Mustache Brothers
The Mustache Brothers are an artist trio from Mandalay , Myanmar (Burma), best known for their sharp, satirical criticism of the military regime in Myanmar. The live shows that they still show every evening consist of classic Burmese dances interspersed with slapstick interludes, in addition to dissident satire.
The trio consists of Par Par Lay , Lu Zaw and Lu Maw . Par Par Lay, the actual head of the group, performed the shows until 1996 . In 1996, he and his cousin Lu Zaw were arrested at a protest at Aung San Suu Kyi's home in Rangoon . As a result, both were sentenced to prison terms for comments critical of the regime and were only released six years later. Two other members of the National League for Democracy , who organized the event, were also arrested and held for six years. Lu Maw was in Mandalay at the time and was able to avoid arrest. Amnesty International campaigned on behalf of the detainees and it is believed that Aung San Suu Kyi also contributed greatly to their final release through negotiations with the regime.
Shortly after their release, the trio began performing again, but had to limit themselves to only English performances and only to foreign visitors in order to avoid being arrested again. Lu Maw, who was not incarcerated and is the only one who speaks fluent English , has been leading the shows ever since. Nevertheless, every performance emphasizes that Par Par Lay is the "Mustache Brother Number One". The Mustache Brothers show can still be seen every evening today in their 15-seat theater on 39th Street in Mandalay. Locals are not allowed to attend the performances.
Par Par Lay was arrested on September 25, 2007 and released on October 30 for alleged involvement in the September 2007 protest marches . He died of kidney failure on August 2, 2013 in Mandalay.
Cigdem Akyol reported in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on November 4, 2010 about the situation of the three survivors and the comedian Zarganar in November 2010.
Web links
- Official site of the Mustache Brothers (English)
- Press release by Amnesty International for the release of The Mustache Brothers (English)
- Slide show , introduction and Lu Maw tells (English), January 2010
- Article about the Mustache Brothers with photos of the ideas in Travel Adventures (English)
- Video of the Mustache Brothers from one idea in her house in Mandalay (English)
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- ↑ Mizzima News: Junta release famous comedian, seven political leaders ( Memento of the original dated November 3, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma): List of those detained in August / September 2007
- ^ Democratic Voice of Burma: Renowned 'Mustache Brother' Par Par Lay passes away
- ↑ FAZ of November 4, 2010, page 9: You laugh at the system
