E/CN.4/1995/34 page 21 Chile 87. Late in the year, substantial documentation arrived in the Centre for Human Rights containing information alleging numerous cases of torture in Chile. It was not possible to process this information with a view to transmitting it to the Government before the present report was finalized. It was, however, consistent with information summarized in previous reports. A resumé of the allegations will be transmitted to the Government in the coming year. Observations 88. In light of the above, the Special Rapporteur confines himself to drawing attention to the concern expressed by the Committee against Torture at its thirteenth session on its examination of Chile’s second periodic report at the existence of a considerable number of allegations of torture and ill-treatment committed by various security forces, especially the carabineros and investigations police. China Information transmitted to the Government and replies received 89. By letter dated 15 July 1994 the Special Rapporteur advised the Government that he had received information according to which the practice of torture and other forms of inhuman and degrading treatment against persons held in detention centres, prisons or labour camps throughout China continued, despite the prohibition of such treatment under Chinese law. The practice was said to be employed as a means to extract confessions or to intimidate or punish prisoners. 90. To register a complaint of torture during incommunicado detention, police and prison officials must be approached, and this requirement was said to dissuade most detainees and prisoners from making such complaints. While the procuracy is responsible for investigating complaints concerning torture, it was alleged that procurators often ignored such complaints because an investigation might pose a conflict of interest with the procurator’s role as State prosecutor in criminal cases. In this regard, it was said that the need for the procurators to cooperate closely with the police served as a disincentive to investigate torture complaints. Consequently, few investigations or prosecutions of torture complaints were said to have been carried out. 91. Among the most common methods of torture reported were severe beatings or whippings, the use of cattle prods to induce electrical shock, and shackling with handcuffs or leg-irons, often tightly and with the victim’s body in a painful position. In those prisons which also serve as labour camps, working conditions were reportedly physically gruelling and at times posed a threat to the health and safety of the prisoners. Persons detained for political reasons were reportedly subjected to especially brutal treatment. 92. Hanyang prison in Hubei province was said to hold, in poor conditions, numerous persons detained for political reasons. Prisoners were said to