MONDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2003
Hanoi's speed demons get their comeuppance
AFP
HANOI : Five Vietnamese youths have been detained for three months for racing around the streets of Hanoi in an illegal high-speed motorbike race, state media said Sunday.
The five, aged between 17 and 20, were arrested on November 15 and were handed the detention orders Saturday by city prosecutors for 'causing social disorder'. They are expected to be brought to trial at a later date.
The state-run VN Express website said the punishment was aimed at deterring others from over-exuberance during the Southeast Asian Games, which opened Friday.
Following the spectacular opening ceremony, thousands of youths raced around the streets of the capital on motorbikes, honking horns and waving red-and-gold-starred Vietnamese flags.
Similar scenes also happened Thursday after Vietnam drew 1-1 with Thailand in the men's football competition, the blue ribbon event of the regional games.
Fast motorbikes have become a status symbol among well-to-do urban youths in Vietnam , and police have been unable to stamp out illegal city-centre races.
Police, however, adopted new tactics ahead of the Southeast Asian Games, adopting water cannons and paint guns that mark racers with indelible ink so they can be identified and arrested later.
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