The Moustache Brothers
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The Moustache Brothers are a comedic trio from Mandalay, Myanmar known for live performances that combine screwball comedy, classic Burmese dance, and sharply satirical criticism of the totalitarian Myanmar regime.
The Moustache Brothers is composed of U Par Par Lay, U Lu Zaw, and Lu Maw. Lay and Zaw served almost six years of a sentence to seven years in labour camp for criticizing the government in a performance at the home of Aung San Suu Kyi in Rangoon in 1996. Two National League for Democracy members who had arranged the performance were also arrested and served the same time. Amnesty International led a campaign for their release, and negotiations by Suu Kyi are suspected of having contributed to their release. As part of the conditions for their release, they are now allowed to perform only for foreigners.
U Par Par Lay was arrested on September 25, 2007 as part of the crackdown on the anti-government protests.[1] As of October 28, 2007, Par Par Lay's whereabouts were unknown.[2] Par Par Lay was released on November 1st 2007 after 36 days in prison and is performing again with his familly and troupe in Mandalay.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.aappb.org/list_arrest_aug_sep_07.html, number 236
- ^ Sober times for Myanmar's comics, New York Times via International Herald Tribune; retrieved
[edit] External links
- Moustache Brothers official website, sparse content but a few great photos
- Amnesty International press release on the freeing of the Moustache Brothers
- Treading Lightly on the Road to Mandalay, Joshua Kurlantzick, The New York Times, May 7, 2006
- Moustache Mayhem, Tony Broadmoor, The Irrawady, May 1, 2002
- Travel Adventures blurb on the Moustache Brothers, with photos of performances
- Moustache Brothers to the rescue, a first-person account of meeting the “brothers” in Mandalay
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