002/19-09-2007-ECCC-OCIJ ЮŲŠ / No: D427 arrived at Choeng Ek,2016 the prisoners were herded into a house.2017 The guards then took them out one by one and told them that they were being transferred to another house. Him Huy recorded the names of the prisoners in a register before they were taken to the pits for summary execution.2018 465. Several witnesses state that the prisoners were struck on the neck with an iron bar, oxcart axle or water pipe.2019 The guards disemboweled them or slit their throats.2020 The detainees were then kicked into one of the pits, after which the handcuffs and blindfolds were removed.2021 Once the executions were over, the guards covered the pits.2022 466. Although some witnesses deny seeing children at the site,2023 at least one of the pits discovered allegedly contained the remains of children.2024 During the on-site re-enactment, Duch stated that he did not know how children were killed at Choeng Ek, but he did not deny that children were executed there.2025 467. Son Sen and Nuon Chea ordered the mass execution of prisoners on several occasions. These executions took place successively in Choeng Ek over a period of several days. Often, the prisoners were executed immediately upon arrival at S-21, without being interrogated.2026 Some of these mass executions were the result of purges within the CPK and the RAK. According to Duch, early in 1977, a large number of cadres from the Central (Old North) Zone, Phnom Penh and the RAK were executed following the arrest of Koy Thuon.2027 Early in 1978, there were executions of cadres from the West Zone, followed by executions of cadres from the Northwest Zone.2028 Later, in December 1978, some 300 prisoners from the East Zone who had been accused of rebellion were sent directly to Choeng Ek and executed.2029 Duch added that on 2 or 3 January 1979, Nuon Chea ordered him to execute all of the prisoners who were detained at S-21.2030 About 200 detainees (Cambodians and Vietnamese) were therefore transferred to Choeng Ek and executed.2031 Executions on or near the S-21 premises 468. Duch and several witnesses indicate that even after Choeng Ek had become the main execution site, the execution of some detainees, particularly children, former members of S21 staff, important prisoners and foreigners, continued on or near the S-21 premises.2032 469. In some instances, Duch asked that some of the corpses of important prisoners be photographed after execution. These photographs, expressly requested by Son Sen or Nuon Chea, were intended to prove that these prisoners had actually been executed.2033 Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, National Road 4, Choam Chao, Dangkao Phnom Penh Mailing address: P.O. Box 71, Phnom Penh; Tel: +855(0)23 218914 Fax: +855(0) 23 218941. 120