Restaurateur to sue ‘Han fans’ over harassment

By Jason Pan / Staff reporter





The owner of the Sea Anglers Eatery (釣客食堂) in Kaohsiung yesterday said he would sue 46 supporters of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) over their online harassment and threats.

Litigation was necessary, because the so-called “Han fans” (韓粉) would not stop their online bullying, even after he closed his restaurant last week, and he could no longer stay silent, the owner wrote in an online post, not giving his name out of safety fears.

“We thought Taiwan is a free and democratic country, that everyone has the right to express their opinion. This is why we stood our ground and upheld our ideals, since we thought Han’s Kaohsiung City Government would listen to our small voice and the ordinary people,” the proprietor wrote.

He said he began receiving threats after he voiced support for the “WeCare Kaohsiung” signature drive to recall Han.

“We came under attack from 46 persons, with false accusations, defamation and threats, writing spiteful words to insult us, all through last week even after our restaurant closed down. After talking to our lawyer, we decided to sue them,” he said.

Han’s talk of “love and tolerance” was nothing but an empty slogan, he added.

The owner of Kuang De House of Pancakes (廣德家煎餅), another alleged target of Han’s fans, said he had been mailed ghost money, along with a message, “Hope you will get rich” — a way of telling someone you hope they die.

He has gotten sick and been unable to sleep since the harassment started, he said.