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Friday September 24, 2004. 8:17 PM
Commandos trial: Witness relates dunking death of soldier
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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 Guard 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