MAM Nai
Mr. Mam Nai was called as a witness to testify on M-13 and the functioning of S-21. He was the former head of the interrogation unit at S-21.
Mr. Mam Nai, a teacher and school director, was arrested by the Sihanouk government before 1970 for being associated with the Khmer Rouge. He was detained for two years in the same cell as the Accused. After his release, Mam Nai joined the Communist Party of Kampuchea in 1973. He arrived at M-13 two years after its establishment. He told the Trial Chamber that at M-13, he was assigned to plant potatoes and to interrogate "less important" detainees. He recalled being trained as an interrogator by observing the Accused conduct interrogations. At S-21, he described his role as being that of a "plain and simple interrogation cadre", entrusted with the primary task of interrogating "low ranking cadres". He maintained that he deliberately avoided resorting to torture during interrogations. He told the Trial Chamber that his survival was only due to the fact that he remained "blind and deaf" to everything except his work. When asked about the structure of S-21 or its compound, he invoked a failing memory and his allegedly unimportant role at S-21 to explain his lack of knowledge.
A lawyer assisted Mr. Mam Nai in case an issue of self-incrimination arose. Mam Nai himself repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination during the course of his testimony, notably when confronted with the discrepancy between his statements to the Co-Investigating Judges and his testimony before the Trial Chamber.
- Alias :
Chan
- Witness acronym :
KW-08
- Age at the time of testimony :
76
- Appeared as :
- Cases : Case 001,
- Date(s) of testimony :