staff to restrain violent patients in line with international standards. However, the use of rigid restraint chairs to restrain people in places of detention is open to abuse and can result in serious injury, particularly when detainees under the influence of drugs or alcohol are left unattended for prolonged periods or if additional force is used on the restrained person. Thumb cuffs: These are cuffs that mechanically fix a detainee’s thumbs together. Thumb cuffs lend themselves to use in “stress positions” that can easily result in injuries, and may amount to torture or other ill-treatment. Some types of thumb cuffs advertised in China and elsewhere have serrated inner edges that can pierce the skin if the cuffs are tightened. As they have no legitimate use for law enforcement that could not be fulfilled by ordinary handcuffs, when used correctly, Amnesty International and Omega consider thumb cuffs as inherently abusive. Whilst Amnesty International and Omega have no reports of their use, thumb cuffs are frequently advertised for sale at home and abroad by Chinese companies at trade fairs and on the internet.36 Restraint devices with legitimate uses under strict regulation Ordinary handcuffs: The most common devices consist of two adjustable wrist cuffs joined together by a short chain that allows a limited degree of movement. Ordinary handcuffs are considered legitimate tools for law enforcement, but can nevertheless be misused for torture and other ill-treatment. Certain designs of handcuff pose greater risk of misuse and injury than others. For example, rigid handcuffs (i.e. those with a rigid bar, instead of a chain linking the two cuffs) can more easily cause wrist injury, as can single locking handcuffs, which can be progressively tightened along a ratchet by both the law enforcement officer and the detainee. Excessively tightened handcuffs can cause injury and pain - in extreme cases cutting off the blood supply to the hands, resulting in serious and permanent injury. Humanely designed leg or ankle cuffs: Where a light-weight chain, rather than a rigid bar or a heavy chain, is linked to adjustable ankle cuffs cushioned on the inner perimeter, such a design can minimize unnecessary discomfort and have a legitimate use in law enforcement in exceptional cases. The purpose would be to prevent a detainee who is threatening violence from using their legs and feet to cause injuries to themselves and others. Any use should be strictly in line with international standards, including the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, and only applied for the minimum time necessary. © Robin Ballantyne Chinese hinged handcuffs, chain linked handcuffs and leg cuffs China’s Trade in Tools of Torture and Repression Amnesty International – Index: ASA 17/042/2014 9