Saw Wai

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Saw Wai is a famous Burmese poet. On January 22, 2008, Saw Wai was arrested by Burmese authorities for publishing a poem that secretly criticized Than Shwe, the head of Burma's ruling military junta. The poem, titled "February the Fourteenth" was published in the Rangoon-based Achit Journal (Love Journal). If the first letters of each line of the poem were put together, they read "Power Crazy Than Shwe" in Burmese.[1][2]

In 1988, Saw Wai was fired from his job at the government communication office for taking part in the 8888 Uprising.[3] Until the time of his recent arrest, he headed White Rainbow, a group of artists and writers working to raise money for AIDS orphans.[3] Saw Wai is well known for his romantic poems[4] and is also a performance artist.

On January 28, 2008, Saw Wai's wife, Nan San San Aye tried to see her husband in Insein prison as she has been told Saw Wai has been sent there. She failed to see Saw Wai.

[edit] External Links

"Power Crazy Senior General Than Shwe" - A chapbook anthology of poems published February 9, 2008, in response to Saw Wai's jailing.

[edit] References

  1. ^ BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Burma poet held for secret insult
  2. ^ Poet arrested for writing "Power Crazy Than Shwe"
  3. ^ a b MacKinnon, Ian (2008-01-25). Poet held after coded attack on Burmese leader. The Guardian. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
  4. ^ Weaver, Matthew (2008-01-24). Burmese poet arrested over cryptic verse attacking general. Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2008-01-28.
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