2 Frenchmen arrested for brutal assault of Burmese employee in Phuket
Police arrested two French restaurant owners in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket for brutally assaulting a Burmese employee, allegedly for being late for work.
A video of the physical assault, which occurred on the roadside in Patong, was shared yesterday, January 14, by the news Facebook page Phuket Times. The page captioned the video…
“Cruel! Patong. A French gang brutally attacked and hit a Burmese man with a rock. The victim suffered serious injuries.”
In the video, a Frenchman wearing a white T-shirt was seen chasing a Burmese man in a green shirt along the footpath. The Frenchman caught up with the victim and threw him to the ground. Another Frenchman, wearing a black shirt, then approached and immediately kicked the Burmese man, causing him to collapse.
The attackers continued to kick and punch the victim until Thai and foreign witnesses intervened. By the end of the video, the Burmese man was seen lying motionless.
Officers from Patong Police Station investigated the case and identified the two French attackers as 41 year old Said Idjihadi and 23 year old Sofiane Redouane Hadji. The Burmese victim was identified as 37 year old Aye Min.
The two French men were arrested yesterday at their restaurant near Patong Beach at around 7pm. They confessed to their actions after police presented them with the video evidence.
According to Aye Min, he and his colleagues had been working on a renovation project on the second floor of the attackers’ restaurant.
On the day of the incident, they arrived late for work, which angered Idjihadi. He allegedly struck Aye Min on the head before the workers resumed their tasks as usual.
However, Idjihadi reportedly followed them to the second floor and continued to complain about their tardiness. Aye Min became frustrated and decided to leave work, walking away from the premises.
Idjihadi, enraged, pursued Aye Min and attacked him, as shown in the video. Aye Min also reported that another colleague was injured during the assault but managed to escape.
Police have not yet disclosed the legal consequences the two French men will face. According to Section 295 of Thailand’s Criminal Law, those convicted of physical assault causing harm may face imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.
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