Faced with security officials insisting Hong Kong had not prosecuted a single torture case because there had never been a problem with official torture in Hong Kong, Human Rights Monitor director Law Yuk-kai calmly pulled out a sheet of paper and narrated a graphic account of how police officers had systematically tortured a drug addict while questioning him in 1997.
His account at a Legislative Council meeting last week shocked both legislators and government officials.
Mr Law told how, over a four-hour period, four officers at a Tsuen Wan housing estate in March that year handcuffed the suspect, sat on his chest and legs, poured water into his mouth and nose until he lost consciousness, and later threatened to throw him from a 16th floor balcony. The officers were later convicted of assault.
Mr Law, the United Nations Committee against Torture and several legislators believe that was just one of many examples of torture carried out by police.
'The government claims there has never been such a case. This shows that the claim by the government is a total lie,' Mr Law said. 'If this does not constitute torture, then probably no case will ever satisfy any criteria.'
Legislators then questioned principal assistant secretary for security Alan Lo Ying-ki, but he was caught unawares and could not deal with their questions.
