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Fujianese organized crime

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Fujianese organized crime
Founding locationFujian province, China
Years active1900s–present
TerritoryGlobal Chinese communities
EthnicityHoklo people (Han Chinese)
Membership (est.)Unknown
Criminal activitiesViolence and bribery, collaboration with police brutality
AlliesTriad (Hong Kong)
Yamaguchi-gumi (Japan), Communist Party of China(PRC)
RivalsAnti-communism, Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors

Fujianese organized crime (Chinese: 福建幫, 福建帮) refers to crime syndicates, similar to triad gangs, composed of Fujianese people; the term primarily refers to Fujianese immigrant gangs in Hong Kong. In some cases, the term "Fujian gang" can also refer more broadly to legal Fujianese community associations or to native crime syndicates in the province of Fujian.

In recent years, Fujian gangs have come under global media attention due to their role in attacks against Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors such as the "2019 Yuen Long attack" and the attack at North Point on November 8 in Hong Kong.

History

20th century and prior

According to the Hong Kong media, North Point and Yuen Long are "territory" of Fujian gangs and are the districts with iron-vote support for the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions; both groups are considered left wing. As early as the 1950s and 60s, the two districts, especially North Point, served as the main "base of operations" for the Pro-Beijing camp during the Hong Kong 1967 leftist riots.[1] [2] [3] Most residents of North Point, sometimes referred to as "Little Fujian", as the district was once home to many Fujianese-run storefronts. Prior to the 1960s, there had already been a large exodus of Fujianese people from Mainland China into North Point. The Fujianese later supported left-wing labour associations and students during the 1967 riots, in which the Hua Feng Chinese Goods store served as the command centre for the leftist faction.[4]

Between the Qing dynasty and the reform and opening-up of the People's Republic of China, many residents of Mainland China, including residents of the city of Fuqing, Fujian, smuggled themselves out of China. Fujianese people in Japan faced difficult conditions and therefore organized community associations for Fuqing emigrants. The associations later evolved into the Fuqing Gang (Chinese: 福清帮; pinyin: fúqīngbāng), also called the Fulong Gang, a crime syndicate that became active internationally and monopolized underground casinos in Tokyo as its main source of income. [5] Hong Kong media reports indicate that the Fuqing Gang has links to the Japanese Yakuza, the American Mafia, and Triads operating in Mainland China and collaborates with them in the operation of underground casinos and the trafficking of illegal drugs in East Asia. [6]

21st century

A Best Mart 360 storefront vandalised due to alleged links to Fujian gangs

On July 20, 2019, during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, the radical pro-Beijing group "Grand Alliance for the Protection of Hong Kong" (Chinese: 守护香港大联盟; pinyin: shǒuhùxiānggǎngdàliánméng) held an assembly in support of the police in which speaker Shek Kang Chuen advocated violent attacks on anti-government protestors.[7] The day after, violent attacks against anti-government protestors occurred in Yuen Long.[8] In the same year, a similar assault on protestors occurred on August 11 in North Point, in which some assailants identified themselves as Chinese or Fujianese.[9] On August 17, the aforementioned organisation once again held an assembly with Fujian gangs in attendance as supporters.[10]

Following the violent assaults on protestors, several unknown individuals attacked Chinese state-run enterprises and businesses run by Fujianese individuals in Hong Kong. Among the businesses targeted was Best Mart 360, whose founder's links to Fujianese community associations led to vandalism, arson attacks, and looting of the company's approximately 360 stores.[11] [12] In September and October of the same year, Best Mart 360 posted announcements that denied any relationship with "Fujian gangs".[13] [14] Following the violent incidents, pro-Beijing sources claimed that Fujianese residents of Hong Kong had demonstrated "patriotism",[15] and state media People's Daily and Global Times called for "patriots who love Hong Kong" to come onto the streets and "prepare for battle".[16][17]

Wang Zhimin, director of Hong Kong Liaison Office from 22 September 2017 to 4 January 2020 and member of the People's Liberation Army in the 1980s.

At the time of the violent incidents, the executive leader of the Hong Kong Liaison Office was Wang Zhimin from Xianyou, Fujian. A former member of the People's Liberation Army, Wang is suggested by media reports to have deep ties with Fujian gangs. In January of 2020, Wang was recalled by the State Council of the People's Republic of China and replaced with Luo Huining.[18][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ 福建幫囤重兵示威者卻步 Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine 星島日報 2019年8月12日 (in Chinese)
  2. ^ 北角、福建幫、工聯會 50 年不變 Archived 2020-05-09 at the Wayback Machine 立場新聞 2019年9月16日 (in Chinese)
  3. ^ 驚聞福建幫重賞同鄉來港報復店鋪明知報警沒用提早關門 Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine RFI (in Chinese)
  4. ^ 香港六七暴動的親歷者看「反送中」 Archived 2019-10-05 at the Wayback Machine 紐約時報 2019年9月20日 (in Chinese)
  5. ^ 福清帮：全球华人第一黑帮的故事 Archived 2020-01-25 at the Wayback Machine，《搜狐》，2017年8月28號 (in Chinese)
  6. ^ 黑社會殺入《城市論壇》 Archived 2020-05-09 at the Wayback Machine，《東方日報》，2012年4月2號 (in Chinese)
  7. ^ 《經濟日報》副社長石鏡泉 上周六守護香港集會曾稱：教仔要用藤條及水喉通 Archived 2019-07-22 at the Wayback Machine，《香港獨立媒體》，2019年7月22號 (in Chinese)
  8. ^ 【元朗黑夜】網傳何君堯向白衫人豎拇指：辛苦你！你哋係我英雄 Archived 2020-03-03 at the Wayback Machine，《香港01》，2019年7月21號 (in Chinese)
  9. ^ 【逆權運動】中五生去北角買書遭愛國福建暴徒十打一 打到爆嘴手指伸唔直 Archived 2019-12-30 at the Wayback Machine，《果報》，2019年08月11號 (in Chinese)
  10. ^ 【逃犯條例】添馬公園集會前大量愛國福建幫聚集大會堂 Archived 2019-08-18 at the Wayback Machine，《香港01》，2019年8月17號 (in Chinese)
  11. ^ "優品360續成攻擊對象 示威者破壞後即走 大媽趁火打劫". 蘋果日報. 2019-10-05. Archived from the original on 2020-01-05. Retrieved 2020-01-30. (in Chinese)
  12. ^ "荃灣重災 吉野家優品吉野家優品360中銀等蒙難 中銀等銀行陷入火海 客戶文件化灰" (PDF). 文匯報. 2019-10-05. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2020-01-30. (in Chinese)
  13. ^ "【反修例】優品360分店被圍　公司反駁：未曾參與亦不支持任何暴力". 香港經濟日報. 2019-09-22. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2020-01-30. (in Chinese)
  14. ^ "多間舖被砸爛　優品360再發聲明：與福建黑幫無關". 香港經濟日報. 2019-10-02. Archived from the original on 2020-05-09. Retrieved 2020-01-30. (in Chinese)
  15. ^ 我们福建人！爱国！不怂！ Archived 2019-10-29 at the Wayback Machine，《海峡都市报》，2019年8月12號 (in Chinese)
  16. ^ 環時籲愛國愛港市民站出來北角福建幫動員備戰 Archived 2020-05-09 at the Wayback Machine，《中央社CNA》，2019年8月6號 (in Chinese)
  17. ^ 人民快評：期待更多愛國愛港的香港市民堅定站出來 Archived 2020-01-27 at the Wayback Machine，《人民網》，2019年8月8號 (in Chinese)
  18. ^ 【王志民免職】王志民曾形容香港「第二故鄉」　與福建社團關係密切 Archived 2020-01-05 at the Wayback Machine，《明報》，2020年1月4號 (in Chinese)
  19. ^ 王志民提早回鄉　福建幫睇路啦 Archived 2020-01-06 at the Wayback Machine，《立場新聞》，2020年1月5號 (in Chinese)
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