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                   HRW: Prisoner Abuse in Vietnam Widespread

   by VOA News

   A top human rights group says Vietnamese police are engaged in
   widespread abuse of prisoners, and that many have been beaten, tortured
   and died while in detention.

   In a 96-page [1]report released Tuesday, Human Rights Watch highlighted
   dozens of instances of police brutality it said are pervasive in jails
   across the country.

   The report said the prisoners were often being held for minor offenses,
   such as traffic violations or petty theft. In many cases, it said they
   were beaten to extract confessions.

   When prisoners die in custody, police often give what the report called
   vague or unconvincing excuses, such as suicide or illnesses from which
   the prisoners had not previously suffered.

   The group said officers who commit serious abuses rarely face serious
   investigation or punishment and are sometimes promoted.

   Human Rights Watch's deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson, says
   Vietnam's government has a "human rights crisis on its hands and should
   investigate and start holding abusive police accountable."

   The New York-based group also wants Hanoi to provide better training
   for police, install cameras in interrogation and detention facilities,
   and ensure that detainees have access to lawyers.

   There was no immediate comment from the Vietnamese government.
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   [2]http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-prisoner-abuse-in-vietnam-widespr
   ead/2451177.html

References

   1. http://www.hrw.org/node/129029
   2. http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-prisoner-abuse-in-vietnam-widespread/2451177.html