A cigarette in his hand, 16-year-old Man Tsai talks about his
life and the $10,000 a month he makes selling pornographic video
compact discs (VCDs) in Mongkok where he is confined to a tiny,
smoke-filled shop from noon to 10pm.
Out of school for two years, he typifies a growing number of
young people with problems, teenagers who drop out of school
and are drawn to what they believe is an easy lifestyle away
from the classroom and their homes.
These youths share another characteristic: they are part of
a group, or to put it more precisely, a gang, which sooner or
later will fall under the control of triads. Theirs are no ordinary
peer groups.
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At first glance, the shopping arcade on Nathan Road where Man
Tsai works seems a paradise for young people. Throngs of youthful,
chatty shoppers crowd an upper floor that is filled with shops
selling bargain-priced VCDs - blockbuster films, popular Japanese
television series, and sold-out concerts by the new Canto-pop
queen Sammi Cheng.
But what escapes the attention of many is the fact they have
walked right into a triad-controlled zone. Pornographic videos
are openly on sale in some shops, placed alongside the popular
discs.
And police admit it is difficult to stamp out, although repeated
raids over the past months at a number of arcades in Mongkok
have led to the confiscation of a large haul of pirated and
Category Four pornographic videos. Man Tsai brushes off warnings
of triad influence. To him, the most important thing is to make
money so he can buy alcohol or spend time in karaoke bars after
work with fellow gang members.
" It's fun," says the gaunt teenager. " I like being out late
at night. Two of my friends sell VCDs at a nearby arcade, too."
Being with his own group apparently carries more weight than
returning to his studies or staying home at night.
Disoriented teenagers like Man Tsai have caught the attention
of Dennis Wong Singwing, assistant professor of Applied Social
Studies at the City University.
He is worried by the proliferation of youth gangs, but even
more so by the increasing possibility they may be manipulated
by triads.
" There are different types of gangs," he says. " Some comprise
mere delinquents, some actually have triad members as their
core members and can easily become involved in crimes like prostitution,
drug trafficking or be bouncers at karaoke lounges or bars.
" Ask any Outreach social worker and he can tell you how common
youth gangs are."
Most are structured groups operating under the command of a
Big Brother.
Mr Wong was exposed to such figures during his research on 36
youth gangs. The study, conducted jointly with two other academics,
was based largely on interviews with social workers and gang
members. It is due to be published this month in the British
academic journal, Group Work.
Mr Wong said these gangs had a culture of their own. The youngest
members are likely to be in their early adolescence, the oldest
in early adulthood. The Big Brother figure is generally an older
youth, and usually smarter.
Various rules and regulations prevail in different gangs - collective
behaviour is the norm, says Mr Wong.
Gang members are expected to follow a Big Brother's decision
in almost any matter, even criminal activities. Obedience to
the Big Brother is a universal rule for all gangs, says Mr Wong.
A group decision is called for when members seek ideas on what
to do for entertainment, or when considering such activities
as taking soft drugs or teasing passers-by.
Some of today's young can be fearsome. Police confirmed there
had been a clash between the Sun Yee On and Wo Sing Wo at the
Top One karaoke bar in Tsim Sha Tsui last month before a fire
there claimed 15 lives.
Anti-triad officer Chan Shiu-keung concedes that gang members
are a frequent source of nuisance. Most have day jobs that require
no particular skills - as casual labourers or serving in fast-food
restaurants - and they often turn nasty on being freed from
their tedium.
"Many commit petty crimes like vandalism, assault or theft
," he says. " If they continue to hang around in places like
karaoke bars, amusement game centres or pool halls they are
likely to be recruited by triads."
But frustrated at school and often with strained family relationships,
many of these teenagers have no qualms about establishing links
with triads. As Mr Wong discovered, being identified with a
gang gives youths a sense of belonging.
Ah Tsun, a burly 17-year-old, was a gang member until his arrest
for robbery in 1993. He moved to the territory from China as
a child, his family growing up in a temporary housing area in
Tai Wai, where he first met his triad neighbours. His whole
family later settled in a flat in a Sha Tin public housing estate.
One day at a basketball court, he was approached by a group
of gangsters who asked him to join them.
On befriending them, he was later introduced to their Big Brother,
an office bearer in a triad societies who subsequently assigned
him to watch over a five-member subgroup.
" My Big Brother thought I was trustworthy," Ah Tsun recalled.
" I was the link between him and them. He was really nice to
me, I owed him a lot."
That feeling of brotherhood is a major influence in attracting
many youngsters to join a gang - and stay.
Away from home most of the time with his " younger brothers"
and " powerful friends" , Ah Tsun believed he had an exciting
life and he thought little about his future, even as he became
addicted to drugs. Although he had not taken part in any formal
ceremony, he considered himself a triad.
He explains: " My past impression of triad members was not bad.
They were calm and reasonable people to me. Joining a gang was
like a game to many of us. We were not out to commit crimes. .
.
" Some still relied on their parents for financial support.
I told my Big Brother I would not mind helping out at fights, but
he said the time was not right for me yet. I used to think that
since I achieved little in school, maybe I could do better in
another circle."
Like many other juvenile delinquents, he knew if he broke the
law that he would be spared a harsh sentence because of his
youth.
Only on release from a boys' home did he begin to question the
worth of his past involvements.
Both Mr Wong and Mr Chan believe local teenagers are less resistant
to the lure of triads because of the glamorisation of the loyal brotherly
relationships (which often involve revenge attacks) in films
and comic books.
" Many have picked up a false idea of heroism from the media,"
says Mr Chan, a senior inspector with the Anti-Triad Section
in Kwai-Tsing District. " They look upon their Big Brother as
an idol, emulate his movements and way of talking. This is certainly
worrying."
But such criticisms of the media are strongly denied by Manfred
Wong, producer of box-office hit Young and Dangerous and its
sequels, which centre on a group of young triad thugs.
Irrespective of the exact reasons, the appeal of a close-knit
group to marginalised youths is undeniable - even one linked
to a criminal culture.
One anecdote in the academic study related an incident in which
a youth gang of eight members, bored and wandering the streets,
saw a group of teenage girls. One member proposed approaching
them. The others agreed and the Big Brother present said he
would pay for their dating expenses should the girls agree to
go out.
Meanwhile, Mr Chan says he's also worried about the increase
in sexual offences among problem youths frequently seen at nightspots
or vice establishments in Mongkok and other districts in Kowloon.
" It is possible that they have been affected by their exposure
to pornographic material," he said. To help, young offenders
back on the straight and narrow, the Security Branch has commissioned
a study on ways to improve rehabilitation services. A report
is due to be released next month.
Its recommendations may not be sufficient to crack the gang
culture but they may help provide young offenders with a better
chance of leading a new life independent of their old ties.
Mr Wong, a former social worker, believes young gang members
are not necessarily destined to be criminals. " I don't think
they are wicked," he said. " I just see them as a group deprived
of knowledge, skills and family love.
" Many students are familiar with the street culture frequently
portrayed in films and the media. It is almost like part of
their daily life. In Hong Kong, where one's success is measured
by the money or power he has, youngsters frustrated with their
school life can easily be tempted to turn to powerful triads."
