A Swedish public authority highlights the tyranny under Pol Pot’s communist movement in Cambodia by urging the audience to see the world with “Mao-glasses” – watch the promo here.

The Living History Forum, a Swedish public authority with the aim to increase understanding of contemporary events in the light of the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity, will on Wednesday open the doors for a new exhibition highlighting the tyranny under Pol Pot, leader of the Cambodian communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge.

In 1978 a Swedish left-wing delegation traveled to the People's Republic of Kampuchea, today Cambodia, to study workers collectives, hospitals and factories. They even had dinner with Pol Pot. They were impressed.

Among the deligates were Jan Myrdal, Swedish author and leftist-political. After his return he allegedly credited Pol Pot for managing to build a democratic and classless society.

The exhibition, called "Dinner with Pol Pot", raises a number of unpleasant questions; why didn't the delegation notice the genocide that was going on around them? How could they defend the victimization that they actually knew of? The exhibition is mainly based on material from Gunnar Bergström, also one of the delegates, who asks himself these questions today. 

“We wish to increase knowledge about so called selective vision: when ones ideological preferences are in the way of reality”, Jakob Larsson, spokesperson at The Living History Forum, told The Swedish Wire. “I believe that we will achieve that with this exhibition”.

The exhibition – or primarily the YouTube-film promoting it – has stirred up a debate in Sweden. Jan Myrdal is far from pleased with having his name dragged in the mud and has slammed the authority as “disgrace for Swedish democracy”.   

Maybe it’s easier if we just put on our “Mao-glasses”?

(Watch the film with English subtitles)