A Tongan man has told how he was struck on the head several times by armed soldiers in full combat gear afer the Nuku 'Alofa riot last month.
The 28-year-old, who did not wish to be named, features in a damning report which alleges youths in Tonga were systematically tortured and abused after the riots.
A volunteer at the National Centre for Women and Children alleges in the report that suspects - including children - suffered at the hands of the Defence Services and the police.
The NGO involved has now distanced itself from the report, the Tonga defence services say it lacks credibility and the government is sceptical of the claims.
But the author, Australian child advocate Gus McLean, says the NGO's partially government-funded was pressured by the government to publicly reject the report.
The man - whose photo appears in the report, had shouted out the word "Liliu", or democratic change, when the King and his entourage drove by.
He says he was later arrested at home and bundled into a car with soldiers.
"The first time after he hit me he was saying I deserved to die and he was going to kill me. One of the TDS sitting in the back was mumbling something like, yeah, we can just kill this guy and drop him off somewhere."
He was held in custody for nine days, charged with disturbing the peace, and is yet to appear in court.
