Gangsters turn their backs on crime
The leader of the Black Dragon group uses the lessons of his own youth to encourage his younger members to lead law-abiding lives
Published: 18/09/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News
Many young members of a notorious gang in Khon Kaen municipality are turning away from crime and focusing instead on making money in legal ways and helping out in the community thanks to the influence of their leader.
The Black Dragon group is one of the biggest youth gangs in Khon Kaen, boasting some 400 members.
Residents in Sam Liem community, where the gang operates, tell of frequent disturbances involving Black Dragon members, such as mass brawls, and crimes including theft and drugs offences.
But the gang's leader, a 40-year-old known as Phi Piak, says he has realised the folly of this lifestyle and now wants to do his bit to get the youngsters back on the straight and narrow.
He's against disbanding the gang, saying that he believes it gives the disaffected youths a sense of community and belonging.
Without the camaraderie of the gang, he says, the lives of the youths would be even worse than they are .
"If they have no trusted shelter to rest in, they might take the wrong path," Phi Piak says.
As part of his efforts to encourage the gang in a positive direction, Phi Piak has rented a shophouse which serves as headquarters for the gang and a drop-in centre.
Ten Black Dragon members call the shophouse home.
It's also a place where the gang members can earn money in a legitimate manner _ with members manning milk and satay stalls and casting plaster religious images.
Phi Piak likens the plaster-casting process to the youths remoulding themselves.
As they work on casting the images of Luang Pho Ngoen, a revered monk from Phichit, one by one, they are recasting their own hearts and spirits, says Phi Piak.
The gang leader says Black Dragon members come from all walks of life _ the rich and the poor, runaways, and even the children of police officers. He says they all have come from a dysfunctional home environment.
Phi Piak says that he took part in criminal activities as a youngster, but 10 years ago he saw the error of his ways, and realised the sticky ends that many gang members meet.
He has dedicated the time since then to trying to reform other members of the gang. "I saw that those who engaged in traditional gang activities would eventually be either jailed or killed," he says. "I don't want these kids to suffer this fate."
Phi Piak says the gang members who stay with him are no longer involved in any illegal activities.
He says young people often behave in anti-social ways because they feel they are unloved.
By fostering a sense of community among gang members, he has succeeded in encouraging Black Dragon members to turn their backs on drugs and to earn a living through legal means.
Two examples of this are Phi Piak's food and drink outlet in downtown Khon Kaen, where young gang members sell milk and satay, and the plaster-casting operation.
Phi Piak secured a contract with a local temple to supply 1,000 five-inch plaster images and 10,000 smaller models of Luang Pho Ngoen.
His efforts are supported by a number of partners, including Khon Kaen municipality and the Quality Learning Foundation.
One of the Black Dragon members, Kobe, 17, says his delinquent behaviour began when he was a Grade 5 student. He started smoking, drinking and taking drugs, and at night, he took part in street motorcycle racing.
Now, Kobe is working on Phi Piak's projects at the shelter.
Jaeng, an 18-year-old female newcomer to the gang, says she had run away from home and has been staying in Phi Piak's house for two weeks.
She had a major falling-out with her parents but says Phi Piak had helped her feel better about things.
"Now, I miss my father,"she says, adding that she has decided to return home and go back to school soon.
"My decision was made after I thought about my own faults in the past. Phi Piak's advice gave me a new perspective."
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