The term five techniques refers to certain interrogation practices adopted by the Northern Ireland and British governments in the early 1970s. These methods were adopted by the Royal Ulster Constabulary on the advice of senior intelligence officials in the United Kingdom government. For an explanation of often confusing terms like Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology). ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ...
These five practices were:
"wall-standing", forcing detainees to stand in a stressful position for hours on end
forcing detainees to wear a hood over their head for long periods
exposing them to loud and hissing noises
depriving them of sleep
witholding food and drink, or providing insufficient amounts thereof
Medical reports (in evidence in European human rights proceeedings) showed that these practices had negative (in some cases severely so) effects on the detainees physical and especially mental health.
These practices caused great outrage towards the governments, especially from the Catholic community of Northern Ireland. On 2 March 1972, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stated in Parliament:
"[The] Government, having reviewed the whole matter with great care and with reference to any future operations, have decided that the techniques ... will not be used in future as an aid to interrogation... The statement that I have made covers all future circumstances."
Furthermore, in proceedings before the ECHR on 8 February1977, the Attorney-General of the United Kingdom stated that February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...
"The Government of the United Kingdom have considered the question of the use of the 'five techniques' with very great care and with particular regard to Article 3 (art. 3) of the Convention. They now give this unqualified undertaking, that the 'five techniques' will not in any circumstances be reintroduced as an aid to interrogation."
The European Commission on Human Rights ruled that these practices constituted inhumane and degrading treatment, and were in at least some cases combined with beatings. The European Court of Human Rights, in 1977, ruled that these techniques were inhumane and degrading treatment in violation of the Convention. However, both the Comission and the Court ruled that neither the five techniques nor the associated beatings were legally torture under the Convention; they held that under the Convention the term "torture" should be reserved for mistreatment of a greater severity than that involved in the five techniques or the physical beatings presented to them. (In a dissenting opinion, Judge F. Matscher argues that the definition of torture should not be based on the severity of the mistreatment; rather, torture is mistreatment designed to extract information or confessions. By that definition, the five techniques do constitute torture.) European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints from Council of Europe member states. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ...
One of the primary characteristics of Five Ancestors is its reliance on the San Chian (literally "three battles") stance and its corresponding hand form of the same name, which originate from White Crane.
Facilitating the development of the six harmonies, the "three battles" refer primarily to the three internal combinations of Xin and yi,yi and qi and qi and li; all of which must be mastered for a practitioner to have attained a good level.
Five Ancestors in now taught in China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and Canada.
The term fivetechniques refers to certain interrogation practices adopted by the Northern Ireland and British governments in the early 1970s.
The European Court of Human Rights, in 1977, ruled that these techniques were inhumane and degrading treatment in violation of the Convention.
However, both the Comission and the Court ruled that neither the fivetechniques nor the associated beatings were legally torture under the Convention; they held that under the Convention the term "torture" should be reserved for mistreatment of a greater severity than that involved in the fivetechniques or the physical beatings presented to them.