Premier Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) yesterday said he has instructed government agencies to propose revisions to three major laws to better address the issue of sexual abuse and harassment, as allegations of sexual misconduct spread across the political field.
The three laws are: the Act of Gender Equality in Employment (性別工作平等法), the Gender Equality Education Act (性別平等教育法) and the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act (性騷擾防治法).
“No one wants to see sexual harassment occur, and proposed amendments would be ready at the start of the next legislative session [in September]. We hope to have the support of lawmakers across party lines to prevent further personal harm, assist the victims, safeguard them and protect their rights,” Chen said.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
In the latest development, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chung Pei-chun (鍾沛君) on Thursday night accused media personality Lucifer Chu (朱學恒) of forcibly hugging and kissing her during a dinner gathering in Taipei in August last year.
She said as she had pursued the matter, Chu wrote an official apology two weeks later.
A political commentator, Chu is a popular YouTuber and frequent guest on political talk shows.
Chu yesterday said he had suspended his YouTube channel and that he would stop appearing in media and public events for the time being.
He apologized, but said he was too drunk at the time and had no memory of what happened that night.
Separately, New Power Party member Jerry Liu (劉仕傑) was accused by a former party staffer of grabbing her in a vehicle, forcibly kissing her and pulling her hand to touch his private parts.
NPP Chairwoman Claire Wang (王婉諭) issued a public apology yesterday, saying: “We are sorry we did not know about this and for allowing this deplorable person to participate in public affairs and giving him a platform for public discourse.”
The NPP later yesterday said it received a statement from Liu that he was withdrawing from the party.
As of press time last night, Liu had not responded to the accusations.
State-run Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute chairman and prominent film critic Lan Tsu-wei (藍祖蔚) on Thursday was also accused by Taiwan-based Korean Studies Academy CEO Rick Chu (朱立熙) of repeatedly sexually harassing female reporters.
Taipei City Councilor Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) of the KMT told a news conference yesterday that Lan, being a top figure in the film and cultural sector who is highly regarded and respected in society, must adhere to standards of morality and behavior.
Lan denied the allegations, but tendered his resignation, “because I don’t want to become cannon fodder in the political struggle.”
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
RSS