In 2007, Fergal Keane reported for Index on the near impossibility of working as a reporter in Burma. Returning in 2012, he found much had changed. But though the military is slowly loosening its grip, restrictions remain
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Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived in Geneva today for the start of a 17-day tour of Europe, visiting the continent for the first time in 24 years. The politician, who returned to the southeast Asian country in 1988 and has led its pro-democracy movement, was restricted from leaving Burma for her speaking out against the country’s brutal military regime. During her trip, Suu Kyi will accept the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991, but could not collect at the time because of fears of being prevented from re-entering Burma. The activist was this year elected to the country’s Parliament.
Burma’s heavy censorship rules are set to be lifted later this month, it has been announced. Tint Swe, head of the Press Scrutinisation and Registration Department (PSRD) has said that the iron grip currently experienced by the Burmese press will be lifted in a significant reform. Until recently, everything from newspapers to fairy tales were subject to scrutiny from the country’s censors. Tint Swe has said “it is the right time” and added “When we have parliament and government working on democratic process, how can censorship work at the same time?”
Last week I was on phone with Maung Ni Oo, Burmese poet, performance artist and one of the directors of Mandalay Contemporary Art Centre (MCAC).
He explained that he and Suu Myint Thein — another performance artist and director of MCAC — had recently returned from a performance exchange programme in Kuala Lumpur and planned to recreate part of the programme in downtown Mandalay, as part of the performance festival Beyond Pressure.
Maung Ni Oo’s decision followed a dramatic series of events in Mandalay two days ago, as protesters demanded more electricity supplies in Mandalay division in the biggest street protest in Burma since 2007. Special police questioned more than 50 demonstrators for a few hours including writer Nyi Pu Lay from MCAC, and then halted the movement until the new government offered a reaction.
Maung Ni Oo was concerned about doing the street performance. I worried for them too. I know how difficult it is to do street performance in Burma. I was questioned for five days after participating in a street performance with artist Chaw Ei Thein in Yangon in May 2005.
Yesterday afternoon I heard that Maung Ni Oo, Suu Myint Thein and Moe Satt were arrested and questioned during their morning performance, along with a number of other foreign performance artists (three Malaysian, one Australian).
I called their mobiles, but I couldn’t reach them.
Eventually, I got in touch with Maung Ni Oo at 5pm (GMT) and he confirmed they were all released after a few hours.
Their morning performance began at 8am near the moat on the east side of the palace and they planned to move to U Bein Bridge in the afternoon. They only did an hour or two’s performance in the morning and big crowds gathered to watch. They did not have permission for a street performance, which is difficult to apply for in Burma. The District Police Chief interviewed Moe Satt, another performance artist and director of Beyond Pressure Festival.
Similarly to when I was arrested, the police asked questions about the foreign artists. They asked about performance art so the artists explained what they did and showed the police officers their websites. The Chief Police Officer called the immigration officer and ordered the deportation of the foreign artists. The immigration officer refused, which is unusual. He said the artists were doing nothing wrong according to immigration procedures. So in the end the police released them all, but Maung Ni Oo, Suu Myint Thein and Moe Satt had to sign a document to say they wouldn’t participate in any further street performance.
The artists were also recorded videos of the questioning, so perhaps they will use this is in a future artwork? If they do, I think they will do it in Mingun, Suu Myint Thein’s hometown.