Abandon hope all ye who enter here. "The room was pitch-black, air-conditioned, blistering-cold; the arrested were standing in a horizontal line, ALL fully covered with blood."
High Security Concentration Camp for Teenagers
The San UK Ling Detention Center is a remote, secluded, high security "concentration camp" on the HK-CN border detaining over 70 anti-extradition-law protesters arrested on Aug. 11 in Causeway Bay & TST, and on Aug. 31 in Prince Edward MTR Station, etc. Over 30 of them are teenagers aged between 16 and 18. Most of them have sustained severe bond fractures and confessed (cf. HKFP, HK01, Die Stimme Deutschlands). All of them are denied access to family, lawyers, lawmakers and JPs. It is also alleged that young girls are gang-raped by the police there.
Suicide or Homicide?
Recently, there has been an unusual rise of suicide rate in HK, e.g., on Sept 6, 9 people allegedly jumped to their death. Many Hongkongers are convinced that it is the cops' way of disposing of the bodies of those tortured to death in the center. Evil (pseudonym), a 27-year-old pet cosmetologist, told Appledaily about the horror of her 32-hour stay in the HK version of Auschwitz.
5 detention houses like military camps
"When I got off the bus, I saw a high fence, just like a bird cage. There were 5 detention houses in the center like military camps. Each house was divided into 4 compartments, each of which could accommodate up to 15 people." Evil was arrested on Aug. 11 night in Tsim Sha Tsui and sent to San Uk Ling, when she tried to make good the escape of two under-aged girls on the protest front-line.
According to Evil, House A was mainly used for the formalities, and Warehouse C for the detainees to rest. Every house had no lights, no windows and no clocks. Police officers had to bring a light when entering it. She said that one would not be able to tell day from night in San Uk Ling.
"Bang! Bang!" -- Covered all over with blood
"I saw a lot of comrades, both boys and girls. The police officers kept roughly scolding and swearing at them. Then a comrade was heard quarreling with the police. "Bang! Bang!" "Help! Help! Help!" After a while, someone, presumably a cop, said, "It's me, remember me!" I saw a row of comrades standing at the door, all boys, with their heads broken and bleeding; someone was covered all over with blood, including his clothes, shoes and face, with the chin still bleeding, and front teeth gone. I started crying on the spot. I came into eye contact with a boy. He looked like asking me for help, but I couldn't do nothing, I was at a nonplus;-- very sad and angry."
In order to save her own ass, she dared not resist. "We knew not where we're nor what the police would do. We were not allowed to chat with each other. Should you speak, it may be your turn to be beaten."
Entire body reddened, sweated continuously in utter agony
"Some had their head bandaged, with the gauze also blood-stained; some had a swollen face; one comrade's entire body reddened, sweated continuously and seemed to be in great agony, maybe due to allergy; another one kept pressing his own belly, and could only speak with a weak voice. The comrades requested to see a doctor, only to be told to wait patiently. Tis alright for you to arrest us and hand us over to the court. But why should you beat us like this? Is this what you call minimum force? Horror! Is this Hong Kong?"
Given No Medication for Asthma Attack
Evil has suffered from asthma since childhood. She was sick and wheezing during the arrest. She asked for medicine but was refused. She was not sent to the hospital for treatment until 20 hours later. At the diversion point, she saw comrades either lying on a stretcher or sitting in a wheelchair, with their head bandaged, their face and mouth swollen, totally wordless, very tired, many closing their eyes.
After leaving the hospital, Evil was returned to San Uk Ling, where altogether she spent 32 hours.
Pic: Internet photo