race after being accused of sexual harassment themselves.

Yet none of this is entirely new, as the DPP government has been troubled by several scandals in recent years.

In 2021, high-profile DPP legislator Kao Chia-yu publicly admitted she had been battered by her then boyfriend and even held against her will after the attack. Kao had kept the abuse secret for weeks before a local magazine reported it. It was said that senior DPP figures had known of the matter because Kao was uncontactable for days. The boyfriend, meanwhile, reportedly had DPP connections.

In another case of violence against a female politician, a Taipei city council candidate suffered a serious head injury when she was attacked by a man in the lead-up to last year’s local elections.

Furthermore, in February this year, a cabinet spokesman stepped down following allegations that he had offered favours for sex years ago as a Tainan city official. A Presidential Office spokesman resigned in 2020, amid allegations of improper and coercive behaviour towards a partner when he was serving as a Kaohsiung city official.

Students salute Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during a graduation ceremony at a military university in Taipei on June 21. Tsai’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party has seen its credibility tarnished, as allegations emerge not only of sexual harassment but also of internal silencing of accusers. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan has enjoyed plaudits for the high level of female representation in politics. As the first place in Asia to legalise gay marriage, it is often held up as a regional beacon of human rights. However, this is in contrast to problems on the ground involving migrant workers, foreign students from developing nations and Taiwan’s restrictive immigration policies.

Taiwan’s fishing fleet was recently criticised for labour rights violations against foreign crew members, including complaints of withheld pay. Taiwanese seafood products were also put on the US government’s list of goods produced with forced labour.

Southeast Asian migrant workers often face discriminatory treatment and bureaucratic policies in Taiwan. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they were frequently subject to harsher measures than their local counterparts. Some migrant workers were confined in dorms when they were not working; their employers were also advised by the authorities to discourage them from going out during Lunar New Year.

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In January, a Vietnamese migrant worker was beaten to death outside his dorm in Pingtung county by Taiwanese men. The suspects were said to have been pursuing two other Vietnamese workers whom they believed had been talking about them in a restaurant.

In recent years, there have also been several instances of foreign university students being made to do arduous manual jobs as part of their internships. Some of these students are from developing countries such as Uganda, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.

Although Taiwan has a low fertility rate and its population is declining, it has an abysmal record in accepting immigrants and refugees. Taiwan does not officially accept refugees as it has no asylum law, having made no progress on a draft law since 2016. Also, very few foreigners are able to attain Taiwanese passports due to a requirement that foreign applicants give up their original citizenship unless they satisfy certain extremely stringent criteria.

Unfortunately, the DPP government seems content to bask in the attention of foreign media and politicians. It promotes Taiwan as a bastion of human rights and freedom, but seems disinterested in dealing with serious problems.

Until Taiwan curbs the widespread discriminatory or abusive treatment of women, migrant workers, foreign students and immigrants, its image as a human rights bastion is undeserved.

Hilton Yip is a journalist and editor based in Taiwan