Activists admit to harassment

Brewing scandal seriously damages China’s charity sector

Two prominent Chinese charity activists have admitted to sexual harassment and misconduct accusations amid an online uproar, with experts fearing that the incidents may seriously damage the image and credibility of China’s charity sector.

Feng Yongfeng, who founded Nature University, a non-governmental organization dedicated to environmental protection, apologized for sexually harassing female colleagues following an anonymous article online on Monday accusing Feng of doing so.

“Drinking will sometimes break my defenses, causing me to hurt some women,” Feng admitted on Tuesday on his WeChat account.

“I express my most sincere apology to those women I have harassed or hurt. I am willing to face the consequences for the things I have done in the past,” he said.

Feng’s case surfaced shortly after another charity activist, Lei Chuang, apologized for the same reason.

An anonymous woman accused Lei, founder of Yiyou Charity and a Hepatitis B virus carrier who fights against discrimination, of sexually harassing her during a hiking event in Beijing in July 2015.

Lei admitted the accusation is true and apologized on his WeChat account on Monday, saying that he is considering surrendering to the police and will resign from Yiyou Charity.

Thousands of netizens slammed the two, accusing them of doing the wrong thing in the name of charity. Others said their public confessions were a positive sign.

The incidents have “done serious damage to the image and credibility of charity activists and charity work in China,” Zhu Wei, a professor at the China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

“Charity is based on virtue. If one cannot even preserve virtue, the public will question his or her qualifications as a charity activist,” Zhu noted.

Further investigation is needed, as there might be other cases, Zhu said, adding that the investigation should also look into other issues, such as where the charity funds go, because no one would trust them anymore.

“The incidents are about abuse of power,” Luo Ruixue, a member of the women’s rights group Women Awakening Network, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

It is easy for prominent people to use their fame and resources to sexually harass people, Luo said, adding that there should be a mechanism to prevent the abuse of power within the industry instead of solely relying on people’s conscience.

“There are good and bad people in all professions, but the public expect higher standards for charity activists,” she said.