By Taisamyone

Self-expression in different art forms is a part of any culture’s basic human rights. Within the context of a society, art is a vital aspect of civilian life through which a society explores contemporary aspects of life, through different forms; music, song, dance, art (painting), cartoons, literature, poetry, performance, comedy, etc.

Western satire was popular in the ancient Greek and Roman civilisations. In Burma, political satire has of course made up a part of traditional pwe performances for many years. Political cartoons against British colonial rule started a hundred years ago, lampooning the colonial leaders and the collaborating Burmese politicians. Thakin Kodaw Hmaing’s patriotic and satirical poetry spawned a powerful anti-colonial literary movement while Burma remained under British rule. Satire has been a vital part of society an many countries; an irreverent attitude to authority; although satire is usually witty, and often very funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humour but criticism of an event, an individual or a group in a clever manner.

Of course, it is usual for those being criticized and made fun of to react with an air of superiority and disdain – even more to poke fun at. The regime takes a particularly dim view of any such form of expression; any attempt at satirizing the National Convention will land you in jail for a few years. Any poetry that is deemed to criticize the regime will bring the same result. It is a measure of the tolerant nature of most democracies that satirical publications are not suppressed or censored to the extent that they cannot operate effectively. In many cases, satire is used not just for fun, but to challenge authority, condemn corruption, to instigate a change in policy, a change of attitude or a change of a ridiculous law – and also to ridicule a ludicrous regime – so it seems most appropriate as a method of the non-violent struggle to engage in satirical attack on the SPDC.

Talented artists around the world stand up and give their support for freedom and democracy in a manner that no dictator’s propagandists can match – in the UK, numerous actors and comedians stage shows to raise funds in support of DASSK and the pro-democracy movement, Blur singer Damien Rice issues a record for DASSK, and around the world the Black Eyed Peas dedicate their music to DASSK. Musician Peter Gabriel has helped set up the ‘Witness’ organisation to support human rights films for freedom groups worldwide, including several for Burma. Witness uses video and online technologies to open the eyes of the world to human rights violations. They empower people to transform personal stories of abuse into powerful tools for justice, promoting public engagement and policy change.

The regime uses their own methods of crushing popular arts by manipulating the annual performing arts competition to their own ends. The newspapers and TV are full of the list of which generals have been present at which competition and are seen giving out the prizes – very little of the content or the endeavours of the artistes makes the TV or radio, and certainly no national debate regarding the role of art in society – the regime have stated the purpose as a purely nationalistic bastion against the west, as part of the ‘Four Social Objectives’. The culture has to be the proscribed Burman-oriented selection that meets with the regime’s approval, especially the old court traditions befitting the ‘new kings’ – popular Burmese culture and particularly ethnic culture are virtually excluded.

Art can be neutral or it can make a statement about life. Art can be neutral, but this gives the artist little satisfaction, because a true artist produces work to provoke some emotional reaction from their audience. All art in Burma is just what the censor allows – creativity cannot help but be restricted by their domineering and senseless attitudes. Burma’s writers must constrain their creativity to pass the Press Scrutiny Board, and must even develop a style that cannot be criticized by the regime as following their pet hate – western culture. “Crazy Writing” for a crazy country!

Those who use their art to express their true feeling are usually locked up - Tin Moe served five years in prison for daring to write about Burma’s democracy movement -something that earned him the adoration of the Burmese people and the hatred of the country’s ruling military dictatorship.

Prison does not diminish the creative urge to keep faith with the freedom movement - Htein Lin’s performances at the Suvannabhumi Art Gallery in Chiang Mai showed how he painted while confined in a Burmese prison. Prison reality, the urge to escape the oppressiveness of the cell, and his severely restricted access to tools and materials drove Htein Lin to develop his “action painting style”—a combination of performance and visual art that turns him from “a painter” into “a painting.” As he says, “I am not a painter; I am a painting.”

Comedians like Zaganar and Moustache brothers are bravely making jokes about the junta in Burma. Prison does not dampen their humour, although they may find it more and more difficult to find venues to perform, or even banned from performing in public. The Moustache Brothers are now only allowed to perform for tourists. What drives them on in the face of adversity is their creativity and their humanity – characteristics totally lacking in the regime.

The worldwide democracy for Burma movement has generated numerous talented writers, poets and cartoonists to use their creativity to give voice to the struggle for freedom in ways that can sometimes express our anger, our sadness, our love, our suffering; in ways that are sometimes harsh, sometimes deep, and sometimes funny. Art, whether it is writing, painting, poetry, a political cartoon or performance art, is a vital part of the life and culture of any society – it is also a vital part of the non-violent struggle for freedom, for all those who want to see democracy and human rights prevail in Burma.

For further information

• Burma Campaign UK
• Stand Up For Burma 07
• Black Eyed Peas
• Witness
• Art and Human Rights: Witnessing To Silence
• Pioneers of Burmese Cartooning
• An Unfinished Painting
• The ‘Great Guest’ of Burmese Literature
• Burma at the Turn of the 21^st Century – ed. Monique Skidmore, 2005.