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During the Imperial period Chinese judges, like most European judges, were legally allowed to torture witnesses and suspects in criminal cases. Several methods of Chinese torture existed although many more remain in the form of urban legends. The main form of legal torture was using bamboo sticks to beat suspects on the legs and buttocks (see bastinado). Suspects might also be required to kneel for extended periods (stress positions). They might have their fingers placed in a contraption made up of bamboo sticks and rope while two officers pulled on each side, crushing the fingers between. Prisoners could also be suspended by their arms. A somewhat related form of punishment in China was the cangue (sometimes known as Chinese boards). The cangue was made up of two wooden boards with holes for the neck and hands that was clamped against the neck as to restrain the ability to move one's hands and was also used as a way of keeping prisoners contained during exile or transportation to other prisons.
It has been claimed Chinese emperors maintained, within their imperial courts, extremely high-quality torturers whose reputation for causing extraordinary pain was known in many other lands. There is little evidence for the above claim.
George Henry Mason, The punishments of China, illustrated by 22 engravings, with explanations in English and French, (London, 1804)
Today
Actual cases of alleged torture in Chinese forced labour camps are reported by witnesses of Falun Gong, an alleged cult. The methods used today are burning, electric shocks, psychiatric abuse, force-feeding, beatings, and exposure to extreme conditions. The Falun Gong Human Rights Working Group has published annually a booklet named "United Nations' Reports on China's Persecution of Falun Gong", which contains numerous cases of alleged torture and human rights violations. There are no independently verifiable sources that confirm this. The Chinese authorities denies such allegations, insisting that these are Falun Gong propaganda.
External links
- Torture in China - torture methods as depicted by Falun Gong information center
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