E/CN.4/1993/26 page 24 (l) Mirentchu Vivanco Figueroa was arrested by police on 29 March 1992 in Villa Franca. He was taken first to the 21st police station and later to the 38th. In both he was harassed and maltreated. In the first his head was covered with a skirt and he was brutally beaten. His hair was pulled and he was nearly suffocated. He was forced to assume unnatural positions and was shut in a sort of cupboard. 75. The Special Rapporteur was also informed of the frequent maltreatment of young conscripts during military service. His attention was drawn to three cases: (a) Antonio Lenín Sánchez Pardo began his military service on 1 May 1990 at the Peldehue paratroopers and special forces school. In September 1990 he was subjected to various forms of torture, chiefly beating and threats by soldiers of the 11th section under a lieutenant Vladilo; (b) Jose Cristían Arriagada Melo began his military service at the NCO's school, San Ignacio Street, Santiago. He was repeatedly maltreated by his squad commander, sergeant René Opazo Riquelme, sergeants Salinas and Bustos Pinochet and corporal Gonzáles Chamorro. On 12 November 1991 he was treated for haematomas in the regimental sick quarters after being beaten by sergeant Salinas; (c) Jorge Antonio Concha Meza began his military service on 1 October 1991 at the La Reina telecommunications school and was later transferred to Peldehue. In both places he was continuously harassed. At Peldehue among other forms of corporal punishment he was subjected to beating with blunt objects, punches on the neck and bites on the ear. On one occasion after being beaten with sticks and ropes on the feet he went to the sick quarters where he was again beaten on the feet with a radio lead. Later corporals Bascunan and Peñailillo gave him and other recruits electric shocks on the neck. China Information transmitted to the Government and replies received thereon 76. On 7 September 1992 the Special Rapporteur transmitted to the Government of China a letter containing a summary of allegations received with regard to the practice of torture in the country as well as a number of individual cases. The Government replied to this letter on 28 October 1992. In addition to this, the Special Rapporteur made six urgent appeals on behalf of persons who, according to the information received, were at risk of being tortured. The Government also sent replies with respect to some of them. (a) Information regarding the practice of torture in general 77. According to the information received, torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are a routine part of detention in police stations, detention centres, labour camps and prisons with respect to persons arrested for suspected nationalist activities or sympathies in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The methods of torture most commonly mentioned in the reports include the use of electric batons applied to the torso and