Part V: Regional & Cultural · Asia-Pacific Regional Terms

Wo On Lok Triad

Macau — Organized CrimeREPORTED

Wo On Lok (also known as Shui Fong or “Water Room”) is a major triad society that was the primary rival of the 14K in Macau during the 1990s. Wo On Lok factions competed with the 14K for control of casino VIP rooms. The violence between the two groups from 1996 to 1998, before the 1999 handover, became known as Macau’s “triad wars.”

In practice

The triad wars of the late 1990s damaged Macau’s international reputation in the years before gaming was opened to competition in 2002.

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