The Chinese Triads and Al Qaeda

I haven't heard any suggestion along those lines Matthew. Not that I am privy to any good information above and beyond what anyone knows from the public domain. I would imagine that you would need to look for possible mutual interests between the two. I can't think of any.

The triads are involved in organised crime. AQ as we know is intent on building an Islamic Caliphate in various parts of the world. While there may be some sort of intersection of interests on a temporary basis I'm not sure if the triads and AQ would be interested in ensuring each other's long term existence. I would suggest it's case of live and let live between them.

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It seems to me the only links might be the Triads and AQ's regional and criminal activities in SE Asia. The AQ's primary affiliate in the region is the Jemmiah Islamiah. The JI has a history of conducting operations in Malaysia. The same country is also host to a large Chinese Community. My understanding of the Triads is that they tend to operate among large Chinese groups. That's one connection. Another might be via money laundering and drug-trafficing; both AQ and the Triads are involved in both operations. The question remains could both reconcile the differences in their social and political objectives? It may very be well they adopt a "live and let-live" approach. It's an issue you would know better than I would.

Matthew Kennedy

Interesting ideas. I wonder if JI would co-exist with local triads though. Islam is very powerful in Malaysia and I believe that relations between Malays and Chinese are a bit difficult. I also think that perhaps JI and AQ are - possibly - driven by an Islamic fundamentalism that wouldn't sit well with the aims and methods of the triads.

I don't know. Is it possible JI and AQ might take a "Ends Justify the Means" approach, and overlook the religious issue with the Triads? I thought I read someplace where Bin Laden was advocating that approach. Also, what are the Triads' traditional objectives - or is it purely profit driven?

Matthew Kennedy

I think the triads are purely profit driven - but I'm not expert on them. I have been told that they are very focused though. I was in Hong Kong earlier this year and a local police inspector was showing me around and we discussed triads. He told me that Hong Kong was a safe place and that he felt quite okay walking around (unarmed and off duty) at 3 am. He told me that he actually went past a well known triad hangout (a club) and a group of them spilled out, they had been partying pretty hard. As he said, they merely glanced at him and got on with what they were doing. They're certainly not street hoods.

If AQ or JI would accommodate them I suppose the triads would go along with them but if their objectives were interfered with I think the relationship would be short and troubled.

I am sorry but my impression was that muslims did not like chinese very much.

Depends on the area you're referring to. There are Muslims in China. There appears to be some antipathy between Chinese and Malays in Malaysia but I don't know if this is due to religious or ethnic or simply economic reasons. Other than that I'm ignorant of the issues I'm afraid.

There are muslim foreign students studying in colleges in China, but I hear that not all of them like Chinese. But my sample is very small and my impression might be misled somewhat.

Could be. But then I think that situation might be replicated between various groups nearly anywhere in the world. I remember some years ago when the USSR was still in operation that African students in the universities in Moscow (an institution named after the late Patrice Lumumba comes to mind) were getting beaten up. As I say, this was even before the dismantling of the old Soviet structures. The same thing happens here in Australia too, sadly.