Ram Pal GHILOTE [c.1894-????]

Elizabeth Ride provided the following from her BAAG records:

Statement made by Mr. Ram Pal Ghilote, 51 years, civil servant, employed by the Hongkong Government, taken by S/Lt H.C. Glover, 26.9.45.

I was arrested on the 10th May 1944 at the above address by an unknown Chinese and taken to No.112 Austin Road where I was kept for two hours during which time I was tortured by being immersed in a tub of water by a Japanese named Moriyama, who was assisted by an unknown Japanese.  After this I was released.  

On the 16th June 1944 at 11 pm two Japanese and one Indian, members of the Gendarmerie, arrested me at the above address and escorted me to No.69 Kimberley Road where I was kept for half an hour.  Subsequently I was taken to the Supreme Court where I was taken before Colonel and recommended by Moriyana to be shot on the grounds that I was a dangerous British spy.  Colonel Noma refused to sanction this and I was returned to No.69 Kimberley Road Kowloon.  During the twelve days that I was at this address, I was tortured continually.  The torture consisted of the water torture, hanging, beating with bamboos, and lastly torture by burning.  The last was administered by burning paper on various part of my body, whilst lighted cigarettes were also applied to my tongue.  This torture was inflicted upon me by Moriyama assisted by his Japanese interpreter Inouye and a Chinese detective named Lau (Note: On the cessation of hostilities I had this man who was armed with a loaded revolver, taken into custody by the British forces on the 1st floor Hongkong and Shanghai Bank Bldg).

I was continually questioned regarding one named Looi Kar Yin, an agent employed by Capt Holmes at Waichow whom I was accused of having sheltered, fed and finally smuggled out of Hongkong to Waichow.  This was in fact true and under torture I admitted same.

On 1st July 1944 I was removed to Stanley Gaol.  There they produced a statement in Japanese purporting to have been made by myself and asked me to sign it.  When I refused to sign Moriyama took a whip and thrashed me.  I was then compelled to sign after which Inouye took the whip and thrashed me until I bled.  These scars I have to this day.  Later I was sentenced to ten years solitary confinement.  I was released on the 22nd August 1945.