Words of peace from an elder didn’t do much to stop two Phnom Penh youth gangs from brawling, and police were called to end the chaos on Tuesday.

Noticing that his son was in the mix when two gangs stepped toe-to-toe in Por Sen Chey district, the 65-year-old intervened but was pushed to the ground and beaten in the melee.

Villagers assembled and saw the injured father off to the hospital, and when police arrived later both groups were carted off to explain themselves at headquarters.

Koh Santepheap