Vietnam Communal Police Have Too Much Power: Legislators

One Vietnamese citizen whose son was beaten to death by communal police

One Vietnamese citizen whose son was beaten to death by communal police (Photo taken from Dan Viet newspaper)

State media has reported a number of cases in which communal police in many localities had abused power, causing heavy consequences for local residents. Many citizens have been illegally detained and tortured by police officers in their communes.

by Vu Quoc Ngu, August 16, 2016

Vietnam’s police in the communal level have too much power while most of communal police officers have limited education and professional background, said members of the Standing Committee of the country’s legislative body National Assembly (NA).

According to the draft law on communal-level police which is under discussion of the Standing Committee at its ongoing second session, the police forces in the communal level have 11 duties, including the power to launch initial investigation of crimes.

Phan Thanh Binh, head of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, said the commune police cannot realize these duties given the low educational and professional background. Few of communal police officers had graduated from high school and received training in police institutions.

Many members of the Standing Committee did not agree with the proposal of the Ministry of Public Security, saying the commune-level police should remain semi-professional.

As the agency responsible for building the draft law, the Ministry of Public Security is offering to treat communal police as professional forces.

State media has reported a number of cases in which communal police in many localities had abused power, causing heavy consequences for local residents. Many citizens have been illegally detained and tortured by police officers in their communes.

In the communist-ruled Vietnam, police forces, together with the army, are the forces protecting the leadership of the ruling party.