TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Human rights lawyer Chen Chun-han, a legislative-at-large candidate for the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), asserted Monday (Jan. 29) that voters needn't feel obligated to vote for the DPP in 2028, seemingly in response to a controversy involving the online talk show "The Night Night Show with Hello."
Host Hello previously caught public criticism for allowing Wang Zhian, a mainland China media personality, to mimic disabled individuals on the show — seen by many as a dig at the DPP and indirectly at Chen. Although the show's agency STR Network laid out an apology, Hello failed to publicly respond until the latest episode when he acknowledged his oversight and apologized.
Despite his thinking that Hello's apology came late, Chen still appreciated his and his production team's responsible temperament. He commended Hello and his crew for planning a special segment to discuss the issues faced by disabled and rare disease patients in Taiwan.
It gratified Chen that the bulk of Taiwanese society condemned Wang for his mockery and discrimination of the disabled participating in politics. He expressed regret, however, noting a minority online attempting to shift focus from the issue.
Chen emphasized that the core of the criticism lies in whether society can tolerate discrimination against the disabled and respect their right to political participation. "This is a human rights issue that transcends ideological and party lines," Chen stated.
Chen also mentioned not feeling compelled to vote for the DPP in 2028. He highlighted that Taiwan's precious democratic freedom ensures unrestricted choice in supporting any political party, emphasizing that no one should be coerced to act against their beliefs.
However, Chen added that if Hello and his team find the DPP under Lai Ching-te's leadership satisfactory within the next four years and genuinely wish to support it, they would be heartily welcomed.
