TAIPEI, Taiwan — A Taiwanese lawmaker slapped a female legislator and pulled her hair Wednesday during a committee meeting, in a scuffle reminiscent of the televised fights that once were frequent in Taiwan's legislature.
Independent lawmaker Lo Fu-chu, who has a reputation for brawling, was caught on tape as he struck Diane Lee, a former TV anchorwoman who is now one of the legislature's hardest-working and most outspoken lawmakers.
Lee, who was treated for minor injuries told reporters at the hospital that the tangle started during a meeting of the education committee. Lo charged Lee's table and accused her of saying he had ties to organized crime, she said.
Lo told reporters he never hit Lee, of the opposition People First Party. "She's a woman and I'm a man. How could I do that?" he said.
But a videotape of the scuffle recorded the scene: Lo began by arguing with the seated Lee across the table. She smacked the table top, rose and picked up a paper cup of water, apparently preparing to throw it on Lo, who grabbed the cup and threw it on her.
Lo ran to Lee's side of the table, where a legislative aide tried to block him. Lo, a burly man, briefly wrestled with the aide before shoving him out of the way. Raising his hand high in the air, he slapped Lee's shoulder with a forceful blow.
Lee continued to confront Lo while others restrained him. Lo broke free, grabbed Lee's hair and slapped her in the face.
The video was repeatedly shown on cable TV. Lo defended himself, complaining that Lee had accused him of being a gangster.
"Just because you're a woman, you can't criticize people and throw water at them and not expect people to lose their temper," he said.
Lee did not appear to have any marks on her face, but her forearms were bruised, scratched and red. She tearfully said she had been frightened, saying, "During this chaos, no one came to help me."
The tape showed a security guard who appeared confused and slow to react.
After Taiwan sped up democratic reforms in 1987, it was common for lawmakers to punch and kick each other or hurl microphones during rowdy legislative sessions, but now violence is rare.