In Taiwan, where the MeToo movement is gaining ground, exiled Chinese human rights activist Teng Biao has apologized to a female journalist.
During a trip for work in 2016, the woman claims Mr. Teng attempted to rape her. Mr. Teng apologized but claimed the rape allegations were unfounded in a statement released on Wednesday.
The encounter, according to him, was a "clumsy courtship" rather than an assault.
Mr. Teng emigrated to the US in 2014 after leaving the Chinese mainland in 2012.
A Taiwanese journalist who requests anonymity claims that Mr. Teng attacked her in a hotel room in India in 2016 by lunging at her.
She told the BBC that she needed to stay longer than planned, and Mr. Teng offered her a room that he claimed had already been paid for by some friends who had left earlier than expected.
She claims that she went into the room and discovered Mr. Teng sitting there.
"I pushed him away after he repeatedly lunged at me. I withdrew to the corner when he came at me again as I was making my way to the door, she told the BBC.
"I warned them, 'Don't come, or I'll scream. She continued, "He had to let me go because he didn't want other people to hear.
Mr. Teng claimed in an email response to the BBC that he had "strong evidence that [shows] a rape attempt accusation is baseless," though he provided no further details.
The journalist claims that she asked him to apologize publicly as soon as the incident occurred. She continued by saying that Mr. Teng had agreed to do so, but a number of their mutual friends had urged her to forego a public apology out of concern that it might allow others to attack their human rights advocacy.
She recalls that the trip's organizer questioned me, "Why are you causing me trouble?". "I was embarrassed by it. ".
She realized "the wound is not healed" after the most recent round of MeToo allegations in Taiwan, she added.
So she contacted Mr. Teng two weeks ago and requested an apology in front of everyone. On Wednesday, UK time, he responded to this by issuing a statement.
The statement, which was shared on Facebook and Twitter, claimed that Mr. Teng was "extremely guilty" for the harm she endured.
It continued, "I've apologized to her numerous times in private and I'll apologize again publicly today: Sorry, I hurt you.
He added that from what he could recall, he didn't lunge at her or try to stop her from leaving the room.
After apologizing, Mr. Teng quit from two human rights organizations.
Mr. Teng, a well-known human rights attorney in China, was well-known for opposing Communist Party abuses of power. Additionally, he has previously taught at the China University of Political Science and Law.
In 2011, he spent 70 days in custody, and in 2012, he left mainland China. He previously claimed he lacked the courage to go back because of the Chinese government's repression of human rights.
He has spoken out against China's repression of human rights issues now that he is in the US. Teng is currently a Pozen Visiting Professor at the University of Chicago and the Hauser Human Rights Scholar at Hunter College of the City University of New York, per his Twitter account.
More than 140 allegations of misconduct against individuals, including politicians, doctors, professors, and celebrities, have been made as a result of the MeToo movement since late May in Taiwan.
Wang Dan, a well-known leader of the Tiananmen protests, was one of those charged. Earlier this month, he was accused of sexual assault by two young men. A lawsuit claiming rape has been filed by one of those men. Wang has resigned from his position as a professor and announced that he will travel back to Taiwan from the US to take up the case.
Famous TV show host Mickey Huang Tzu-Chiao had self-inflicted injuries when he was taken to the hospital earlier this week after apologizing to his accuser during an Instagram livestream session. He has reportedly been released and is doing well right now.
