Two men in the southern province of Soc Trang have accused local traffic police officers of assaulting them earlier this week, while a person has provided Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper with a clip reportedly showing the assault. In talking with Tuoi Tre on Friday, Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ly Hoang Tham, deputy chief of the police of Thanh Tri District, confirmed the two men, Thai Nhat Truong and Ngo Nhat Truyen, reported that a number of local traffic police officers had beaten them many times. Tham said the district police will investigate the allegation and reach a conclusion about it in early January. Any wrongdoings in the case will be handled in accordance with prevailing regulations, the official said.   Truong told police that on December 23, after taking a friend of his home from a pub in Thanh Tri District, he and Truyen returned to the pub to continue drinking. At that time, a number of traffic police officers stepped into the pub and asked Truong to show them papers for his vehicle, Truong reported. After examining the papers, the officers asked Truong to let them measure his breath alcohol concentration, but he refused and a quarrel broke out between them, the man said. During the row, both Truong and Truyen were beaten by a number of traffic police officers and mobile policemen, Truong said, adding that he and Truyen were then escorted by the police force to the office of the Phu Loc Town police, where the two men continued to be assaulted by the cops. 

Truyen has a certificate of injuries showing he suffered a 1-cm long wound to his mouth which resulted in a major loss of blood. Deputy chief Tham said the police force involved in the case consists of six members, who have not admitted to beating the two men. The measurement of breath alcohol concentration was made because the police officers suspected that Truong was drunk, Tham said, adding that they had seen him speeding. Meanwhile, a person has provided Tuoi Tre with a video clip reportedly showing the police force beating Truong and Truyen. After watching the clip, Tham said the district police will work with the two men and the police officers, as well as with the person who shot the footage, to clarify the case and determine the offenses, if any, of the people involved. One of the people who identified themselves as witnesses told Tuoi Tre that after the incident was purportedly videotaped, a senior official of the district traffic police called the person who filmed the confrontation and asked them to delete the clip. The chief inspector of the provincial police said the inspectorate has asked the district police to submit a report about this case for consideration and instructions.

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