Online talk show The Night Night Show with Hello (賀瓏夜夜秀) sparked controversy with an episode aired on Monday, in which guest Wang Zhian (王志安), a Chinese journalist who lives in Tokyo after being blacklisted by Beijing, ridiculed the posture and gestures of Chen Chun-han (陳俊翰), a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator-at-large candidate and human rights lawyer who has spinal muscular atrophy.
When asked about his thoughts on Taiwan’s elections by the show’s host, Wang said the parties’ election rallies felt like variety shows that have performers, arranged plots and “even pushed disabled people onto the stage to rouse sympathy,” before mimicking Chen and chanting: “Support the DPP.”
The host’s and audience’s laughter in response to Wang’s remark stirred public anger and drew condemnation from politicians and public figures, and companies withdrew their sponsorship from the show. As a result, a producer of the show named Hawkins (霍金) on Wednesday apologized to Chen and to viewers for what he called the production oversight.
However, Wang initially refused to apologize, saying on social media that the DPP used disabled people as an election tool and it is the “green communist” party that is putting pressure on the talk show to apologize. Wang later said he is willing to apologize to Chen in person if he felt offended, but still condemns the DPP for its actions.
The National Immigration Agency on Wednesday said it received many complaints about Wang’s behavior and confirmed that his appearence on the talk show breached the terms of his one-year multiple entry tourist visa for Chinese citizens, so Wang is to be banned from re-entering Taiwan on a short-term tourist visa for five years.
Wang said on social media that the DPP is carrying out retributive punishment against him and he called it the “democratic communist party.”
On Friday he uploaded a YouTube video saying he apologizes to Chen and all disabled people in Taiwan, and for the trouble he caused the talk show.
He also apologized to the DPP, but many said he was being sarcastic, as Wang said: “The DPP represents Taiwan’s democracy and public opinion.”
Wang failed to realize that the backlash and condemnation he received from the public is mainly against his disrespectful attitude toward people with disabilities and him seeing them as “tools” without individual subjectivity, and thus being “taken advantage of” by the DPP for electoral purposes.
He also said in his apology video that he had assumed Taiwan would tolerate a larger range of topics being talked about.
Wang failed to learn that even in a democratic society, freedom of expression still comes with some restrictions in cases such as spreading disinformation or inciting discrimination, hostility or violence.
Although his remarks did not breach a specific law, it offended Taiwan’s sense of nondiscrimination. He has been called out for it and the show has been boycotted by many, but he is not being punished for his criticism of a party.
Moreover, Wang also misunderstood or intentionally distorted why his tourist visa was revoked. It was because he violated the Regulations Governing the Approval of People of the Mainland Area Visiting Taiwan for Purposes of Tourism (大陸地區人民來台從事觀光活動許可辦法) by engaging in “work,” including journalism and appearing on a political talk show.
While Wang is trying to politicize the incident, acting as if he is being punished for his remarks against the DPP, Taiwanese should not be fooled. As politicians have shown a rare unity across party lines by speaking out against Wang’s disrespectful remark, the incident could hopefully cause some people to reflect on their discriminative attitude toward people with disabilities or special needs.
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