- main site -- links --mailing list -- guestbook -- admin
life and times
This
was taken from the
Illuminated Lantern site:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/all_about_yukishiro_enishi/message/376
An Introduction to Triads
The term 'Triad' was given by the
Hong
Kong government to Chinese secret societies based on the triangular symbol which
once represented such societies. The symbol is the Chinese character 'Hung,'
encased in a triangle, representing the union of heaven, earth, and man. So
Triads even today are sometimes referred to as the 'Hung Society' or the 'Heaven
and Earth Society.' The purpose of these societies, it is said, was the
overthrow of the Qing empire and the restoration of the Ming. The character
'Hung,' in addition to meaning the most auspicious and lucky color 'red,' also
alludes to the founder of the Ming Dynasty, Hung Wu. Because of the treasonous
nature of their enterprise they developed secret forms of communication and
elaborate initiation ceremonies to impress upon new members the need for
absolute loyalty and secrecy.
Triads have a rather elaborate history which is
partly based on reality, partly myth. It involves not only a struggle against
the Qing dynasty, but a retreat to the Shaolin monastery and the eventual famous
burning of the monastery are an integral part. Only five survived the fire, and
these are said to be the 'Five Ancestors' of modern triads. They go on to have a
number of adventures which are still remembered by triad officials and sometimes
represented in initiation rituals.
Triad origin mythology holds that when they
recruited thousands of people to their cause, including Sun Yat-Sen, the Qing
Dynasty was finally defeated. Whatever the cause of the collapse of the Qing,
and whatever the triad's involvement, when it at last fell, triad societies no
longer had a dedicated cause and so realigned their purposes. Some became (and
in fact had been already) devoted strictly to criminal activities. Others were
martial associations. Still others were like labor unions and trading
associations. Many were some combination of all of these. Joining a Triad did
not mean that you were a criminal, and there were many advantages to membership.
The greatest advantage was that by joining the Triad you were joining an
international fraternity of like-minded individuals who could then offer
assistance and protection to you when necessary. Just like people who put down
their fraternity affiliation on a resume these days in the hopes that their
prospective employer also happens to be a Phi Beta Kappa.
It is important to note that the Triads are not
synonymous with Chinese criminal syndicates. That is to say, not all syndicate
members or criminals are automatically triad members. On the other hand, all
triad members are criminals, if only because membership alone is considered a
criminal offence under
Hong Kong's 1994 Organized & Serious
Crimes Ordinance. But even though everyone who is part of a triad is breaking
the law through membership alone, most triad members are not otherwise
criminally active. So membership in a given Triad may be estimated at 20,000,
but only 2000 of those would be designated as 'active' -- i.e., engaged in
criminal activity. On the other hand, a small street-level gang may have no
Triad affiliation at all. Children who grow up to enter a street gang have
usually made some triad contacts and it is likely they would join for the
protection and status membership provides. When it comes right down to it, it's
just like the fact that not all Republicans are NRA members, and vice versa,
even though there is a very strong relationship between the two.
The triads then are not at all like the Mafia. The
Mafia is known for strong familial ties, and a rigid pyramidal hierarchy. Triads
on the other hand, are loose affiliations in the extreme. Although there is an
hierarchy to Triad leadership, those lower on the ladder have much more freedom
of lateral movement. In fact, rarely are the movements and activities of smaller
gangs directed by the leaders of a triad. Triad members do not typically have to
secure permission from the head of a triad in order to engage in a criminal
activity, even if the activity involves partnering with people who are not
members of the triad or are even in fact members of a different triad. So how
does it all work, then?
Joining a triad can be a great advantage to a
person who wishes to engage in criminal activity. Immediately upon entering a
triad, they will have greater access to resources and be able to more easily
partner with other members of the triad to pull off their money-making schemes.
Not only that, claiming membership in a large criminal fraternity backs up an
individual criminal and increases his status. Victims of extortion are much less
likely to protest when they feel that the powerful and mysterious triads, who
have tentacles all over the world, are leaning on them, as opposed to just
feeling picked on by some 14 year old punk without much in the way of future
prospects. The street punks themselves find greater self-respect in the fanciful
idea that they belong to a fraternity of noble warriors whose history extends
back hundreds of years. Although there is not necessarily a direct benefit to
senior members of triad fraternities from the actions of junior members,
benefits do move upward especially through monetary and other gifts given by
junior triad members to their seniors on special occasions such as the Chinese
New Year and other holidays.
Although triads originated in
China,
Hong Kong is the undisputed capital. Triad activity is most concentrated there.
Triads do have international scope, however, with members in nearly every
country in the world, especially strong in China, southeast Asia, and the United
States. Triad criminal activity includes but is not limited to street-level
crime like gambling, extortion, and prostitution, and international activities
such as narcotics trafficking, counterfeiting, and smuggling goods and people.