In 1949, following a raid on his village by French forces, Pauk joined the Khmer Issarak independence movement. In 1954, following the Geneva Conference and Cambodia's independence from France, Pauk emerged from the forest and was soon arrested.
Sentenced to six years in prison he served time in prisons in Phnom Penh and Kampong Thom. However, after spending only three years in prison, Pauk was released.