INVESTIGATING THE GREY AREAS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ISBN 978-974-7709-40-7 © IRASEC, 2007-03-14 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or means, without prior permission of the author or the publisher. The opinions expressed in these papers are solely those of the author(s). INVESTIGATING THE GREY AREAS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Proceedings of the Symposium organised by IRASEC at the Hotel Sofitel Silom (Bangkok) on January 2005, 6th and 7th Scientific Coordinator : Arnaud Leveau The Research Institute on Contemporay Southeast Asia (Irasec) based in Bangkok, Thailand, is a member of the network of research centres of the French Foreign Ministry. Irasec calls on specialists from all academic fields to study the important social, political, economic and environmental developments that affect, together or separately, the eleven countries of the region (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam). Irasec’s research output consists on academic studies The Irasec Occasional Paper collection can be downloaded free of charge on our website : www.irasec.com IRASEC EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD • Jean BAFFIE, CNRS, IRSEA • Yves GOUDINEAU, EFEO, • Bénédicte BRAC de la PERRIERE, AFRASE CNRS, EHESS • Andrew HARDY, EFEO, Hanoi • Sophie BOISSEAU du ROCHER, • François LAGIRARDE, EFEO Centre Asie Bangkok • Jean-Raphaël CHAPONNIERE, • Christian LECHERVY, MAE CNRS, AFD • Arnaud LEVEAU, IRASEC • Gilles DELOUCHE, INALCO • LE Huu Khoa, Université de Lille • Jean-Luc DOMENACH, CERI, • Charles MAC DONALD, CNRS Réseau Asie • Rémi MADINIER, CNRS, EHESS • Evelyne DOURILLE-FEER, CEPII • Philippe PAPIN, EPHE • Stéphane DOVERT, Ambassade • François RAILLON, CNRS, de France à Rangoun EHESS • Frédéric DURAND, Université de • Jean-François SABOURET, CNRS, Toulouse Réseau Asie • Alain FOREST, Paris VII • Christian TAILLARD, CNRS • Guy FAURE, IRASEC LASEMA • Michel FOURNIE, INALCO • Hugues TERTRAIS, Université de • Charles GOLDBLUM, Ecole Paris VII d’architecture de Paris • Marie-Sybille de VIENNE, • Christopher GOSCHA, Université INALCO de Montréal Table of Contents Foreword ......................................................................................................................... 7 List of Contributors ........................................................................................................ 8 The Papers The Ang-yi or Chinese Secret Societies of Thailand. Understanding a Total Social Phenomenon, by Jean Baffie (CNRS-University of Provence)......... 11 The Triads: Past and Present, by T. A. Bancroft, BSc (Hons), MSc ............................ 31 Political influences of the Chinese communities in Thailand and Myanmar, by Ratanaporn Dhammakosol, Politic Counscellor ............................ 47 Grey Side of Chinese Community in Indonesia, by Frans Hendra Winarta, S.H., M.H...................................................................... 61 Triad Involvement in the Sex Service Industry in Hong Kong and Its Impacts on Southeast Asia, by Dr CHU Yiu Kong, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong.................. 75 The Chinese diaspora and prostitution at the Thai-Malay frontier (Hat Yai, Sadao-Dannok, Betong and Sungai Kolok), by Dr. Emmanuel DIALMA, Jurist, AFESIP Campaign Director and Dr. Pierre LE ROUX, Ethnologist, AFESIP Research Unit Director ......................................................... 91 Triads : From street level to transnational crime, by Peter Michael, Journalist ........ 115 Debates Notes on the Chinese communities in Burma and Thailand, by Guy Lubeigt (CNRS-PRODIG)......................................................................... 143 Notes on the foreign mafias in Thailand, by Jean Baffie (CRNS University of Provence).............................................................................................................. 151 Historical note on the Chinese communities in South-East Asia, by Alain Forest (University of Paris VII, CNRS) ................................................. 153 Links between Organized Crime and terrorist networks, by Philippe Migaux, Chief police superintendent, French Embassy in Malaysia ............................... 157 General Bibliography ............................................................................................... 163 5 Foreword Among all the minorities in South East Asia, the Chinese Diaspora is by far the most influential. Its centuries-old presence, its demographic weight, the richness of its transnational network, its cultural, economical and political influence in some countries in the zone raise a series of question. The Diaspora role is essentially a political question. Who really are they ? Who is Chinese and how integrated in their host country could they be ? Does the multi dimensional influence of these groups pose a threat to the regional stability or is it a major advantage for the economic integration and the ASEAN’s relations with China and the Chinese world. The activity of the Diaspora and its integration in their host countries are two questions profoundly linked to the evolution and the change in China. With its opening up and its economic growth, China is once again, in a certain way, bringing up the question of the role and allegiance of its “expatriates”. In most south-east Asian countries, the members of the Chinese Diaspora have secured important position in the fields of administration, education and religion. Thanks to their capacity to work and to adapt as well as their frugality, their cultural influence continues to grow. Clans and factions form the essential structure of the ancient Chinese society. If Imperial China never developed a Civil Law, it’s probably because the ancient Chinese society never really saw the need for it. This structure of relations could also explain why the Chinese civilisation didn’t develop a real territorial reference. The Chinese Diaspora today covers different political and economical realities which could be conflicting. What primarily characterises the Diaspora is apparently its great capacity to organise itself in any economical, political, social or cultural 7 THE GREY AREAS OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES environment. The capacity if its economic and administrative elites had been the determining factor of their development. However, the existence of informal and trans-national networks can also help the development of criminal activities. The presence of mafia groups and gangs of Chinese origin and their collusion with the world of finance and politics are historical facts in the region and could represent today a real threat for its stability. These criminal networks tend to forge business link with their Japanese, Russian, Korea, Italian or South American counterparts and sometimes could interfere with the process of political decision making. The recent appearance of links between these mafia and the Islamic separatist movements in the Philippines, in Indonesia or in the South of Thailand is a new illustration if the threat these gangs could represent in a global level. The papers in this volume comprise contributions to the conference “investigating the grey area if the Chinese communities in South-East Asia” held in Bangkok on January 6th-7th 2005. For this symposium we had chosen to focus on the presentation on the shadow area of the Chinese Diaspora in South-East Asia. List of Contributors : Jean Baffie is a sociologist and an historian. He published several papers on the Chinese communities in Thailand and South-East Asia. He is a member of the CNRS and teaches at the Institute of Research on South-East Asia (IRSEA) and at the House of Asia and Pacific. His paper explains very clearly the roots and the origins of the Ang-Yi (the Chinese secret societies in Thailand). He also offers a note on the foreign mafias operating in Thailand. Todd Bancroft has been employed by the Hong Kong Police for the past 14 years, where he has performed a wide range of duties relating to the investigation and prosecution of organized and serious crime. He is currently the officer in charge of Interpol Hong Kong’s Extradition Unit. He has a MSc on Forensic and Legal Psychology, University of Leicester. 8 FOREWORD His presentation of the main honking based triads shows us how difficult the eradication of these gangs is difficult while some people in the authorities still believe that they are ‘patriots’ Ratanaporn Dhammakosol, counsellor to several political parties in Thailand illustrates the links between the Chinese communities in South- east Asia with China and focus on the political influences of these communities in Thailand as well as in Myanmar. Her lecture examines how of the Chinese government tries to use these communities to develop its own influence in the region. Frans Winarta is an eminent international lawyer. He is Founder of the Indonesian Anti Discrimination Movement (GANDI) and the Co- founder of International Chamber of Commerce of Indonesia. He is a Permanent Lecturer at the Law Faculty of the University of Pelita Harapan, Karawaci – Tangerang, since 1996 and Member of the Board the Human Rights Institute established by the Council of the International Bar Association. He describes the political influences of the Chinese communities in Indonesia and the recent improvement of this influence among the local business and political elite despites ancient segregation. Yiu Chu Kong