But this incident is much more serious than the previous ones. Because it shows the contempt for the law, the people and public opinion of some people in the name of the law. Because this is a journalist being attacked in a public place when he did not commit any wrongdoing, the attacker is a police officer.

Article 13 of the 2016 Press Law stipulates: The State creates favorable conditions for citizens to exercise their right to freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press and for the press to properly promote its role. The press and journalists operate within the framework of the law and are protected by the State. Article 9 of the Press Law stipulates: It is strictly forbidden to threaten or intimidate the life, insult the honor and dignity of journalists and reporters; to destroy or confiscate equipment and documents, and to prevent journalists and reporters from performing their professional activities in accordance with the law.

Reporter Quang The (Tuoi Tre Newspaper - white shirt) was beaten while working. Photo: M. CHIEN

When a journalist is attacked while doing his job by law enforcement officers, the story does not stop at a mere scuffle. It cannot be considered a scuffle when the relationship between an ordinary journalist and a team of people with power and support tools is very unequal. It shows that the legal awareness of law enforcement is problematic. It shows the disregard for the law and the abuse of power of a group of people in police uniform. It also shows that this disregard continues and escalates because previous cases have not been handled seriously and corrected on a large scale.

When a journalist is attacked while practicing his profession in accordance with the law, the damaged subject is not only the journalist or the press agency. Attacking a journalist in this case is an infringement of the public's right to freedom of speech and right to know, two groups of subjects stipulated in the Press Law and the Law on Access to Information recently passed by the National Assembly.

The viewpoint of the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Police of Dong Anh District Police that the beating of journalist Quang The was just an “incorrect attitude” due to “work pressure” of some young police officers was immediately met with public backlash. Every profession, every agency has certain pressures, it is all anticipated. Every agency and organization has standards of conduct that members of that agency and organization are required to follow. It cannot be said that there was no knowledge, a mistake or pressure involved.

It is difficult to prevent people from speculating: If a journalist working in accordance with the law was beaten like that, how far will people in places where no one witnessed be beaten? How far? On September 22, there was an appeal hearing for the case of Tuy Hoa police beating a citizen to death in a detention center, at the same time as the police attacking a VTC reporter in Dak Lak. On September 23, there was a trial for the case of Tan Binh District traffic police calling gangsters to beat to death a citizen who was arguing, the newspapers reported both this case and Quang The almost at the same time. It could be that far!

The attack on journalist Quang The therefore cannot stop at an apology. Importantly, this is an opportunity for the police leadership to handle, rectify and clarify their views in front of many public opinions after the incidents that have occurred. This is also an opportunity for the Ho Chi Minh City Journalists Association and the Vietnam Journalists Association to express their attitudes in protecting the right to practice of journalists.

Today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be who? It is difficult to predict. But one thing is certain, if you accept abuse of power happening to others today, tomorrow it may be you.