A delegation of 15 officials led by chairman of Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee, Bui Anh Quang, visited the family of Nguyen Van Dang to say sorry after releasing them from detention.
Chairman of Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee, Bui Anh Quang (left) say sorry to the family of Nguyen Van Dang on May 11
“On behalf of the party committee, the people's committee and the people's council and other concerned agencies of Phuoc Nguyen Ward, I want to apologise to Nguyen Van Dang, your wife and especially your daughter," Quang said. "It was our fault. I think that the handcuffing of your daughter was not necessary. She is still small. She has to go to school. I hope that the family will continue to support the authorities to carry out our task. I hope that your daughter will continue to do well at school."
The 60-year-old man and his wife Le Thi Loan, however, did not accept the apology.
The woman said that the incident has badly affected her daughter's mood and she has not been able to sleep well since that day.
On May 10, a video clip showing a small girl being handcuffed to a bench at the headquarters of Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee went viral.
Photo of the girl handcuffed to a bench at the headquarters of Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee
In an interview with local media on May 10, Dang said that his house lies in a park project and must be removed but his family did not agree with the low compensation offered by local authorities.
Nguyen Van Dang wants to bring the case to court.
"After the police read the land confiscation order and began their work, I and my wife resisted," Dang told the Vietnam Net Newspaper. "My son and daughter used their mobile phones to film the scene and we were all detained."
According to a report sent to the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Provincial People's Committee the same day, Ba Ria City People's Committee said that the incident happened at 8 am on May 9 when a team of police officers led by chairman of Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee, Bui Anh Quang came to confiscate Dang's house.
Dang closed the door and stayed inside with his wife, their 22-year-old son and the 13-year-old daughter with knives, petrol tank, gas tank, and stones to resist, the report said.
20 mobile police officers were sent to the site. Dang, his son and daughter were all handcuffed and brought to the headquarters of the Phuoc Nguyen Ward People's Committee.
The wife threatened to commit suicide using the gas tank so the team left her there, the report said, adding that a policeman was injured during the confiscation.