Part 11/16:
Amidst this environment, tensions sometimes erupted into violence. The church in Bookang, managed by the Nan Kongi, was once the scene of a brutal gang attack led by secret societies like Guihin, who torched farms and caused dozens of deaths during the 1851 riot. Negotiations and peacemaking efforts led by community elders, including influential ancestors, helped restore order.
The social fabric was further strained by the presence of secret societies and gangs, which wielded power behind the plantation scenes. Conflicts often manifested in violent clashes, reflecting the underlying tensions among immigrant communities, local authorities, and colonial powers.