Former representative to Thailand Chuang Suo-hang’s (莊碩漢) recent resignation was due to sexual harassment allegations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday, confirming media reports.
The ministry’s statement came after local media reported that the 67-year-old Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member was asked to leave his post in Bangkok, less than a year after he was appointed, due to sexual harassment allegations by someone at the representative office.
When the Presidential Office on Wednesday said that it had approved Chuang’s resignation, the ministry said the envoy did so for “personal reasons,” and his decision was respected.
Photo: Taipei Times file
The Chinese-language United Daily News reported that Chuang allegedly touched his female secretary’s hands while driving to northern Thailand for a business trip in December last year.
Chuang reportedly asked her to meet him in his hotel room during the trip, which lasted a few days, but she declined, the newspaper reported.
The secretary later reported the incident to the representative office, which led to Chuang’s resignation, it said.
The newspaper said that the secretary was not the only victim in the Thailand office.
The ministry confirmed that it received official sexual harassment complaints against Chuang, and has launched an internal probe over the allegations.
The ministry did not disclose who made the allegations, for privacy reasons.
Initial probes confirmed such allegations and the ministry asked Chuang to resign from his post, the ministry said.
The ministry would refer its investigation results to its sexual harassment complaint review committee for further probes before handing out official punishment, it said.
The ministry did not say what kind of punishment Chuang might face, as he was a political appointee and not a career diplomat.
Chuang was named Taiwan’s top envoy to Thailand on June 13 last year, before officially taking up the post in Bangkok on July 31.
Before taking up the post in Thailand, Chuang was the vice chairman of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council.
He had previously served as Cabinet spokesman, deputy minister of the Overseas Community Affairs Council, and a DPP legislator from 2005 to 2008.
He took up the Thailand post to fill the vacancy left by the departure of then-representative Lee Ying-yuan (李應元), who resigned in August 2021 due to poor health.
Neither the Presidential Office nor the foreign ministry have announced who would succeed Chuang.
Chuang yesterday said he would cooperate with the investigation, adding that he hopes the process would allow him to state his account of events.
He held the secretary’s hand to show an affirmation of her good work, Chuang said, adding that she was in his hotel room for no more than five minutes to go through a draft speech.
Chuang dismissed the reports of other representative office staff alleging similar incidents, adding that it is baseless and untrue.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
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