A journalist takes pictures of a live feed of Mam Nai, a former chief of interrogation at the Khmer Rouge's S-21 prison, during the trial of the Khmer Rouge regime's chief torturer Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, on the outskirts of Phnom Penh July 14, 2009. REUTERS/Chor Sokunthea7/14/2009
Agence France-Presse
The former deputy head of the Khmer Rouge's main prison has denied he had tortured prisoners as he sought to play down his position in Cambodia's late 1970s hardline regime.
Mam Nai, 76, told the UN-backed war crimes trial of former jail chief Duch that his role had been only to question inmates at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison.
"I was just a plain and simple interrogating cadre," Mam Nai said, addressing the court as a witness, not a defendant.
"I only interrogated prisoners without applying torture. It is my understanding that applying torture brings untrue confessions."
His former boss Duch is accused of overseeing the torture and execution of around 15,000 people who passed through Tuol Sleng.
Although documents from the regime say Mam Nai was Duch's deputy and tortured prisoners into confessing espionage, he said he only interrogated "not important" inmates and used psychological tricks rather than abuse.
"When I asked the person about their biography and activities, it was not difficult at all (to get a confession)," Mam Nai said.
"If a prisoner refused to respond... I instructed guards to take prisoners back to their cell to think for a while, to reflect on their positive and negative activities," he added.
Mam Nai, whose Khmer Rouge nom de guerre was Chan, went on to tell the court that he was "unclear" on the organising structure of the notorious detention centre and knew nothing of mass killings there.
The 66-year-old Duch, real name Kaing Guek Eav, has accepted responsibility for his role in governing the jail and begged forgiveness from victims near the start of his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But he has consistently rejected claims by prosecutors that he held a central leadership role in the Khmer Rouge, and maintains he never personally killed anyone.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia. Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork, torture and execution during the 1975-79 regime.
Four other former Khmer Rouge leaders are currently in detention and are expected to face trial next year.
Mam Nai, 76, told the UN-backed war crimes trial of former jail chief Duch that his role had been only to question inmates at the notorious Tuol Sleng prison.
"I was just a plain and simple interrogating cadre," Mam Nai said, addressing the court as a witness, not a defendant.
"I only interrogated prisoners without applying torture. It is my understanding that applying torture brings untrue confessions."
His former boss Duch is accused of overseeing the torture and execution of around 15,000 people who passed through Tuol Sleng.
Although documents from the regime say Mam Nai was Duch's deputy and tortured prisoners into confessing espionage, he said he only interrogated "not important" inmates and used psychological tricks rather than abuse.
"When I asked the person about their biography and activities, it was not difficult at all (to get a confession)," Mam Nai said.
"If a prisoner refused to respond... I instructed guards to take prisoners back to their cell to think for a while, to reflect on their positive and negative activities," he added.
Mam Nai, whose Khmer Rouge nom de guerre was Chan, went on to tell the court that he was "unclear" on the organising structure of the notorious detention centre and knew nothing of mass killings there.
The 66-year-old Duch, real name Kaing Guek Eav, has accepted responsibility for his role in governing the jail and begged forgiveness from victims near the start of his trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But he has consistently rejected claims by prosecutors that he held a central leadership role in the Khmer Rouge, and maintains he never personally killed anyone.
Led by Pol Pot, who died in 1998, the Khmer Rouge emptied Cambodia's cities in a bid to forge a communist utopia. Up to two million people died of starvation, overwork, torture and execution during the 1975-79 regime.
Four other former Khmer Rouge leaders are currently in detention and are expected to face trial next year.
4 comments:
Où est la justice pour le khmer rouge Sihanouk?
Dear Mr. Mam Nay,
You are a real stupit teacher when you teach me some good lessons but you were hitting your students by your dirty hands which we called you in Lycee Kampong Thom - (Ta Nay or Ta Samreng). You have a very bad on your body that why you always wear long sleeves and never show your nake body in this hot country. You look like that you are from North Pole. You have a very bad skin desease that we called Khlourng Ropeou.
We do not believe that you have not tortured the prisoners. If doing so you will be killed by the lightening strike.
You always want to be communist since you were in Kampong Thom as our teacher. You were released from the prison why you ran to the jungle in 1973 because you love the KR Pol Pot, Ieng Sary, Khieu Samphan, Nuon Chea, Ieng Thirith, ...
You must be sentenced to one million year in jail as well as the other KR leaders.
Thank you for your kind consideration.
Ly
Since 12:57 PM was Nay's student and originated in Kompong Thom, 12:57 PM must be one of a commie too eh? lol...how old are you 12:57PM?
Dear friend of 6:12AM,
If you want to know me please call to #011840220. I am in Phnom Penh and we can meet and talk about the KR related matters as well as Cambodia politics of the past, now and the future.
Thank my friend for your curiosity.
Best regards,
Ly
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