Youths in the Papua New Guinea town of Lae say they were bashed by plain-clothed policemen on Sunday.
Graphic photos on the Post Courier website show Chris Pais and Smith Ege, who are members of a Lae church youth group, with bloody head wounds.
A source told the newspaper the police were in the process of fining motorists for traffic offences and mistook the youths for offenders.
The source says the policemen were drunk, and bashed the two men.
A report has been filed by police.