Death of a Triad - No piety, no pity
The Asian Crime Century briefing 124
Chiu Yuk-fat (趙毓發), alias ‘Ko Lo Fat’ (高佬發) or ‘tall man fat’ in English, was a senior Wo On Lok triad society office bearer who died in May in a karaoke bar in Kowloon aged 69, and whose funeral took place on 27 June. It was a sordid and inglorious end for an infamous triad leader, illustrating how the mythology of triads as heroic is far from the reality. But the story of Ko Lo Fat is an interesting one to see how triads in Hong Kong live and die, and how a life of crime leads to poverty not piety.
Ko Lo Fat’s funeral was held at the Po Fook Memorial Hall in Tai Wai on 27 June and was attended by various criminals who paid tribute, including members of the other triad societies such as the San Yee On, Wo Shing Wo, 14K, as well as former martial arts movie star Chan Wai Man who is alleged to be a member of a faction of the 14K (see Asian Crime Century briefing 123 for background about Chan Wai-man).
Many of the attendees at the funeral service wore black shirts with the Chinese characters (趙) on the front and (孝) on the back. 趙 is the surname Chiu (or Zhao in pinyin). Chiu / Zhao is one of the first four surnames in the ‘Hundred Family Surnames’ that originates from the Song Dynasty and was the name of emperors of that dynasty, originating from the north of China. 孝 means ‘filial piety’, and hence the black shirts with 趙 孝 indicate ‘Chiu filial piety’ (alluding to Chiu Yuk-fat).
Triads have long utilised allusions to Chinese traditions and religion as part of their mythology, and the origins and nature of the concept of filial piety are an important part of triad culture. 孝, filial piety, is a commonly claimed characteristic of triads as it represents the authority of elder members of a society over younger triads. Filial piety is rooted in Confucian values, with frequent references to the this as a virtue such as in Book 1 of The Analects which states that “The Master said, 'A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders.” 孝 is a combination of two characters, which are 老 (old) above and 子 (son) below, which indicates how the older generation is supported by the younger generation.
The life and death of Chiu Yuk-fat
Born in 1955, Chiu Yuk-fat was 1.85 metres tall (just over six feet) by his late teens. As a young man he learnt martial arts, which was important as a means of self-defence in Hong Kong in the 1960s where law and order was arbitrary and triad gangs were violent. He reportedly joined the Wo On Lok triad society in the 1970s.
The Wo On Lok is commonly known in Cantonese as the ‘Shui Fong gang’ (水房幫), which in their own legend comes from the origins of the society in an organised labour group formed in the factory of the Connaught Aerated Water Company in Hong Kong in the 1930s. The Connaught Aerated Water Co was founded in 1907, active until the 1960s, and was the first Chinese owned aerated water company in Hong Kong. The company factory was originally located at 63-65 Queen’s Road East on Hong Kong Island.
The etymology of the name of the Wo On Lok triad society has several aspects relating to the Connaught Aerated Water Company. The company name in Chinese is On Lok (安樂, which translates as ‘peace of mind’) Hei Soi (汽水, which translates as ‘air water’). The Wo (和) character in Wo On Lok means ‘harmonious’. Hence the full name of the society, Wo On Lok (‘harmonious peace of mind’), is derived from the Chinese company name. The nickname of the Wo On Lok comes from the Connaught Aerated Water Company, which is Soi Fong (‘water room’).
Chiu Yuk-fat reportedly became branch leader of the Wo On Lok in 1993 when he was aged 38, the youngest head of the society in its history. According to Chinese news media in Hong Kong, the Wo On Lok elects a new chairperson around every two years. Chiu was favoured by the previous chairman of the Wo On Lok, Tong Nga-man (童雅民) as a young but continuity candidate to lead the society.
The accession of Chiu as leader angered another contender nicknamed “Ye Jai” (業仔), causing a split in the Wo On Lok between what were regarded as the conservative (under Chiu) and young (under Ye Jai) factions of the society. The conflict was bloody, and illustrates how a triad society that to outsiders seems to be cohesive can have significant factional rivalry.
In 1994, Chiu was shot in the leg when he was in a karaoke bar in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Kowloon, which led to his leg being amputated and use of a prosthetic limb and a walking stick. In 2010, Chiu was involved in another shooting attempt to assassinate him but he survived. In 2012, Chiu and his son were attacked at the Convention and Exhibition Centre on Hong Kong Island whilst they were attending a dog show. They were severely beaten by ten men, with Chiu being kicked and punched until unconscious. During the trial of one of the attackers, the court heard that after the attack Chiu was diagnosed with depression, fear and insomnia. There was speculation in Chinese news media that the attack in 2012 was related to Chiu’s nomination of a candidate for leadership of the Wo On Lok in the election that took place earlier that year. After the violent internal conflict, Chiu was reportedly a low key but respected elder of the Wo On Lok.
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The Wo On Lok triad society has a long history since its foundation in the 1930s of involvement in extortion, intimidation, violence, prostitution, drug trafficking, counterfeiting (money, movies, music), and murder. Like all triad societies that emerged and developed in 20th century Hong Kong and Macau, the Wo On Lok is a criminal gang that easily took to violence. Chiu Yuk-fat may have seemed a somewhat more suave figure than many violent triad members, but he was a career criminal who graduated to seniority in the Wo On Lok and perpetuating the operation of the society. His fellow members may celebrate him for filial piety, but this is just another part of the myth of Chinese triads.