The Origins Of The Hong Kong Triads, The Evolution And Criminal Policy

The Hong Kong Triads originated from the Heaven-and-Earth Association of the Fujian and Guangdong regions in the Qing dynasty, and they existed before the British occupation of Hong Kong in 1842. The Hong Kong Triads possess both revolutionary and counter-revoluntionary characteristics. They had participated in the patriotic and revolutionary movements. However, the Triads became to lose their political goal after the fall of the Manchurian Empire, and started to transform from traditional gangster groups into organized crime groups of the underworld. Organized crime groups or the underworld are often referred to as Triads in Hong Kong criminal laws. Since 1845, the Triads have been the subject matter of criminal legislation and sanction. The Triads is a social-economic problem. Hong Kong criminal policy had focused on legislative control and suppression. There was a relative lack of corresponding social measures. Since 1997, Hong Kong Police has developed and adopted a comprehensive policy and proactive approach in five aspects against the Triads. Hong Kong Triads have a distinct organizational structure, hierarchical system and recruitment rituals. Responding to the Hong Kong economic development, the Triads have also started a transformation in organization structures, functions and economic mode of operations.