Dangerous resource for hire? Hong Kong’s triads have a long history of political involvement

The violent attacks in Yuen Long are a reminder that while Hong Kong’s triads are today known to be business savvy, their special place in society makes them uniquely dangerous

Justin Bong-Kwan

Published: 12:30pm, 10 Aug 2019

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Following another mass anti-government march last month, Yuen Long MTR station became the scene of a campaign of violence by men dressed in white T-shirts against protesters and innocent passers-by on the evening of July 21, leaving at least 45 injured.

When it came to light that some of the attackers were triad members and some were known to pro-establishment lawmaker Junius Ho Kwan-yiu, the public were up in arms. They condemned what they claimed was government and police collusion with triads, setting the tone for yet another weekend of protests and clashes.

For most, triad societies are synonymous with organised crime, the existence of which runs counter to the values of a society premised on the rule of law.

Some academics argue that Hong Kong triads will work for anyone for money and not for political ideology. However, this has not always been the case. While triads today are known to be business-savvy, triad societies have traditionally played a role in politics.

During Manchu rule in the twilight of imperial China, triad societies were established as political organisations that sought to overthrow the Qing dynasty and restore Ming rule. Although there was an influx of triad societies to Hong Kong when the Communist Party came to power in China in 1949, they were already active during the early days of colonial Hong Kong.

The British passed legislation criminalising such societies to reinforce colonial rule, and the first documented arrests of triad members were made in the 1840s. Indeed, triad societies contributed to the 1911 Revolution that eventually toppled the Qing government. Dr Sun Yat-sen, who served as the first president of the Republic of China, was himself a triad member.

As political objectives faded after China become a republic, triad societies gradually began to operate in a manner more akin to a business or association. For unsavoury characters, triad membership is a business card representing vast social capital that can be tapped into for mutual assistance and engaging in monopolised businesses.

Are Yuen Long attacks a sign of deepening fractures in Hong Kong society that could lead to anarchy?

Rather than being structurally centralised organisations, each triad society is usually a collection of social networks under one banner. As such, members have considerable freedom in conducting their own business activities, and operations are rarely subject to “executive” oversight.

In the course of their business activities, some triad societies have found themselves returning to their political roots from time to time. During the Battle of Hong Kong in 1941, triads planned a massacre of Caucasians in an attempt to end the conflict. Classified documents indicate that Japanese army intelligence bought off the triads, who subsequently decided not to go through with the plan after receiving further payment from the British.

Kuomintang admiral Chan Chak also recruited sympathisers from triad societies to join the war effort. After the war, KMT lieutenant-general Kot Siu-wong founded the prominent triad group 14K as an anti-Communist group, with the “K” representing “Kuomintang”.

Between 1989 and 1997, boat owners with triad connections smuggled dissidents out of China for a fee in Operation Yellow Bird. Alleged triad involvement in support of anti-Occupy groups during the 2014 Occupy Movement was a reminder that triads continue to occupy a unique stratum of Hong Kong society.

With up to 100,000 triad members estimated to operate in Hong Kong, it is questionable whether those involved in highly publicised incidents over the years are representative of the majority who have stayed out of the limelight, particularly given the absence of clearly defined organisational structures characteristic of other organised crime groups.

However, the thugs who carried out the Yuen Long attacks have only served to convince the public that triad societies are a dangerous resource available to those wishing to engage them. Rather than a bona fide expression of political views, the attack against defenceless civilians was a demonstration of cowardice and venality.

Justin Bong-Kwan is a practising barrister and freelance writer

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