<!-- Story Without Image / With eXtra Large Image End --> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="560"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" valign="top" width="550">Politicians, gangsters mix at funeral for Taiwan mafia boss <!-- TITLE : end--> </td> </tr><tr></tr><tr> <td colspan="2" align="left" valign="top" width="550"> <table> <tbody><tr> <td> <table><tbody><tr><td>
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TAICHUNG - Senior Taiwanese politicians rubbed shoulders with mob bosses at the funeral Monday of one of the island's most prominent mafia leaders. The Buddhist service for Lee Chao-hsiung, who died of liver cancer last month, was expected to attract a gathering of up to 20,000 people in the central city of Taichung, organisers said. Taichung Mayor Jason Hu, a former foreign minister, was among the mourners, saying his attendance was a sign of gratitude after Lee left 60 million Taiwan dollars (S$2.6 million) for charities in his will.
"I felt I had to come to express my thanks," Hu told reporters. "When the man left this world, he used this way to show his concern for society." Parliament speaker Wang Jin-pyng was another member of the political establishment at the service. Ties between politicians and criminals are strong in Taiwan, especially at the local level, triggering concern that the phenomenon could contribute to an erosion of the island's democracy. The relationship is based on an exchange in which the mafia helps candidates secure votes via bribes or intimidation, and the elected politicians pay back the mob by protecting it from law enforcement agencies and the courts.
Taiwan's three main criminal organisations, the Bamboo Union, the Four Seas Triad and the Celestial Way, sent representatives to the funeral of Lee, who was the head of the Big Lake gang. Members of Japan's feared mafia, dressed in black suits, were also among the guests. Gangsters from Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand completed the picture of a who's who of organised crime in Asia. Dozens of police officers were stationed near the funeral venue, many equipped with walkie-talkies and cameras.
"We're here to maintain order and to collect information," said one policeman, declining to give his name. Lee was best known for helping to negotiate the release of a number of kidnapped politicians and businessmen, including Taichung city council speaker Chang Hung-nien. Police have declined to comment on Lee's criminal record, but according to a source who has followed his career closely, but asked not to be identified, Lee spent time in jail on charges of gambling<innity></innity> and firearms smuggling.<object height="1" width="100%">
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