Zarganar

Zarganar in October 2011

Maung Thura " Zarganar " (also written " Zargana ", Burmese မောင် သူ ရ ဇာဂနာ ; born January 27, 1961 in Rangoon , today Yangon in Burma , today Myanmar ) is a comedian , comedian , film and television actor and film director speaking Burmese. He has been a critic of the military regime in Burma / Myanmar for over 20 years. His swipes at the regime repeatedly drove him to prison.

Life and career

"Zarganar" is the child of the writer couple Hla Kyi (pseudonym: Yuwaddy Kyi Oo) and Aung Thein (stage name: Nan Nyunt Swe). His birth name is Maung Thura. He is the youngest of three brothers in this politically active family of intellectuals. Thura graduated from Dagon 1 High School in 1977 in Rangoon. He later attended Yangon University of Dental Medicine, where he graduated as a dentist in 1985. While at college, he volunteered in a literacy campaign in Chin State . He wrote a book about his experiences during this time, which was published by Sape Beikman , the government publisher. In 2008, Myanmar was hard hit by the effects of Cyclone Nargis . Zarganar collected donations and distributed relief supplies, but also criticized in interviews how the government dealt with the disaster.

Theater career

Thura got his stage name "Zarganar" when he performed his first comedian roles with other students during his university days. "Zarganar" means "tweezers". Like a pair of tweezers, he wants to take the fear from the hearts of the citizens of Burma, explained Zarganar in the film "This Prison Where I Live". He put together the dance company Mya Kyun Tha . He also founded the theater group Moe Nat Thuza , with whom he appeared on Burmese television with the traditional Anyeint performances.

After completing his dental studies, Zarganar turned fully to the theater and founded the Mya Ponnama Anyeint Ensemble. He became known for his ability to ambiguously and mockingly expose the errors of the ruling military to an astonished audience. Well known was his play Beggar , in which the former dictator Ne Win and his clique were ridiculed. His colleagues and friends were initially surprised that Zarganar did not have any trouble with the authorities and did not have to go to prison.

In 1988, Zarganar was arrested for participating in the national uprising and spent the next six years in prison intermittently. In 1994 he was released, but was no longer allowed to perform in public. He was allowed to work as a producer of video and film recordings, as a director, screenwriter and actor, but was monitored by censors and secret services. His other artistic activities were restricted. Also because of his film Lun from 1997, he was not allowed to work in the theater for three years on the instructions of the rulers. In 2000 Zarganar was able to make films, but comedies and theatrical performances were excluded. In 2006 he gave an interview to a BBC television team , which resulted in an extensive professional ban for an unlimited period of time.

Zarganar is married and has two children.

Further arrests and releases

In 1990, Zarganar cracked jokes at a rally, which in turn took him to Insein Prison, where he was held in solitary confinement for five years. Zarganar was arrested and detained for three weeks in connection with the 2007 protests by Buddhist monks against the military regime. He had handed the demonstrators drinks and food. In June 2008, Zarganar was arrested for joking about the government in relation to its behavior in the post-cyclone Nargis disaster. He was sentenced to two prison terms totaling 59 years, which were reduced to 35 years in early 2009. He was initially sent back to Insein Prison, but was transferred to Myitkyina Prison in northern Myanmar from December 2008. Myitkyina is the capital of the Kachin State .

The British documentary filmmaker Rex Bloomstein and the German comedian Michael Mittermeier made the film This Prison Where I Live , which consists of earlier filming and interviews with Zarganar and shows the attempted approach of the two "tourists" to Zarganar's prison and acquaintances after his arrest. The film was shown in German cinemas in October 2010. In the night of November 2nd to 3rd, 2011 the film was shown on ZDF.

Zarganar's sister-in-law informed the AFP news agency on October 12, 2011 that the artist was also one of the thousands of political prisoners who had been released the previous day by the rulers of Burma.

In February 2012 Zarganar was able to travel to the USA. There he met the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , whom he informed about the situation in his home country.

Filmography

• 1985: Mintha Daw Mintha
• 1985: Lu Naut
• 1986: Sein-Lai-Lay
• 1986: A-Sa-Ga-Daw Mohn De Hso
• 2001: Datkhe
• 2001: Ponna Ba Kun
• 2002: La-Min-Go Sein-Khaw-Gya Thu-Mya
• 2002: Yindwin Zaga
• 2002: Chit-Pa-Naw Maung-Go
• 2002: Padauk Pinlè
• 2003: Karyan A-Lwè
• 2003: Pyauk Pyauk Myauk Myauk
• 2003: Pawpaw Papa Pyon
• 2003: Style
• 2004: Ba A-Yay-Kyi Zohn-Lè
• 2004: Balu (Ogre)
• 2004: Kyepwint Lay-Mya
• 2005: Mingalaba, with Sai Sai Kham Hlaing
• 2005: Yadana, with Kyaw Thu and Htun Aeindra Bo
• 2005: Model A-Chit-Mya, with Lwin Moe, Yan Aung and Eindra Kyaw Zin
• 2010: The Prison Where I Live, British documentary

Awards

As a particularly endangered colleague, Zarganar is an honorary member of the PEN Center Germany . In February 2011 Zarganar was awarded the Solidarity Prize of the State of Bremen. In 2012 he received a Prince Claus Prize for Culture and Development.

Publications

• 2012: Dutiya . Knie Sūra Jagana, Pathama 'a krim' series, Rangun 2013; Autobiography.

See also

Commons : Zaganar  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Mustache Brothers

Web links

• Zarganar in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• About the film The Prison where I Live ( Memento from August 11, 2015 in the Internet Archive )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Amnesty International ( Memento August 14, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on November 3, 2011
2. ^ Prison archive at the University of Bremen , accessed on February 15, 2011
3. ↑ FAZ of October 21, 2010, page 28: The imprisoned comedian
4. ↑ SpOn
5. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from May 24, 2009 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. , accessed November 3, 2011 
6. ↑ Senate Press Office Bremen , accessed on February 15, 2011.
7. ↑ Prince Claus Prize Winner, 2012 ( Memento of the original from December 20, 2010 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.