Playing dead

(Baonghean) - On December 19, 2014, a group of people, generally considered gentle and simple-minded, in Thach Thanh district, Thanh Hoa province, ganged up to beat two young men to death on the spot because they were suspected of stealing dogs... After the incident, if I'm not mistaken, it seems that the people of this "province" officially set a record for "eliminating" 15 "dog thieves" in just four years, since 2011. What's noteworthy is that this merciless mob beating took place over a considerable period, with a large number of participants, and with a rather... enthusiastic "spirit" of beating!

Last month, some residents of Yen Bang commune, Yen Yen district, Nam Dinh province, also "managed" to beat to death and "destroy the vehicle" of a similar suspect. Even more recently, not long ago, 800 residents of a commune in Hiep Hoa district, Bac Giang province, "volunteered" to sign a confession admitting to participating in beating to death two dog thieves. If time isn't too tight, perhaps we should go to Google and type in keywords like "dog thieves" or "dog thieves beaten to death" to see just how widespread such incidents are.

While it's not yet possible to systematically and comprehensively compile statistics for all 64 provinces and cities, it's certain that no locality is immune to dog theft. Even while VTV1 in Vietnam was airing the Japanese drama "The Veterinarian," the issue of dog theft and slaughter in Vietnam was featured on... foreign television programs! Dog meat is a delicacy in our country. It's a matter of culinary culture, and no one can forbid it. Unfortunately, unlike pigs, cows, geese, or ducks, it seems no one raises dogs for meat. Nor have we seen any model of concentrated dog farming, feeding them with commercial feed, to supply restaurants. Therefore, the supply of this prized food comes from only two sources: one is smuggling from abroad (some neighboring countries in Southeast Asia), and the other is "socialization" through catching dogs from the public.

Recently, authorities have been cracking down on dog smuggling, but at the same time, the dog meat season is in full swing, leading to a surge in dog theft. It's safe to say that dog theft in Vietnam spares no locality. These thieves are becoming increasingly professional and brazen. They use poison bait, traps, hooks, iron clamps, and even snatching dogs from people walking their beloved pets. From late at night to dawn, and now even in broad daylight, these dog thieves brazenly roam the streets on motorbikes, looking for opportunities. When discovered, they not only flee but also fight back with weapons like swords, shotguns, and stun guns… Many people have been injured because of these criminals. It's infuriating!

Unlike other livestock, dogs are intelligent animals and are especially affectionate towards their owners. People keep dogs to guard their homes, for fun, to play with, and even to listen to their barking, but few people raise dogs for meat. Dogs live a long time, and each dog seems to bond with its owner for a considerable period. It's no exaggeration to say that many people care for their dogs more than they care for themselves. Therefore, it's not surprising that when their beloved pet is stolen by dog ​​thieves, they feel sad, distressed, angry, and even want to beat them up.

However, from one incident to dozens, then hundreds of incidents, from serious injury to beatings to death, from a few participants to entire villages, this story, which seemed merely a matter of individual revenge and deterrence, has gone far beyond the humane provisions of the law that emphasize "just punishment." The events have occurred and are clear, so what are the causes? Perhaps, firstly, the rampant dog theft, for which local authorities have yet to find a thorough solution. Secondly, the dog thieves disregard the law and the people, retaliating violently when discovered, creating pent-up resentment. Thirdly, the limited legal awareness of some people, relying on their numbers, leads them to believe that only beating to death can "deal with" these criminals. Others suffer from mob mentality, joining in the beatings themselves... for fun. And the consequence is murder!

In an interview with a newspaper, Lawyer Nguyen Van Hau, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association, stated that the responsibility of local authorities in areas where dog theft has been rampant, leading to public outrage and subsequent ambushes and beatings of thieves to death, needs to be reviewed. According to Lawyer Hau, the Criminal Code addresses this issue, classifying dog theft as property theft. Although a single dog is worth less than 2 million VND, resulting only in administrative penalties, legal regulations clearly state that repeated offenses will be subject to criminal prosecution. “It’s unacceptable to use the loss of stolen dogs as an excuse to channel all frustration into beating people to death. Citizens who catch dog thieves should hand them over to the police for processing. This will allow for the recording of the violation, and criminal prosecution will be considered upon repeat offenders,” added Lawyer Nguyen Van Hau.

Dog thieves must be severely punished; merely imposing administrative fines and then releasing them is certainly not enough of a deterrent. However, it is necessary to educate the public about the importance of obeying the law. Directly beating someone to death for revenge and then letting it slide is a violation of the law. While it might have some deterrent value for the perpetrator, it leaves a negative impression on those around them, especially young children, who witness someone being beaten to death. The Thanh Hoa police have launched an investigation, but the story is far from over.

One detail worth noting is that in the recent fatal assault in Thanh Hoa, there were a total of four perpetrators, but "only" two died, while the other two were only injured because they "played dead." This shows that sometimes, to survive, you have to feign death! Recalling the story of the 800 confessions in that province, if there were a trial with that many defendants, I fear some of them might even... feign death?!

Nguyen Khac An