Ho Van Ve and his petition for the right to assault the men who attacked him in March. Photo: Le Van A Mekong Delta
xe om (motorbike taxi) driver has petitioned the local authorities for permission to exact a violent revenge on a group of men who thrashed him in March.
Ho Van Ve, 31, said he has submitted his petition to the My Quy Tay Commune police in Duc Hue District, Long An Province.
Ve drafted the unusual petition after growing frustrated that local police had yet to resolve his case, seven months after he sustained a number of serious injuries.
“More than half a year has passed, but no one has resolved the matter despite my petitions to the commune and district authorities. All of these agencies remain silent,” his petition states.
“I hereby submit this petition for permission to beat those people because I’ve waited for so long and received no justice.”
Hue said the incident happened at around 10pm on March 5 when he saw a car full of people slowing down near the My Quy Tay Border Gate.
He waved at the vehicle and stopped his motorbike in front of the car.
When they pulled over, he says, he asked if anyone wanted him to drive them to Cambodia.
“Suddenly, the car’s owners Tran Van Hai and Bui Van An ran out and beat me. Hai’s step-father, 68-year-old Le Van Nguyen, emerged from a nearby house and began hitting me with a metal pipe until I collapsed,” he said.
Two locals, Pham Hong Ha and Nguyen Minh Tan, attempted to stop the attack and were also hit in the head, Ve said.
Ve was taken to a local clinic before being transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Doctors said Ve suffered head injuries and was admitted to the hospital bleeding from his left ear.
The xe om driver borrowed nearly VND24 million (US$1,129) to cover the cost of his treatment.
Meanwhile, the men who attacked Ve said they had the right to do so because Ve had blocked their car.
“He blocked my car and even challenged me when I told him to get out of my way. So I just beat him,” Hai said.
An also admitted to beating Ve with a piece of wood he picked up at the scene.
Ha and Tan, the two men who attempted to stop the violence, said they are willing to serve as witnesses, but the police have yet to ask them to do so.
Lieutenant Pham Van Dang of the My Quy Tay police said he hasn’t received Ve’s petition for revenge, adding his agency had transferred the case to the district police.
Nguyen Truong Thanh, a lawyer from Can Tho City (also in the Mekong Delta), said Ve’s petition is illegal.
“Government agencies are responsible for resolving such cases,” he said. “However, Ve can file a lawsuit against the responsible agencies for not resolving his case within 30 days.”
Đăng ký: VietNam News
