Ke Pauk, also known as Kae Pok, was born Ke Vin in Chhouk Ksach Village, Chhouk Ksach Sub-district, Baray District

Baray District

Baray is a district within Kampong Thom Province, in central Cambodia. According to the 1998 census of Cambodia, it had a population of 159,586.-References:...

, Kampong Thom Province in 1934. He died, apparently of natural causes, while asleep in his home at Anlong Veng on the 15th February, 2002. Ke Pauk was one the senior leaders of the Khmer Rouge

Khmer Rouge

The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...

.

Early life

In 1949, following a raid on his village by French forces, Pauk joined the Khmer Issarak

Khmer Issarak

The Khmer Issarak was an anti-French, Khmer nationalist political movement formed in 1945 with the backing of the government of Thailand. It sought to expel the French colonial authorities from Cambodia, and establish an independent Khmer state....

 independence movement. In 1954, following the Geneva Conference

Geneva Conference (1954)

The Geneva Conference was a conference which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, whose purpose was to attempt to find a way to unify Korea and discuss the possibility of restoring peace in Indochina...

 and Cambodia's independence from France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, Pauk emerged from the forest and was soon arrested. Sentenced to six years in prison he served time in prisons in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...

 and Kampong Thom. However, after spending only three years in prison, Pauk was released.

After his release in 1957, Pauk returned to Chhouk Ksach and married Soeun. Together they were to have six children. His biography states that he was contacted at this time by Party Secretary Siv Heng and asked to rejoin the movement. Pauk joined the nascent Cambodian Communist movement in Svay Teab, Chamkar Leu District

Chamkar Leu District

Chamkar Leu District is a district of Kampong Cham Province, Cambodia. The district capital is Chamkar Leu town. The town is located at the junction of National Roads 71 and 222 around north east of the provincial capital at Kampong Cham city. The district is significant producer of rubber, both...

, Kampong Cham.

External links

• http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4360122,00.html
• http://www.dccam.org/Archives/Documents/Biography/Biographies_Autography_Ke_Pauk.htm
• http://www.yale.edu/gsp/publications/impaccount.html
• http://khmer.cc/channels/0,11,6,01,6801.html
• http://www.phnompenhpost.com/TXT/comments/theevil.htm
• http://www.dccam.org/Tribunal/Analysis/Lack_of_funds_must_not_block_path_of_justice.htm
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/world/asia-pacific/1823689.stm