After being released on Wednesday from the remote Myitkyina Prison in northern Burma, the comedian cum activist known as Zarganar was put on a flight back to Rangoon. Within minutes after his arrival at the airport, he was lampooning President Thein Sein’s new “reformist” initiatives, describing them as the equivalent of “applying make-up to a paralyzed old woman and sending her out into the street.”
On Wednesday, Zarganar picked up right where he left off when he was arrested in 2008, stepping immediately back into his dual role of entertainer beaming with smiles and activist exposing government shortcomings and hypocrisy with his razor-sharp wit—an act of brazen courage given that he was released on the condition that if he were rearrested for any reason, he would have to serve the remaining 32 years of his 35-year sentence.
When asked by Voice of America to comment on Burma’s new Parliament, which includes novice MPs who have made proposals to the national legislative body that were as petty as installing new lampposts and demanding that trains stop for a few extra minutes at designated railway stations, Zarganar told the following joke :
“Einstein once met with four people. One of them said he had a 180 IQ, and Einstein suggested that they discuss quantum physics together. The next said his IQ was only 150, so Einstein said they should talk about the latest mathematical theory. When the third one said he only had an IQ of 120, Einstein offered to talk about movies. Finally, when the fourth said his IQ was only 50, Einstein asked what he and his fellow MPs spoke about in Parliament that day.” The comedian activist even took an indirect jab at his fellow citizens who are fighting for freedom in Burma. When asked what message he wanted to send to them, Zarganar said he wanted the Burmese people to get away from the “NATO” approach—“No Action Talk only”—and have everyone begin actively working to reform the country.
But Zarganar reserved his most biting criticism for the prisoner release itself. He even challenged Thein Sein by offering his own life as a sacrifice if there were any instability as a consequence of the release of political prisoners. “I will pawn my life in U Thein Sein's hands,” Zarganar said. “Just kill me should any unrest occur if all the political prisoners are released. With my life I will bet.”
Zarganar also said that he believed those prisoners who were selectively released were the ones who the new government’s leaders felt would work hand-in-hand with them. “Has the government tried to work with us?” Zarganar then asked. “No, it hasn't. We are not eating grass. If the government extends a hand to us, we will join hands. But as Obama said, we have extended our hands but we are not beggars.”
By the mercy and metta (love) of the president, my prison term was commuted by one year to 34 years. Now I have served three years and five months. So it’s 10 percent. You know, the banks changed their interest rates recently to 10 per cent. I am included in this changed interest rate of 10 per cent.
2011.10.14 The Irrawaddy - Burma’s Charlie Chaplin Picks Up Where He Left Off
2011.10.14 Mizzima - Zargana’s already cracking jokes
2011.10.14 Burmese version Bur ျမန္မာMizzima - Zargana’s already cracking jokes