Hong Kong’s criminal underworld, run by triads, has come to the fore over the past week after thugs appeared in the city’s popular shopping district of Mong Kok to complain about protesters blocking Nathan Road, a major artery in the area.
A handful of people were arrested after fights broke out between anti and pro-Occupy camps, and several of those arrested were found to have triad backgrounds. Many people suspect the triads were hired by the Hong Kong government or sent from Beijing. Some even suspect the police asked them to help clear the roads. Now, it looks as though somebody has written a satirical “declaration” notice from triads to Hong Kong’s student protesters to “set the record straight”.
In fairness, the original in Cantonese is apparently quite funny. The Putonghua translation, which is circulating widely on WeChat today, loses some of the original flavor. We’ve decided to put it into English so you can read it for yourself.
Here’s the letter:
Statement Issued by the Underworld Members of the Triads for All Hong Kong and Kowloon
Yesterday, some of our members showed restraint in the Mong kok area. We didn’t use face masks or anything major, just normal equipment. But starting from now, it will be embarrassing trying to use our normal methods to collect protection money from neighborhoods.
We love Hong Kong and its neighborhood of Mong Kok. However, you have blocked traffic, and not let us go to work. The entertainment industry in this spot is on the verge of bankruptcy. Wandering tourists are nowhere to be seen. All that’s left are you Occupy Central protestors that are taking up Nathan Road.
When we we go out on the street, there is no room for us to walk. We do not hold positions in office, nor are we intellectuals. But, we are all Hong Kongese.
Speak truthfully, we don’t want to take action against you because
we all share the same contacts. After all, we’re all just trying to get by.
You’ve got your recruitment process as do we; you’ve tricked children into doing your bidding just as we have.
The only difference between us is that we have salaries. If there’s a problem, we’ll come help them with life and limb. The word is that you Occupy people don’t get paid, not even bus fare to get around. That’s why there are some things that we can learn from you.
Everybody is doing something illegal. You are able to publicly call people to your cause, publicly attack the police, publicly lay siege to the government. The subway, taxis, the bus system, banks, finance houses… we have never been able to extend our protection racket to these things. We will have to learn from your example. Through it all, you are still protected by the police! Wow, you guys have some mad ability.
Therefore, there’s something we have to do: we can’t let you get the upper hand. We have to protect our turf, preserve our dignity. This is what we do in the triads.
The TRIAD Society’s Last Stern Declaration
Harassing the police has perennially been the work of our forefathers. Our triad society will never cooperate with the police. A society member that gets into trouble will never seek the help of the police. This is a basic rule of the underworld.
Triad business should be taken care of by triads;
Government business should be taken care of by governments;
And that’s the way it is.
But now, nobody believes this! It’s gotten so bad [accusations triad and police are cooperating in Hong Kong], we’ve had to set the record straight!
Photo: 1905m
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“Western Banker” Writes Hilarious, Self-Important Letter to Occupy Students
Posted: 11/9/2014 1:09 pmWelcome to the debut post from The China Curmudgeon.
Dear students,
After occupying large parts of central Hong Kong, you have made your voice heard and made your point. Now it is time to go home, so that the Central Government and wealthy people like myself can go back to ignoring you and the problems you are drawing attention to.
I walked through the Admiralty protest zone yesterday on the way to a lunch meeting. I did not do this to take a selfie, like many tourists do. I did it so that when I talk about Occupy at dinner parties with other members of the elite, I can say that I’ve visited the protests. I feel it adds weight to my argument. And it only took about 15 minutes to do because I didn’t stop to actually engage with any protesters or try to understand their motivations.
So students, I hope you will take my advice, as someone who has been to the protest area and lived in Hong Kong for years. It is really time to tear down the blockades in Admiralty and Mong Kok. There are other more effective ways you can work to influence the direction of Hong Kong. I don’t know what they are, but when I say “other more effective ways” I’m really just hoping to leave it at that.
Is blocking people from coming and going to work democracy? No, it is not. True democracy is the freedom for me to make money, and for you to not elect your leaders.
Many Hong Kong people oppose Occupy Central. The ongoing protests and blockades are affecting countless lives in Hong Kong. Never mind that even the government says that Hong Kong’s economy has not been negatively impacted, and tourism has increased over the same period last year. The whole thing has impacted my life and my rights, and the lives and rights of many others, for two basic reasons:
1. Sometimes it takes me longer to commute.
2. Sometimes it forces me to think about issues I don’t want to think about.
Let’s talk about the second reason. As a Western businessman living in Hong Kong, I do not care if the people of Hong Kong can elect their leaders or not. If the Mainland destroys Hong Kong’s unique identity, I don’t really care either. If the Central Government ends freedom of the press, censors the Internet, and makes Hong Kong start to resemble the polluted hellscape that is Mainland China, then I will just leave. I know that millions of Hong Kong citizens can’t just leave, but that’s life. (Your life, not mine.)
It’s time to recognize that democracies around the world all function differently. Hong Kong is no different. In selecting the Chief Executive, real elections will be held. Students are hoping for direct elections, but the Central Government has announced there will instead be bullshit elections. This might not be the kind of democracy the people of Hong Kong want, but it is still democracy if you consider democracy to be just a word with no meaning. For the record, Hong Kong is democratic. But as in every democratic society, this comes with unique characteristics. What’s special about Hong Kong’s democracy is that a violently repressive government holds veto power over it.
You might consider me insensitive, or even an asshole. But such name-calling misses the point. The point is that you should go home because it’s taking me longer to commute, and I don’t like to think about the issues your actions are making me think about.
Thank you.