Securitizing the Colour Revolution: Assessing the Political Role of Triads in Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement

Abstract

In Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, the use of Chinese triads to attack protestors has attracted international attention, forcing the regime to constrain further acts of grand illegitimate violence. Research suggests that triads were used as ‘thugs-for-hire’ by the regime to achieve political ends. The present study aims to examine why the triads were hired and what their specific roles and motivations were. It concludes that triads acted as non-state securitization actors, agent provocateurs or extralegal protectors depending on several factors, such as financial incentives, being stakeholders in occupied sites, business interests in mainland China and individuals’ political ideology. It suggests that triads were used as vigilantes against the threats of Western-instigated Color Revolution and hybrid warfare targeting China.

Hong Kong triads: the historical and political evolution of urban criminal polity, 1842–2020

“…116 Our empirical data reveals that a majority of triad members in Hong Kong support the government and only a few triad members voluntarily joined or supported the social movement. 117 According to Kwok's unpublished ethnographic study of 18 triad members' political attitudes, over 60 per cent claimed to be pro-government while only 18 per cent claimed to be pro-protesters. 118 There are several reasons for this.…”