KEY POINTS:
An Asian anti-crime group's talk of bringing triad gangsters to New Zealand has divided its own members, with some on its committee saying they will quit.
At least three key office-holders of the Asian Anti-Crime Group (AAG), including the head of recruitment, have told the Herald they no longer want "to have anything to do with the group" or its chairman, Peter Low.
"From now on, I want to distance myself from the AAG, which is becoming no different to the criminals and gangs that we are lobbying to have stronger laws against," said Francis Chai, chairman of the group's recruitment committee.
"Our original intention was to help victims, educate the community and act as a pressure group, not to go out there and pick fights. It is all wrong."
Mr Chai, a past president of the Malaysian Society, said that as a businessman he did not want to be associated with a group that had links or dealings with gangsters.
On Sunday, Mr Low said the group would use triad gangs and vigilantes to combat crime as a last resort if the Government and police failed to act on law and order.
Two other committee members, who did not want to be named, also said they were resigning because of the intended association with triads.
"It took me years to get my status as a chartered accountant," said one member, "and I do not want to risk getting struck off because of my association with this group."
Another said she was drafting her resignation letter when the Herald contacted her last night.
According to its website, the AAG has 10 committee members, including Mr Low.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said last night: "I was outraged at the suggestion Asian criminal triad organisations should be brought into any kind of support for any law enforcement.
"Asian triads are a curse to law enforcement systems in societies around the world.
"We aim to repress them, drive them out, not have them involved in some way in law enforcement. I think people that make those sorts of suggestions should know better."
Asked whether the suggestion showed the level of frustration in the Asian community, she said: "There can't be any excuse offered for invoking some kind of need to have triads involved. It simply isn't acceptable."
The Prime Minister said all communities should work alongside their local police, regardless of ethnicity. Police were working closely with Maori wardens and also developing a Pacific wardens group. "The police would like to recruit more police from Asian communities."
Helen Clark said Police Minister Annette King had twice met Asian communities in Auckland to discuss policing. "That's the way we've got to go - co-operating between police and communities rather than some self-styled vigilantes calling on criminals for support."
National MP Pansy Wong said Mr Low's suggestion was "totally unacceptable".
But Manukau City councillor Michael Williams said politicians should not "ignore 15,000 people prepared to march in rain and hail".
Mr Williams agreed with several of the group's suggestions, including "teaching people self-defence techniques" and having "community security patrols".
More than 10,000 people took part in the group's march last Saturday in Botany Downs calling on the Government to take a tougher stance on crime - but some said they felt they had been deceived.
"I feel I have been tricked into supporting the idea of getting triads to protect Asians," said one, Wendy Wu.
"I want stronger laws so that I can feel safer in New Zealand, not to have Chinese gangsters to make me feel even more unsafe."
Malaysian Alan Lim, who marched because his girlfriend was recently mugged, said: "I feel cheated. AAG's advertisement on Chinese radio did not say anything about the triads."
Mr Low did not return the Herald's calls last night.
