Due to excessive use of force by the police officers against people engaged in a peaceful assembly people were forced to defend themselves:

a. Two farmers and one worker were shot with rubber bullets

b. Numerous people were hit on the head with metal clubs inflicting severe injuries

c. Numerous people were injured from pepper spray

d. Officers unnecessarily fired multiple tear gas into the crowd

e. Officers unnecessarily used electric shockers

The following is a partial list of human rights violation against 600 detainees at the Kwun Tong Police Station 12/17/05-12/18/05. This list is compiled mostly from complaints made by women detainees only. We anticipate a longer list of violation from male detainees whom we could not be in touch with.

1. When arresting participants engaged in a peaceful rally police officers used excessive verbal and physical force to remove them from the crowd on the eve of 12/17 to the morning of 12/18.

a. One female and one male participants reported that police officers slapped their face when they refused to be handcuffed without a notice.
b. Police officers did not provide a clear reason why people were being arrested or where they were being transported to.
c. Numerous detainees reported that the plastic handcuffs they were placed under caused a severe discomfort. In one case, when one female requested to loosen the handcuffs four (4) police officers rushed toward her to grab her arms and head to escort her away from the crowd.
d. When a young woman asked a police officer to guarantee her basic rights at the detention center the officer instead threatened them by touching their gun.

2. Numerous people reported that they were engaged in a humiliating search and seizure of their personal belongings and body.

a. Numerous women reported that the content of her belongings had been thrown out of her bag with force and intimidation.Based on testimonies from members of the Korean Struggle Missionb. Majority of women reported that they were asked to lift their bra and pull down their underpants for inspection by several police officers. One group of women was asked to do this kind of humiliating body inspection in the presence of male detainees. Based on testimonies from members of the Korean Struggle Missionc. One woman reported that her body searched by police officers involved groping of her body despite her refusal to be touched.

3. The following basic rights of people under investigation by or detained in the custody of police had been clearly violated.
–  right to request to notify arrest/detention to the consulate of home country
–  right to notify friend or family members of the arrest/detention
–  right to be supplied with adequate food and refreshment
–  right to be provided with drinking water
–  right to receive medical attention
–  right to be provided with a list of solicitors (public defender)
–  right to be released on bail
–  The above list of rights had been read to detainees by a Korean interpreter hired by the Hong Kong Police.
a Out of total 600 detainees only 2 people, to date, had been allowed to make a phone call/email to their family members. All others’ request to notify their family or friend was refused without any clear reason.
b. No one was allowed to exercise his/her right to consult a lawyer despite numerous requests had been made.
c. On numerous occasions detainees reported illness that needed medical attention; however, police officers refused to respond to the requests.

4. The Kwun Tong detention center clearly did not meet people’s basic needs:
a. When people were first brought to the police station they were detained for up to 3 to 4 hours in an open parking lot space to conduct registration. The weather was very cold and most people did not have adequate clothing to withstand the cold temperature. There were numerous elderly and sick people who expressed severe discomfort from having to stay out in the cold night.
b. Police officers placed an excessive number of detainees into very small space cells. In some cells, people could not lie down or sit with their legs straightened out.
c. Detainees were forced to remove socks and remain in a cold concrete cell. Blankets were not provided with until very close to the release from the cell. Detainees were asked to share a limited number of blankets. In one cell that contained 6 people only 1 blanket was provided with, and only hours later did they receive more blankets that was barely enough.
d. There were not adequate toilet paper or sanitary napkins for women. Police officers made derogatory remark and gestures when providing these basic supplies to women. The same attitude of degradation by police officers were expressed when people requested water and food.
e. Two out of four female cells in the Kwun Tong detention center had clogged toilets. One of the cell contained nearly 30 women and they were forced to share one toilet that was clogged.

19^th December, 2005
Korean Struggle Mission against Hong Kong WTO Ministerial