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Biography
Pål Steigan (born 31 May 1949 in Oslo) is a Norwegian communist and former leader of the Maoist Workers' Communist Party, AKP (m-l), from 1975 to 1984, and jointly leader of the Red Electoral Alliance (RV) until 1979. He is also a writer and editor.
Workers Communist Party, AKP (m-l)
During his leadership of AKP (m-l), Steigan traveled to several countries ruled by communist regimes, such as China, Czechoslovakia, Albania and Cambodia (Democratic Kampuchea). He personally met Mao Zedong, Enver Hoxa and Pol Pot.
Steigan met the Khmer Rouge dictator Pol Pot in 1978, and eagerly supported the regime after his visit. Later, he has admitted that supporting the Khmer Rouge regime, responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians, was a mistake, although he has continued to be criticised for bearing a personal responsibility for his political support to the regime.
Books
Steigan released his memoirs En folkefiende (A public enemy) in 2013.
Steigan, Pål, Veiskille: finnes det noen vei ut av miljøkrisa? Oktober Forlag, Oslo, 1990, 244 s.