| Taking the law into his own hands Street Knight Nguyen Van Minh Tien managed to arrest two criminals who were trying to steal cell phones on Duong Duc Hien Street in Tan Phu District, HCM City on Sunday. Tien took Duong Quoc Tuan, 24, and Hinh Quoc Dung, 15, to the police after chasing them for 3km. Tien, 36, has spent 12 years hunting down criminals. He has successfully arrested about 300 street criminals and received more than 200 certificates of merit from the Government and local authorities. — VNS |
After the death of Nguyen Xuan Chinh, 27, who is known as the ‘street knight', legal experts have begun to push for regulations to protect vigilantes. Chinh was killed by a street gang in Thu Dau Mot Town in southern Binh Duong Province last Friday.
Chinh had volunteered with a vigilante club since 2008 and had successfully solved 80 criminal cases.
"These people are worthy of respect, but they have no legal protection," said lawyer, Dr Phan Trung Hoai from the HCM City Bar Association.
Hoai said developed countries encourage people to inform authorities about criminal activity, while advising them to avoid dangerous circumstances.
"Relatives understand and encourage what the volunteers do, but they always feel unsafe and are scared of vengeance," Hoai said.
Currently, there are about 708 criminal vigilante clubs operating nationwide.
Lieutenant Ha Van Thanh from Binh Duong Province's Phu Hoa Ward Police Department said volunteer vigilantes do not carry weapons, while criminals are often armed with knives, pepper spray or guns.
Thanh said the vigilantes are often carefully trained and educated to recognise, chase and arrest criminals.
He said the police were considering assisting local vigilantes and offering them equipment and financial support.
Dr Hoai asked the relevant authorities to re-examine specific regulations concerning the responsibilities, standards and benefits of volunteer vigilantes in the event that they are hurt while they are working.
Nguyen Thanh Hai, who heads a vigilante club in Phu Hoa Commune in southern Binh Duong Province, said his group has arrested hundreds of criminals in his community.
"Everybody has their own jobs, but we continue to do this risky job without any financial support," Hai said. "We are not doing this to benefit ourselves. We are doing this to create a peaceful society." — VNS
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