HK rights group scores alleged Gensan torture incident

A Hong Kong-based human rights group criticized the alleged arbitrary arrest and week-long torture of a man in the custody of police in General Santos City last month. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) claimed that Anuar Hasim was severely beaten, suffocated with plastic bag and had his thumb burned with cigarettes. “When carrying out the arrest, the police neither showed him the arrest orders nor explained to him the nature of the charges. The police unit [which] tortured him has in the past been accused of involvement in torture and forcible disappearances," the AHRC said on its website (www.ahrchk.net). It said the incident happened on April 4 when two men on a motorcycle, claiming to be the police, stopped Hasim near Champaca Street in General Santos City. He was handcuffed and brought to a place near the City Hall. The AHRC said the “policemen" were attached to the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO). “While in police custody, those questioning him slapped him hard several times about his face. He was interrogated and questioned about [an] incident that took place in Maasim town in Sarangani province. He was also forced to admit that he is a commander of a rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation front (MILF); and when he refused to answer they slapped him," the AHRC said. At 7 p.m. that same day, he was brought to the GSCPO’s Police Station 6 in Bula village, where he was allegedly severely tortured. The policemen allegedly forced him anew to admit perpetrating the crime that took place in Maasim town. There were five persons in civilian clothes “questioning and torturing him," the AHRC said. “While inside the Bula police station, he was kicked three times on his chest and his left thumb burned with lit cigarettes several times (he could still feel the pain and torture marks were visible when he was interviewed on April 14). He was also suffocated for moments at a time when they wrapped cellophane around his face and head. Every time he refused to admit what the police were accusing him of they repeated the procedure. This happened on several occasions," AHRC said. He was also blindfolded and strangled, forced to squat, handcuffed in a position so that they could punch and kick him. His ordeal went on until 3 a.m. the next day. At about 1 p.m. on April 5, he was subjected to another interrogation and where he was slapped repeatedly in the face. On April 12 Hasim was remanded to the provincial jail in Alabel. He later learned he had been charged with double murder under criminal cases 3043-08 and 3044-08, destructive arson under criminal case 3045-08, arson under criminal case 3046-08, and robbery with violence and intimidation of persons under criminal cases 3047-08 and 3048-08. The cases were filed with the Regional Trial Court Branch 38 in Alabel. The AHRC said the same police unit had arrested and tortured three men linked to the bombing of a mall in General Santos City on April 21, 2002. “The police claimed the three were responsible for the bomb attack, but they nevertheless did not charge them for the bomb blast. One of the three victims was sexually and verbally humiliated for being a homosexual. All the victims were Muslims and political activists who are affiliate members of Bayan Muna, a political party," AHRC said. —VS, GMANews.TV