Friday September 24, 2004, 8:17 PM
Commandos trial: Witness relates dunking death of soldier
SINGAPORE: A witness has told a subordinate court hearing the death
of Second Sergeant Hu Enhuai he saw the 19-year-old struggling
violently as his head was being dunked into the tub of water.
Sergeant Hu was a Guards
sniper who died after attending a "Prisoner of War"
training session at Pulau Tekong last year.
Yen Li Khai, who was a National Service infantry sergeant sent to
the Commando camp to help conduct the Combat Survival Training
Course at that time, said Sergeant Hu's hands were held down to
prevent him from struggling and his head was held underwater for up
to 20 seconds each time.
Sergeant Yen, who is now studying in Australia, also said
he was shocked by how the
Commando trainers treated Hu and Captain Ho Wan
Huo.
He said the Commando trainers
treated these two trainees much more harshly than any of the other
trainees.
Sergeant Yen's job during the training was to blindfold and bind
the hands of the trainees who were "prisoners of war" and to escort
them to the water treatment area where the trainees would be
interrogated by the Commando trainers.
Sergeant Yen said he was about 15 to 20 metres away from the tub
used to dunk them.
He testified that he saw Lieutenant Ng Chin Fong push and hold
Sergeant Hu's head underwater for 10 to 20 seconds.
Sergeant Yen said: "He (Hu) stuggled violently. After that, he was
brought out of the water for about four to five seconds before his
head was submerged again. During the time his head was lifted out
of the water, the deceased was gasping for air."
Sergeant Yen continued: "He was breathing heavily when his head was
lifted above the water. When the deceased completed the session,
Lieutenant Jeff pulled the deceased out of the tub and the deceased
fell to the ground.
"The deceased was motionless and I saw water coming out of his
mouth. The deceased was vomiting water from his mouth."
As for the other trainee Captain Ho Wan Huo who survived but almost
drowned, Sergent Yen said Lieutenant Divanand Hari had covered his
mouth, nose and eyes and then pushed his head into
underwater.
During the course of the evidence, the prosecution brought in a
dummy blindfolded and hands tied behind the back for Sergeant Yen
to demonstrate to the court how the dunking of Sergeant Hu and
Captain Ho had been done.
However, the family members of Sergeant Hu were not in court to
witness the demonstration.
Under cross-examination, Sergeant Yen said there were other
instructors helping Lieutenant Diva during the water treatment
component of the survival training.
Sergeant Yen added that another accused person, Captain Pandiaraj,
was at the scene and he could have stopped the instructors from
continuing the treatment. - CNA