VietNamNet Bridge – Ward 25, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City--has fired two officers who were accused of handcuffing and using electric whips against a hawker.

Photos from a video clip shot by a witness.

A civil guard named Tran Duy Nhat, 28, was accused of handcuffing and an urban-order officer named Tan Quay Hung, 27, was alleged to "strangle" the peddler – Mr. Trinh Xuan Tinh, 34, from Thanh Hoa province in the afternoon of December 6 on D1 Road.

In the afternoon of December 6, a working group of Ward 25 consisting of six urban-order officers and three civil guards performed the duty of maintaining order in the 304 residential area. This group seized the motorcycle of Tinh--a fruits and vegetables peddler.

According to witnesses, Tinh tried to keep his vehicle and begged the officers to release and forgive him. While the two sides tried to pull the motorcycle, the officers were said to beat, handcuff and pushed Tinh into their van. The peddler then jumped out of the car and continued begging the officers, but these people were said to use electric whips to attack the man. Many people tried to help Tinh but they could not.

In a video clip posted on the Internet, Tinh laid motionless on the road, with two hands handcuffed backwards.

Some people informed the local police force and the police brought Tinh to the Gia Dinh Hospital.

After the incident, Mr. Nguyen Van Quy, Chairman of Ward 25 requested the working group to make a report. According to these officers, Tinh was drunk and opposed officers. They said “Tinh jumped off the car and lied as a protest on the street.” However, the public did not believe in them, saying that a peddler could not be drunk at work.

Tinh has hired a lawyer to protect his rights. HCM City Chairman Le Hoang Quan has asked Binh Thanh District to investigate the incident. The case has been assigned to Binh Thanh district police.

Na Son