Triad
- For other uses, see Triad (disambiguation).
It is engaged in all forms of organized crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering, illegal gambling, prostitution, car theft and other forms of racketeering. A major source of Triad income today is from counterfeiting products of intellectual property, such as computer software, music CDs and movie VCDs/DVDs.
The name "triad" was coined by the British authorities in Hong Kong, referring to the triangular shape of the Chinese character for "secret society". The character's shape symbolizes unity among Heaven, Earth, and man—an indication of the semi-religious nature of these societies.
There are about 50 triad groups—many of them minor localised street youth gangs—that are active in modern Hong Kong. There are several larger groups, including the Sun Yee On, Wo Shing Wo and 14K. They are syndicates of sophisticated criminals, mirror images of such similar western empires of crime as the Mafia.
In the late 1670s, a society called the 'Hung clan' (洪門) was formed to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty to power. The 'Hung clan' used the triangle as their symbol; this particular symbol was important in recognizing their members.
Over several centuries, the triad developed from a patriotic society to a criminal organization. Following the fall of the Qing Dynasty of China in 1911, followers of the original Taiping Rebellion - the Hung clan (洪門) - suddenly found themselves lost with purposes. Worse yet, they somehow managed to miss out on the opportunity to participate in the actual uprising, and many of them were left angry and depressed. Unable to revert to normal civilian lives after spending years living under grave danger and extreme violence, many ex-rebels reunited to form a cult which later came to be known as the Triad. Having lost the usual donations and support from the public after the collapse of the Qing empire, members of the newly formed cult resorted to money extortion from the unwilling public through all possible and even illegal means.
When the Communist Party of China took power in 1949, Mainland China was put under strict law enforcement and organized crime diminished. This is why the Triad migrated south to the British colony of Hong Kong for the continuation of their business. After the Mob in Hong Kong in 1956, the government actively enforced the laws that restricted and diminished the triad activities in Hong Kong.
There were numerous Triad groups in Hong Kong. By 1931, there were eight main Triad groups and they had divided Hong Kong up into geographic areas and ethnic groups that each group was responsible for controlling. The eight main ones at that time were the Wo, the Rung, the Tung, the Chuen, the Shing, the Fuk Yee Hing, the Yee On, and the Luen. Each had its own headquarters, its own sub-societies, and its own public covers.
The problems of the triads in Hong Kong were more serious in the 1960s and 1970s. In the past, rumour had it that the police controlled the triads and the triads took charge of the social order. If there was a kidnap in a certain neighborhood, the police would get the regional gang leader to resolve it. On the other hand, the police would associate with the regional gang leader in seizing the control of places where they would be in command of the businesses. Hence, there was spatial stability of social powers. Then, in 1974, the circumstances totally changed as the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) was established. As the police were no longer corrupt, the triads had diminishing areas to control and the boundaries of triad power also blurred out. With less benefit from usual businesses, they had to focus on underground dealings.
Also, it is interesting to note that after the sovereignty of Hong Kong was handed over by the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China in 1997, a top official of the PRC central law enforcement agency publicly acknowledged his acceptance of the Triad, stating that many of its members were patriotic to the motherland.
Then, as the triads develop, certain ones began to monopolize some of the businesses in the 1980s and 1990s. For instance, the Sun Yee On had almost entire control over the movie sector. However, their activity fields have decreased greatly as the triads have to struggle against the collaborative anti-triad operations among the Mainland, Macau and Hong Kong. Besides, easy profits no longer exist, so some gang leaders are not keen on becoming the leader.
As for connections to foreign triads, their activities have been imported into North American Chinatowns as well, especially in San Francisco, New York City, and Vancouver. They are often largely responsible for smuggling illegal immigrants from Asia into the USA and Canada. Triads also have associations with local Asian American (Chinese and Vietnamese) teenage street gangs such as the Jackson Street Gang, which operate in areas with large Asian American populations.
Vancouver, San Francisco, New York, London, Manchester, England and Amsterdam, Netherlands (not to mention Macao and Hong Kong) are some of the big bases of Triad Operation. Money is made by extortion, gambling, prostitution, drug trafficking, or any other illegal means to make a profit.
There are still a number of sophisticated triads in Hong Kong like 14K Triad, Sun Yee On, and Wo Shing Wo.
The 14K Triad was reportedly the largest triad gang worldwide in the mid-1990s. It was formed after the Second World War and the Chinese Civil War, with the Nationalists fleeing the victorious Communist Chinese.
In 1997 there were a number of gang related attacks that left 14 people dead. The 14K triad under Wan Kuok-koi (nicknamed "Broken Tooth" Koi) was being challenged by the smaller Soi Fong or Water Room triad.
The next year a gunman believed to be connected to the local 14K triad killed a Portuguese prison officer and wounded another at a sidewalk café.
Finally, in 1999, a Portuguese court convicted 45-year old mob boss "Broken Tooth" Koi on various criminal charges and sentenced him to 15 years in imprisonment. His 14K gang was suspected of drive-by shootings, car bombings and attempted assassinations. Seven of his associates received lesser sentences.
See also: Macau Security Force
The Sun Yee On is, by far, the largest and most powerful of the Triads. It is based in Hong Kong but has several offshoots, the most prolific branch with 25,000 members. The Sun Yee On is said to be of Chiu Chao and Hakka origin. (US Hearings 92) As a whole, it is believed to be in control of over 56,000 members worldwide, with sub-organizations located in New York City, Miami, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
The Sun Yee On (also known as The Yee On Commercial and Industrial Guild) is the principal center for the triads, with anywhere from 47,000 to 60,000 members carrying out activities worldwide.
The triads are extremely sophisticated and are involved in a variety of activities, all of which are very lucrative. These include: drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption, computer software piracy, credit card forgery and fraud, counterfeit currency and identification operations, and migrant smuggling. They will often provide direction to Chinese gangs in exchange for the "muscle" needed in some triad operations.
The Wo Group, with over 20,000 members, is also based in Hong Kong. Its membership is comprised of mainly Cantonese-speaking members, much like the 14K. The Wo Hop To, a major division of the Wo group, has a major base of operation in San Francisco. "[Illegal] gambling is a major source of cash for the Wo Hop To's operations... The Wo Hop To is also active in many of the 'legal' card clubs in Emeryville, San Bruno and San Jose [in California]." (US Hearings 119) The Hong Kong-based Luen Group boasts 8,000 members with 4 subgroups.
Nowadays, there are approximately 57 triad societies in Hong Kong, including between 15 and 20 triads actively involved in local crimes. Although some triads have only 50 members, larger triads have over 30,000 memberships. It is possible to say that even the triad leaders themselves are unsure of the exact number of their members.
Related link: [1]
It is interesting that every triad society worships a famous hero, GuanGong (關公).
GuanGong was a famous hero in the period of Han Dynasty (漢朝). His actual name is Guan Yu (關羽) and he best exemplifies the Chinese thinking of the five qualities of a humble man: 'Yan' (仁), 'Yi' (義), 'Li' (禮), 'Zi' (智) and 'Shun' (信). Many people especially admire of his loyalty (忠) and 'Yi' (義).
The triad society during the Qing period was organized to protest against the Qing government, they worshipped GuanGong probably adopting his loyalty to Ming, another reason is that they want their members to have the qualities of GuanGong, i.e. 'Yi' and to make contribution to the society especially when the people are under threat of a harsh dictatorship.
Nowadays, triad societies still very much follow this tradition to worship GuanGong and consider him as their guide and guardian. Moreover, they still regard GuanGong as a role model for their members.
Ironically, it is for the same reason that the Hong Kong Police also worship GuanGong, especially when a tough operation is to be carried out. Hence, some jokes have been said that GuanGong will be caught in the middle when the police and the triads encounter each other.
In fact, triads in Hong Kong are not as powerful as some people might expect. Unlike some of the biggest international drug dealers who have their own military troops and can take charge of their local governments, Hong Kong triads are, comparatively speaking, operate in much smaller scale even though they might own stockpiles of ammunition.
There is never a fatherly figure in the Hong Kong triads to control all other members in illegal activities via a pyramid-like structure of authority. On the contrary, Hong Kong triads generally comprise of several independent groups. Although they form and organize themselves with similar ceremonies and hierarchical systems, they do not function under an absolute and strict dominion-and-compliance plan. For example, the “Ging Yee” is a subsidiary branch of the “Sun Yee On”, but members of the Ging Yee do not take orders from the ‘supremacy’.
The actual power of triads lies at the ground level of the hierarchy. Usually, a triad ‘official’ (called the “Red Pole”) leads a group of 15 active members, and is in charge of a ‘territorial site’ by way of aggression. Notably, a territory usually consists of only a street, a building, a football field, or a park. Because the gangs are poorly structured, various gangs, though branched from the same triad, can be quite dissimilar in hierarchy in different districts. As a result, a leader with apparent hegemony may not be able to command other leaders; and leaders may sometimes wage war against one another for more benefits.
Triads also uses numeric codes to differentiate the ranks and positions inside a gang. For example, '426' would mean 'the fighter'(打仔), of which these people are usually the ones that fight for their gangs. Another code '49'(四九仔) would be the code for general members with no specific positions assigned. One code that has been commonly used even by normal public nowadays would be '25'(二五仔) which would refer to someone who is the undercover/spy of the gang. This has also become a common slang in Hong Kong while referring to a person who is a traitor or betrays someone else.
As the Hong Kong economy progresses, triads barely provide ‘satisfying’ social and pecuniary conditions to foster absolute loyalty among their members. One of the consequences is that the current triad structure has become pretty flexible: the customary eight-ranking system has changed into one that consists of four ranks (refer to the diagram below). Also, the sophisticated ceremonial rituals for new members have simplified much: the most- commonly practised is “hanging the Blue Lantern” (i.e. following the leader), which is plainly an oral agreement with little formality. Then again, the degree of autocracy within the organization has fallen; members have higher tendency to prioritize their personal interests. Should a member discover that there is little advantage in remaining in his group, then he might transfer himself to another one which is more socially robust and potent: the traditional principles of triad moral believes have been disregarded under such benefits-first stance.
When triads “show off force” (known as “晒馬”
In terms of figures, “showing off force” with over one hundred people might seem a big thing, but the truth is: most of the people do not really belong to the gangs – they are either paid to make an appearance or show up simply “to help out”.
In 1990, one of the gangs attempted to monopolize the queues for purchase of new apartments and “showed off force” with 700 people. The police arrested 119 people, but later found that most of them were hawkers or drug addicts who were employed from various districts and did not know one another – the gang leader had all of them wearing a right-handed white glove for recognition, so they were later called “The White-glove Gang”.
The reason that triads try to avoid fighting is the possible incurrence of high costs. Generally speaking, ammunition is expensive and the basic cost of hiring a person for “showing off force” is HK$100, which could rise up to HK$500 for large and significant events. In addition, there might be other accessory expenses, including meals, transportation, medical, condolence, legal charges and etc.
Nowadays, triads have become more business-like organizations. The interactions and integrations of power among triad gangs from the Mainland, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong are not to escape unwavering counter-operations from one or another local government, but are, in fact, driven by agreeable benefits. At the present, the largest market is in the Mainland; and they are business-oriented – they head for wherever big money is accessible. Some HK triads also make lawful investments in the Mainland and their intentions are really to earn a living, but of course, some are just exploiting the legitimacy of these businesses for other illegal means.
School violence is not a new issue. The most recent event which stirred much public concern was the video clip that showed a student being beaten up by 11 fellow classmates. In March 2004, a student in Tin Shui Wai stabbed a 17-year-old with a pair of scissors.
There are several reasons for violent behaviour of students in school. Triads are a major reason.
Triad members often hang around at places where students go after school, such as football pitches, game centres and shopping centres in attempt of recruiting them. Once the students become triad members, these juvenile gangs would do whatever as they please as they believe that they have 'backup', i.e. protective support from other members of the triad society.
Some Hong Kong movies that depict Triads as heroic symbols such as the Young and Dangerous series are very popular, espectially among teenagers. Some people believe that teenagers would digest these movies in the "wrong" way, in which they would think that being in a triad whould be something that is really cool and provides them with the power to do everything according to their own preference. This can definitely contribute to juvenile gangs.
Schools cannot monitor students' after-school activities since there is no way that they can shut off contact between the triad members and their students outside the school compound. Although regular talks are held in schools to warn students against triad membership and police has sent undercovers into schools to curb triad acivities, these actions are not effective enough to prevent the formation of juvenile gangs.
Due to the rising number of violent incidents happening in schools in Hong Kong, many have blamed recent video games that promote violence as the cause for these incidents. As video game shops are common in Hong Kong, many students may hang around inside one of these shops after school. Often these places are controlled by triads and illegal activities may be carried out within. In a recent news report, a video game shop in Mong Kok was found to provide cough syrup to customers. They had replaced the Coca Cola with cough syrup in its cans and sold it to customers in this fashion to evade questioning from the police.
Triads would conceive new ideas to carry out illegal activities such as the ones mentioned above. It is definitely getting more difficult to prevent such crimes from being carried out.
Even though there have been reports that 27,000-strong Hong Kong Police would have difficulty in dealing with 100,000-strong gang members, the counter-view says that HK police force is a highly-structured and trained team, whereas the gangs are hardly organized with many of them being only temporary associates.
To tackle the problems of triads is one of the greatest challenges to Hong Kong's law enforcment teams. The Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) plays a major role in resolving this issue, and they are supported by each and every district for their work.
The social harms done by the triads are not unknown. Even though most gangs and triads act independently (of one another), their attempt to make-believe that they are “the invisible yet invincible” has made the police’s work much harder by forcing their victims into silence. In order to encourage the public to report the criminal activities of triads, the Security Bureau has established the Witness Protection Unit in 1995 to augment witness security; also, the Witness Protection Ordinance came into operation on 9 November 2000 to provide a legal basis for the Witness Protection Programme.
However, Hong Kong police are striving with determination to strike against this social threat. The OCTB and Criminal Intelligence Bureau are working closely, hand in hand, with the Narcotics Bureau and Commercial Crime Bureau to process data and information collected by their operation units, in order to fight the triad heads. Other departments such as the Customs and Excise Department, Immigration Department and ICAC have also joined forces with the local police to impede expansion of triads and other organized gangs.
Ironically the law has given “protection” to the criminals. Due to inadequate authority to investigate the criminal leaders’ sources of wealth and the lack of laws to impose heavier punishments such as confiscation of illegal benefits and extended imprisonments, the efforts of police have been hampered. Therefore, to resolve this issue, the local law system is also frequently revised to endow the police with sufficient authority to fight against triads. An example is that the police authority proposed the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance which has been fully in force since 1995.
According to the Security Bureau, there is no current evidence to indicate any worsening of the triad problem in Hong Kong. For ten years (1993-2002) proportion of crimes with triad involvement has remained fairly steady at about 3.8%; and the figure for the first nine months in 2003 was 2.7%. Nonetheless, the bureau has added more than 240 anti-triad specialist posts since 1995 / 96 to strengthen the anti-triad power of the police force.
There is also a comprehensive publicity programme to uncover the evil of triads. For instance, the Junior Police Call is an organization with complete networks to propagandize the anti-triad message. At the same time, the Crime Prevention Bureau is keeping contact with local businesses and encouraging them to report triad activities.
Furthermore, the Hong Kong Police is and will be cooperating with overseas anti-triad teams, especially where the Chinese population density is high, so as to monitor and tackle all aspects of social harms caused by these (internationally)-organized gangs.
Indeed, law enforcement is one of the effective ways to combat the Triads in Hong Kong, including the Societies Ordinance and the Organized & Serious Crimes Ordinance.
Regarding the Societies Ordinance enacted in 1949, all triad societies are regarded as unlawful societies in Hong Kong. According to the Ordinance, any person convicted of professing or claiming to be an official bearer or managing or assisting in the management of a triad society is subjected to a maximum fine of HK$1 million and to imprisonment for 15 years. Membership of a triad society is itself an offence and upon conviction, may be fined from HK$ 100,000 to HK$250,000 and to imprisonment for 3 to 7 years.
The Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance was enacted in Hong Kong in 1994. The Ordinance aims to provide the Police with special investigative power, to provide heavier sentences for organized crime activities, and to provide the Courts with the power to confiscate the proceeds of the participants in organized crime.
The posters below are of local films about triad society. The movie Young and Dangerous (古惑仔), was a hit in Hong Kong from 1996 to 2000. The most recent movie about triads is Infernal Affairs.
Gangster movies are generally favoured among Hong Kong audiences. From the character 'Mark Gor' played by Chow Yun-Fat in The Colour of Hero (1967) to the Young and Dangerous series (1990s) and to the most recent blockbuster Infernal Affairs (2002-03). Not only did these films capture Hong Kong people's heart with the tense flow of the movie, they also admire the knighthood and brotherhood depicted by the handsome characters and most of all, fascinated by the possibility of living a glamorous life that is exciting and so heroic in comparison to the humble ordinary life.
In Hong Kong, there are several organisations which provide conselling services and temporary housing for released prisoners. They include: Hong Kong Christian Kun Sun Association Ltd, The Society of Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention, Hong Kong, and Fullness Christian Vocational Training Centre. As some the names state, most of the rehabilitation centers are Christian-based.Origin of Triads
Early Development of Triads
More Recent Developments of Triads
The 14K Triad
The Sun Yee On
The Wo Shing Wo
Mystery of Triads
Triad Organizational Structure
Triad Activities
Triad Problems in Schools
Recent News On Triad Activities
How Triad problems are tackled in HK
Portrait of Triad Societies in Local Films
Rehabilitation and Crime Prevention