Fringe party in Taiwan calls on triad ‘brethren in Hong Kong’ not to join protests
- For Public Good Party, which claims to represent triads, also takes aim at protesters who hoisted British colonial flag during anti-government rallies
- But organised crime expert dismisses open letter as ‘a joke’ and a publicity stunt designed to please Beijing
A fringe political group in Taiwan which claims to represent triads has issued an open letter calling on “brethren in Hong Kong” to support the city’s authorities and not to participate in anti-government protests.
The For Public Good Party – which states on its homepage that it has its roots in the Society of Heaven and the Earth – appealed to triad leaders in Hong Kong to urge restraint and forbid members from taking part in mass rallies and assemblies that may cause social unrest.
The society, founded in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), is believed to have given birth to secret networks in mainland China and played a key role in helping Sun Yat-sen – the so-called father of modern China – overthrow the Qing empire in the 1911 revolution.
“Hongmen also appeals to the Hong Kong patriots not to fall into traps set by the evil-doers ... and to abide by the law to defend the rule of law in Hong Kong,” the party said in the letter, using a colloquial term meaning triads in identifying itself.
The letter also criticised anti-government protesters who have hoisted the British colonial flag during mass rallies in Hong Kong since early June, saying such acts amounted to a revolt aimed at bringing back the annexation of Chinese territory by foreign powers.
Hong Kong has been rocked by protests and violent clashes against the now-suspended bill that would allow the transfer of criminal suspects to jurisdictions including mainland China, where critics say there is no guarantee of a fair trial.
On Sunday night, at least 45 people were injured when more than 100 men in white T-shirts – including suspected triad members – attacked anyone in their path with sticks and iron rods in the northern town of Yuen Long. They were targeting protesters in black, but also attacked train passengers and journalists at Yuen Long’s MTR station.
The Taiwanese party’s open letter, which was posted on its WeChat account on Monday, went viral on social media on the mainland, but it was taken down on Thursday afternoon.
Lo Tit-wing, an organised crime expert at City University of Hong Kong, dismissed the letter, saying it was nothing but a publicity stunt designed to please Beijing.
“Their motivation is not to educate the Hong Kong triads, but to show the Chinese government that they have done their job so they can continue to receive money,” Lo said.
“The Hong Kong triads are criminals and they are not patriotic. No triad in Hong Kong would seriously consider this [letter]. Actually, nobody would and they would just treat it as a joke.”
Will China send in the troops to stamp out protests in Hong Kong?
The For Public Good Party is remotely related to the China Zhi Gong Party in the mainland – one of eight “democratic” parties that are recognised by the ruling Communist Party but have no political power and exist mainly for propaganda purposes. The Taiwanese party was set up in 2002, however it has little public backing on the self-ruled island as it supports reunification with the mainland.
Lo suggested that Beijing’s United Front Work Department, which is tasked with promoting China’s influence around the world, provided financial support to political parties such as the For Public Good Party.
Meanwhile, one WeChat user described the party as a “lying organisation set up in Taiwan for United Front work purposes”.
“Normally, they would host some meaningless symposiums, just like one of those run-of-the-mill Chinese fashion shows,” the person wrote.
“If they dare to conduct activities on the mainland, they’d be cracked down on in a minute. It is indeed a branch of the Hongmen network ... but in Taiwan its real influence is extremely marginal.”
