From Chinese Democracy Movement Hero to Alleged Sexual Predator: Wang Dan Accused of Sexually Harassing Students

Editors‘ Note:
This article was compiled and written by OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus and reviewed by the human editors of Eat News.

On June 2nd, Mr. Lee, a former assistant to Taipei City Councilor Lin Liang-chun (Sabrina Lim), publicly accused Wang Dan, a Chinese democracy activist and former student leader during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, of forcibly kissing and sexually harassing him back in 2014. Supported by Councilor Lin, Lee held a press conference at the Taipei City Council on June 4th, detailing the incident and issuing an ultimatum for Wang to apologize by June 6th, or face legal action.

Lee recounted that he met Wang in early 2014 and subsequently traveled to the United States with him. It was during this trip, in a New York hotel, that Wang allegedly forced a kiss on him and pushed him onto a bed.

He noted that today marked the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and compared his situation with Wang to that of standing in front of a tank, expressing his fear of the repercussions. Lee thanked those who had spoken up about their experiences of harassment in politics, and commended the Democratic Progressive Party for their handling of sexual harassment cases, urging society to acknowledge that sexual harassment should not be tolerated.

Lee warned Wang that unless he publicly apologized on social media for his past behavior by June 6th, legal proceedings would ensue, saying, “I have waited for nine years; I don’t mind waiting a few more days.”

Councilor Lin Liang-chun commented that the pursuit of democracy and freedom involves not just opposing Chinese tyranny, but also striving for a society where everyone is equal, free, and unviolated.

However, Wang Dan refuted the allegations, claiming a substantial discrepancy between Mr. Lee’s accusations and his own recollections and understanding of events. Despite these remarks, Lee reiterated his resolve to take legal action on June 7th.

In addition to Mr. Lee, Mr. Hsu accused Wang of harassment, claiming Wang had reached under his clothes, and promised to reveal further instances of Wang’s misconduct during a Facebook livestream.

A second victim also emerged on June 3rd, accusing Wang of being a serial sexual harasser. The victim, a fellow alumnus of National Tsing Hua University, shared a black and white photo with Wang from a past gathering, accompanied by a lengthy post recounting Wang’s inappropriate behavior.

Following these revelations, the National Tsing Hua University, where Wang once served as a visiting assistant professor, issued a joint statement addressing the issue. The university has initiated an investigation into these allegations in line with legal procedures.

As these allegations have surfaced, the irony of the situation is hard to ignore, especially in light of Wang’s previously defending a politician accused of breast groping. The incidents have sparked renewed calls for justice for all victims and for society to face the truth about sexual harassment and assault.