Proof that Hongkongers are still struggling with the #MeToo movement: I groped a woman by mistake, but no one said anything

Peter Kammerer says the #MeToo movement hasn’t taken off in Hong Kong, where female accusers get little support and it is hard to get witnesses to stand up and back their claims

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Although #MeToo has opened the floodgates to accusations of sexual harassment and assault in the United States, the movement has gained far less ground in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock

Peter Kammerer

Australian-born Peter Kammerer has lived and worked in Hong Kong for more than 30 years, joining the Post in 1988.

Published: 5:18pm, 8 Oct 2018Updated: 7:10pm, 8 Oct 2018

I grabbed a woman’s breast on the MTR the other day. A few days earlier, I had done the same in a pub. I can be excused for my transgressions; I’m blind and use a white cane. Still, I was perplexed that my actions, accompanied by an instant apology, drew not a single response from my victims or bystanders.

Perhaps the situation is symptomatic of how the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault still has not made a meaningful mark in Hong Kong. There have been isolated cases, the most notable one being sports star Vera Lui’s allegation against her former hurdling coach, but it’s nothing like the avalanche of claims over the past year against high-profile men and women in the United States in entertainment, business, religion, the media and politics.

Barely a day goes by, it would seem, without someone pointing a finger or corroborating a claim; the list of accused people since The New York Times published its October 5, 2017 Harvey Weinstein story – which said the Hollywood mogul had paid off at least eight women and was accused of harassing many others – is as impressive as it is repugnant.

Watch: Do not feel shame, sexual assault victim says

Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting three women, comedian Bill Cosby has been jailed for between three and 10 years, and CBS chief executive Les Moonves has been ousted. So have Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, and actors and television anchors galore. The #Metoo campaign has got so much attention that I’m surely not the only person becoming more conscious of what I say and my proximity to others in public.

Of course, those unable to see are bound to make a slip from time to time. I had just made it onto the crowded train in Causeway Bay as the doors were closing. As the train started to move, I reached out for support with my left hand and came into momentary contact with a female passenger. She said or did nothing, and nor did any of the other passengers.

The lack of response was troubling to me, just as it has been to Linda Wong, the executive director of Hong Kong’s Association Concerning Sexual Violence Against Women.