When Slaves Became Masters

When Slaves Became Masters, Rattana Pok's memoir of living through the genocidal regime of Pol Pot in Cambodia, one of the most tragic events of the 20th century. Pol Pot took Cambodia back to an agrarian society in just a four year period. Approximately two million Cambodians, nearly one third of the total national population, died in the process through starvation, over-work, and murder. Mr. Pok barely survived these childhood experiences.

Mr. Pok was born in Kampot province in September, 1964. Before immigrating to the United States in 1981 he lived several other provinces, including Kampot, Takeo, Kandal, and Battambang. He graduated from high school in Denver, Colorado. In 1985 he moved to Stockton, California, where he attended San Joaquin Delta College and graduated with an Associate in Arts degree. Since March, 1993 he has been a registered court interpreter throughout northern California. He has also been a contract interpreter for the U.S. State Department since 1996 interpreting for numerous Khmer delegates and dignitaries on tours, conferences, and training sessions throughout the United States.

In When Slaves Became Masters, Mr. Pok has created a gripping and tragic narrative of what Cambodia was like during the terrible times of the regime of Khmer Rouge from the perspective of a victim. It was the most brutal and savage regime that the world had ever experienced where there was no compromise between the rulers and the people, and the consequence of even a minor offense could result in death.

After a history of more than two thousand years of the Khmer nation, the Pol Pot regime stripped out the customs and beliefs, arts, way of life and even language to suit the revolutionary idea of an agrarian society where education, modern technology, entertainment and family bond were no longer regarded as important. Everyone was on the brink of death; therefore, conformity and decency were no longer necessary in order to fulfill the instinctual drive for survival.